Dawn: Nexus Point
by Outsider316
Summary: Fourteen years after a fire destroys the Loud family, the children, now older, are reunited by a mysterious party that aims to stop a rising threat in the form of Lisa Loud, the genius behind a domestic science division, and are thrown into a world where all choices have consequences. Reiteration of the original 2026 trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

**Back in 2017, I pieced together an eighty-three chapter fic built with comic book structuring. And at the end of it, I did damn well, and that's how the sequel came to be; 2039, followed by Year Unknown. I wasn't planning on those, but when I began to create 2039, I noticed something about the timelines of where the first two fics take place.**

**There so happens to be a Timeline B, Timeline C, Timeline X, and Timeline D. But there was never to be an A, as these ones in existence correspond to a word. I.E., Before, Current, X variable-wise, and Destined.**

**The A fic, this is it. All about that one timeline I did not know could exist until I thought of it, and only after all of this. Lola, Lynn the Third, and what the Loudiverse really was, it all plays into it. I might have gone in circles with it, but I think this angle was done well for me. Those three fics, those are not of the original timeline of their world, as you've followed along. And neither were the other fics written within this Loudiverse. So...**

**2026, 2039, and Year Unknown are no longer fic-canon as of right this moment, but that's not to say you'll see some familiar scenes from all three. Of course, it will be all different, and that's an Outsider guarantee.**

**To any new readers who have never read these aforementioned works, you are not required to read them to know what is happening. I will do a recap in due time. **

**The A, or Dawn, the official title of the fic, is the one true masterpiece I can flesh out for its characters, plots, and events. That, and so much more. The brainstorming is nearly wrapped up, just a little bit more to put together.**

**This has been mentioned only a handful of times, so let me explain what this is; Dawn is what 2026 should have been, but as that was an all-out thing, I never fleshed it out in complete. And, I did not truly think to incorporate everyone back then. Or maybe I didn't have ideas. Well, that all will change.**

**I realize that this is confusing, and I try to simplify it to the best of my abilities. Honestly, I could have stopped at the first fic, but I just... Mmmmm! I wanted more! And I wanted to give more of that particular angle! Broken Louds! Damaged by some sort of tragedy, a painful event! The capability to do the heartless and deranged! That, but with more realism, which means it's all consequential and more.**

**This is not just a fic, but it's a whole universe put into one. Say, Linka is here, hanging with a canon character, while you have Gloom and Lemy meeting for the first time in another part of the world. Meanwhile, various others are having their own adventures, both fun and tragic. Nothing short of emotion around these here yonder parts. If anyone was able to make such a fic, it would have been done by now. I do hope I can inspire... And then some.**

**This is the true fic that happens before the 2026 trilogy, as it should be known. And we will get there. **

* * *

**Lyrics to Feed the Wolf, by Breaking Benjamin**

* * *

_I can feel the animal within_

_I chain the beast and crawl inside myself_

_I hear the call of violence_

_I sleep no more and I can't_

_I've lost it all_

_Carry me through this world alive _

_I feel no more, the suffering_

_Bury me in this cold lie_

_I feed the wolf, and shed my skin_

_I can see the Devil closing in_

_I choke the breath that dies to cry for help_

_I feel the pull of gravity_

_I bleed no more and rise again_

_I've lost it all_

_Carry me through this world alive_

_I feel no more, the suffering_

_Bury me in this cold lie _

_I feed the wolf and shed my skin_

_It is no__ longer a human! _

_It's a beast! _

_Unmerciful! Ferocious! Fearless..._

_You're a madman! Tampering with nature, every man's ambitions, and lust!_

_Carry me through this world alive_

_I feel no more, the suffering_

_Bury me in this cold lie_

_I feed the wolf and shed my skin_

_Fight the animal_

* * *

**2015**

The White House was silent on the lovely weeknight, with both his Secret Service guards having been stationed just outside his office. He was looking over several different bills that had been placed onto him by some "friends" from the government branch. He had about three days to make a decision for each of them before turning them over and making them either official or not at all.

Jordan Leak was in his thirties, being a bald man with a chubby build and slight muscle, constructed with a near stone-hearted attitude that had only room for the work laid out in front of him. He did his duty as an American, and was doing more than his fair share of it. The same could not be said for much of the world, and especially not for the individual who had come to visit as part of an unscheduled appointment.

He had the bills all spread out on his desk when he heard the off-putting creaking noise that came from the closet. He stared down its way, thinking nothing of it at first. None of the windows had been opened, so it wasn't a breeze that caused it.

Not minding it the first time, he looked back down to his current objective. He began reading softly, "Now, let's see... More suitable action against-"

The closet door opened widely this time, and as he looked up to it, he could have sworn he had seen a flash of bright blue light. "What on earth?"

Leak waltzed his way to the closet and studied the hinges. It wasn't broken nor loose, and had never done such a thing before. He was sure it was closed the last time he used it, but maybe it was just him in his old age that played into hearing sounds that weren't caused by anything. Yeah, for sure. Had to be it. He left it at that and firmly closed the door.

"There we go," he genuinely commented, feeling pleased. "That ought to hold you down!"

The uninvited guest had next appeared behind him, after another bright blue flash. Leak took notice and turned around. "Don't worry, it will," the guest noted before engaging the president in an unfair fight.

Leak went down with a nasty headbutt, sprawling on the floor with such surprise that he was too stunned to call for his guards. Surely, they must have heard him fall hard, but only they didn't, due to the soft carpet layout around the room that was just too soft to let a sound be made.

The guest himself had a black backpack that he so carefully put down at President Leak's feet before he revealed a stun gun and fired it at him. Leak's body jerked around in an erotic manner, hands and legs flipping around as if they were fish out of water. "For the future of the Freights, I sentence you to death."

The President stammered about, trying to crawl towards the hall. "Freights?!"

With the click of a button on a weird belt-shaped mechanical contraption on the unknown assailant's waist, he exited the office, leaving in a final bright blue flash, followed by the explosion from the homemade bomb inside of the backpack. It devasted much of the office, sending it to rubble and debris that scattered through the rising smoke. The world would soon be awake and alerted of such news, but it wouldn't stop there.

The number one suspect of this terrorist event in nature had left behind a clear message through red spray paint on the field as various agents of the Secret Service had begun to gather on his behalf; **Freights were here!**

And he disappeared behind a corner of the left side of the place while many of the agents were flanking. With a push of the button on the contraption around his waist, the suspect was gone. Gone, like the peace that was then taken away in this one special night, where it only helped further escalate the world into further violence and madness, and shaping it into a whole new world.

It started here. And it would not end for another great many years to come.

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter I: The Darkest Raid Of His Life**

* * *

**May 17th, 2030**

Lincoln finally snapped out of it. The ugly coma had worn itself out, making him able to finally open his eyes and move about, only it was a slow process for him to regain the proper motor functions like he was accustomed to in the time before he had endured what felt like an eternal hell where he could not even dream the right dreams forever. Even as he had actually spend years within that particular dream world, he had only come to find that all of his dream sequences had been forgotten in just under a minute upon rising back to the living world.

There he was, the young man known as Lincoln Loud, having been returned to the world. The twenty-five-year-old had retained his odd white hair throughout the years, not ever bothering to dye his hair. It wouldn't work exactly, for he would have had to take haircuts often, enough times that the dye would be cut off with his hair. At least he was unique in that angle, for him having white hair since he was born had always made him feel like the odd one out of the group.

Spasms in his arms and legs had given him some grief, but he got back the control and moved up with a painful grunt. He was weak in this current state, until some body exercises would fix that. And to think he was a strong individual with an insane amount of strength who was near invincible.

"Aw, shit..." He withdrew the light-blue covers from his body, discovering that he was in a generic white hospital gown. He touched the fabric and ripped it. Light and fragile, almost like paper, just like he believed. Never in a million years, or when his life had taken a devastating turn for the worst, would he, Lincoln fucking Loud, imagine that he would wind up in a hospital like this.

Which begged the one and only question he had; how long had he been here? It didn't matter where he was, so long as he wasn't met with cops or FBI agents, maybe a more secretive type of enforcement.

You see, Lincoln Loud had gotten in with the wrong crowd that he didn't see as a bad influence when he threw in with them. He was part of a destructive organization known as the Freights, a collective of youngsters ranging from teens of various ages, all of which had barely met the basic requirement to be put in the anarchist category.

The Freights were as dangerous as a terrorist cell, due to them racking a body count. The Freights were killers, of course, but they aimed to cause destruction more than they cared for taking lives. Anyone caught in the crossfire of their attacks were likely to end up victims or dead, which in turn would leave devastation within the family of these said victims. That's what their goals werent; to spread about the injustice the world did not spare them from. No one was an exception. Not even Lincoln Loud or his many sisters. That was what he signed up for, but not for the whole ride.

Lincoln was here because he had seen a different perspective, which had motivated to act against his fellow Freights. He did so, but had failed ultimately. And to make things worse, the ones he didn't kill had to have known that he had come after them. But, did they think him dead now, right in this very second? Did they count him as a threat less? What was it? What was the last thing he remembered before he ended up here?

Pressing a hand to his head, Lincoln focused hard and tried his damned hardest to venture into memory lane. It hurt him, but he instantly recalled some ugly, fragmented pieces of the last fight he had with them. Him, against a number of Freights standing as a group, the second family he had once described them as, facing him with intense seriousness on all their faces. Faces of people who were well past due their expiration dates.

He missed some. He missed some and he was certain of it. Dana, Cristina, Chandler, Rebekka, and even Lori, the latter who was the oldest of many sisters the broken-up Loud family had to offer.

These particular five were for sure alive, had to be, for they weren't in range at the time he brought down the majority of the Freights, which had a hundred members at the time he tumbled them down at once. Yeah, that's what happened. He was caught well within the blast radius, where he was met with a rain of debris.

The hospital room was near dark at the time, only dimming with the light from the advanced medical machinery around. The heartbeat monitors that made a rhythm beat changed course to make the deadening flat-lining that mean tragic news. It was the only thing apart from him that made a sound.

"Fuck-" He made his way to the window frame, stretching his feet out as he made his slow first steps. Outside, the night was pitch black, and all he saw was a forest overlooking a skyline. He was on a high level, somewhere in a small town by the look of it. He calculated the jump.

_Hell of a jump..._

Lincoln had jumped down from high places that would have caused normal damage to him, but he had a power boost that he had stolen with one of the Freights, which made him invincible. He could probably survive it if he believed again.

Taking a few steps back from the window, Lincoln broke into a run and plowed right through, sending the window into millions of pieces. If any security happened to be guarding the room, they would have barged right in before Lincoln made his heavy landing.

Marking his fall with heavy handprints and footprints on the grass, and along with the glass sprinkles that covered the layer, Lincoln brushed himself off.

Unlike inside, the outer world was colder, had turned chilly the moment he had soared through the air and gave his skin something to react to. He shivered as he began to move quickly away from the hospital, running around through the trees and the cold grass under his feet. Where the fuck were his shoes, at least?

He wandered in circles, stumbling around in the dark as if he were a blind individual. He then stopped after three minutes trying to find his way out, drawing calm, slow breaths through his nostrils, trying to hear sound. Maybe a car engine revving by, or voices. He was near a hospital, so there had to be a road close by.

It worked for him, for he did catch wind of a set of wheels running down a road. He followed the sound, soon finding himself a narrow road, where the moon was shining down at to guide him the way.

He ran along the right side of the road, having gone behind the trees and shrubs every time a vehicle sped down the straight road, pushing past the cold atmosphere and the moist ground. The forest had ended right at a diner under the name of Abby's Warm and Toasty.

Whatever the time was, it had to be before midnight, for an open sign shone brightly in blue and red. The front parking lot was vacant, save for a 1982 Ford County Squire sleeping away, perfectly still and minding its one business.

Lincoln pushed through the dark wooden door, nearly sending it smashing against the wall as it turned nearly all the way. He forgot that his muscle made everything soft and fragile when interacting with objects on medium range. "Oh-"

There was a middle aged blonde waitress in a pink dress with a white apron who had her attention redirected to him while she was turning off the cookware machinery. "Oh, I'm sorry, mister, we're-"

"I just need to get to a phone, miss," Lincoln cut off, only thinking about getting his one and only back-up he knew he could trust. And that was none other than Clyde McBride, a computer hacker with amazing skills to back up his claims of being one, the very same one who was Lincoln's black childhood friend.

Clyde McBride, who had also known about Lincoln's activities as a Freight, and since Lincoln had sold him the truth of him wanting out, Clyde accepted it easily, moreso than Lincoln had initially believed he would have, but he didn't think twice afterwards. It was him who had helped Lincoln create the gateway back to a normal life, however normal that could be after all of this. Money wiring, off-shore accounts, you name it, he was sure to have it ready for the ex-Freight.

Luckily, the only phone booth in the diner happened to be free of charge after the waitress had directed him to it, but of course, he had slight trouble trying to remember that specific phone number Clyde had instructed him to memorize. _Damn you, Lincoln Loud! _He thought to himself. _What was it? Three... Three something. Three one- _He dialed the number as three-one-six-four-one-five-zero, but had only forgotten the area code. Maybe he needed that as well. And only after calling and letting it ring, did it pick up.

But it wasn't Clyde. It was a random citizen in the area with the same number. Now, Lincoln realized he so needed the area code. "Sorry, wrong number," Lincoln flatly apologized before hanging up.

Hanging the phone up on the rack, he let out a disgruntled sigh and made his way to a seat, still pretty much in the nude underneath the hospital gown.

"Uh, sir? I'm sorry, sir, but you need to leave," the waitress urged of him with a rising tone, sounding a little more fiercer than she had sounded to begin with. This made Lincoln a little uncomfortable and annoyed with her. His patience with people had drastically decreased to some dangerous levels, so he wouldn't have that shit tonight. He got up from the cold cushion seat, not hesitating to make it his night by shutting her up and sleeping over if possible. He didn't think of anything past that.

Fate spared the unsuspecting waitress from something horrible when a gray 2024 Lamborghini Huracan came pulling up to the diner, with bright xenon lights flashing through the windows, stunning Lincoln hard enough to cover his eyes.

The driver of the vehicle honked twice before the lights and engine switched off, and they emerged out of the super car fairly quickly. Now Lincoln could see that the driver had turned out to be none other than Clyde McBride himself, who entered through the wooden entrance.

It was definitely him alright. Clyde McBride, the adopted African American brat of two kind-hearted homosexuals, greeted Lincoln with a wave of his hand and a firm smile that, in reality, didn't really ease Lincoln's desperation to quite possibly a newer world he had returned to. Clyde had stepped foot into the diner with blue jeans and a dark red sweater, differentiating from the original look that Lincoln could still imagine him in.

"Ah, Lincoln! We need to go!" Clyde rushed.

"What the hell-?" Whatever the case, Lincoln had yet to find out for himself any and all answers for the questions that were quickly coming to mind, piling up rapidly. He took his leave and forgot about the fair waitress, who only looked on in confusion. "You gonna let me drive?"

Clyde shook his head and laughed. "You've gotta learn to tame such a beast, buddy!"

"But I already am a beast," Lincoln replied, chuckling away. He got in, calling shotgun, still feeling cold up until he would feel toasty within the next five minutes. "Checking up on me, I see?"

"I can't let you die, buddy," Clyde protested. "Not after..."

He held up a thumb and waved it back over his shoulder, signaling to the backseat. Lincoln raised an eyebrow and followed his lead. It was dark, but not dark enough that he could not recognize the other person after a few seconds of staring down at her. "Is that-?"

"Had to bring her, dude," Clyde admitted without guilt. "Look, before you say anything, I know it was dangerous to bring her, but when she found out there was an update on you, she insisted on coming."

Lincoln reached a hand to touch Lily's face. It had been a long while since they had seen each other, and the last time was a tearful one. Lily was around eleven years old when she was practically begging him to stay. Begging him to not go out and do what he planned to do. And did so with such heart-breaking tears, for she didn't want him to leave her again. Especially not after having reunited ever since-

She was warm, sleeping away, taking up the entire backseat. The teenager had been in her seatbelt up until she had fallen asleep from being awake for too long. Her blonde hair unraveled itself and concealed much of her face. Lincoln moved his gentle hand and brushed away the hair, and then felt a trail of moist liquid on her cheeks. Crying. Lily had been crying right before Clyde pulled up. Lincoln could never imagine what pain Lily had been feeling. "Sis..."

"She's been crying out of happiness, Linc," Clyde told him with ease. "We're both glad you're safe and sound."

Lincoln pulled back his hand and crossed his arms. Clyde just watched in awe and then sighed. "So, tell me..."

Clyde was reluctant to fill him in on the current situation. "Yeah, well... I figured you didn't get to see the results once you set off the bombs, but-"

"Just tell me, Clyde!" Lincoln demanded heavily, caring only to know if he finished what he started. "Are they all dead?"

Clyde pulled out of the parking lot with ease, looking over his shoulder. "Hold on," he urged, intentionally distracting himself with driving.

"You can multi-task," Lincoln hissed.

Clyde set the Lamborghini to drive, pressing the gas pedal like a maniac. "Engine roars so amazingly!"

"Be careful with my sister, man," Lincoln warned with silence. He shut his eyes and lifted his head up. "Waiting."

"Okay, look..." Clyde kept his eyes forward. "The whole Freight hideout was destroyed, and... Well, you got most of them-"

Lincoln opened his eyes and faced Clyde. "Most? What-?" He let it sink in deeply.

"Some few made it, dude. And what's more... Lori is among the surviving Freights."

Lincoln studied his best friend's face, hoping that Clyde was going for some joke. But it wasn't that at all. His face had no hint of comic purpose among his words. The blood inside the white-haired young man boiled rather quickly, fists forming away out of anger at learning that there just so happened to be survivors. And then there was the fact that he had lost time.

He lost time. Not days, not weeks, nor even months. He lost years of his life trying to bring down a chaotic faction that he was once a part of. And he didn't even succeed all the way. What the hell kind of shit was this to come back to?

"What... What year is it?" Lincoln was going to find out eventually, but he might as well have asked. "Lily's gotten older, ao I know it's not twenty-six."

Clyde sighed. "Yeah, no, it's not. Linc, it's been four years since you brought them down. You... You actually brought them down. Ever since that day, all activity has stopped, and that idea that they were founded on, it died with them."

Lincoln stared out the window, gazing into the dark atmosphere.

"You killed the Freights, which is by itself-"

"It means nothing if some survived..." Lincoln muttered. "Who survived?"

"Look under your seat, Linc," Clyde guided him. "Sorry I couldn't pack any clothes for you, but back at the safe house, you still have a wardrobe of options."

Lincoln ran his hands underneath, feeling for something. He found a newspaper article all folded up until he undid it. "What is this?"

**Five Freights Captured By Authorities; One Huge Step To Dismantling The Terrorists! (Story on Page 12)**

He studied the headline before going down to the large picture that took up the space for the whole page. In It, he saw five individuals standing side by side, facing towards the person taking the shot. And it looked like they were in some sort of facility. A prison, maybe. The second one on the left was the one who made him jump in his seat. "Lori!"

"And four others," Clyde reminded him. "These ones, were they in your circle of friends back there?"

Lincoln scanned his eyes from Lori, moving to identify the other four Freights in the shot. After a comment, he simply answered, "I know them."

From left to right, the five Freights were; Chandler Jacobs, a redhead who acted as one of the leaders of the Freights, particularly the group Lincoln ran with; Lori Loud, the oldest sister in Lincolns broken family, the one he had lost way long ago; Cristina McAlister, a true redhead with no sense of morale, which made her one of the dangerous ones of the gang; Dana Hall, who felt like she was misplaced, as she was the least bit troublesome of the group, but was a Freight nonetheless; and lastly, Rebekka "Becky" Letenko, a foreign exchange student who originated from Russia. She was also lumped in with Chandler and Cristina, with what being a redhead and all.

They all looked so deprived of life, it was like looking at dummies made to look like them. "Pieces of shit," Lincoln declared angrily. "Where are they now?"

"I know you won't like this, but-"

Lincoln went to the page where the full story was printed on. In a three-paragraph update, he read right through it in under a minute, followed by him angrily crumpling it up in his hands. "THEY GET TO WALK FREE?!"

"I know... They all gave the names of everyone involved or connected to the Freights. That also means the ones who ran from it, or just got too tired. And... They know about you as well, Lincoln."

The newspaper dropped from Lincoln's hands. "An educated guess? Or is it possible?" He was doing the math mentally.

"I mean, they would have had to. That, and your attempt to murder them would have also been noted to the authorities."

"You think so?" Lincoln asked.

"No, I know so," Clyde corrected him. "Before you make assumptions, the whole world thinks you are dead. Too many bodies remain unidentified to this day, which says more than enough, even with the new forensics systems. You dealt quite the blow, and it went unnoticed for awhile, until hackers chewed their way into the database, and you know what happened?"

Lincoln shook his head. "Spill it."

"Get this, dude. Most of America has hailed you a hero. All the statements were leaked, and it's been all over the internet two months after you... You know, that."

"Pfft," Lincoln went, letting out a chuckle. "Of all things, I'm a hero?"

"Well, a majority of citizens labeled you a patriot whose eyes have been opened at long last. I mean, from what they know, you gave up your life to take them all down. That's bravery to them, a great story. Why, even Jimmy Kimmel brought you up the night the files flooded all the social media you can think of."

"What about the hospital? How did-?"

"Ah, Lincoln Loud is a ghost now. I've taken the liberty and wiped everything every system had on you. School records, dental and clinic records, you name it. Of course, creating a new you, that was a challenge... Jerry."

"So, I'm Jerry, now?" Lincoln scoffed. "Next time, I'll pick the name."

Clyde opened his mouth before Lincoln had another question.

"Uh, what's my last name?" Lincoln groaned.

"I just went with Cruise. Jerry Cruise, the albino with a scar on his forehead."

"Scar? I don't have a-" Lincoln looked into the mirror and discovered a large dark-red spot on left side of his forehead. "How did I miss that?"

"Maybe you didn't feel it. Looks to be dry, but we'd better take a better look at you back at the safe house."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Lincoln agreed.

"So, yeah, I did most of the work. And to think you would be able to start a new life with the same identity."

There was a long pause between them. Things had escalated to this magnitude where there was no going back. Only... Lincoln slowly let it sink. It wasn't that this was a genuine fuck-up that would deny him a life back into regular society, but that he had already done it when he joined with the Freights in the beginning, and this stunt of his had dire consequences. He could not be the one and only Lincoln Loud from Royal Woods anymore if he was to keep roaming around. And that was what he was able to take. Only... For Lily, the fifteen-year-old girl who he had lost time with, could she live with someone who was legally dead?

Lincoln Loud was dead. So, just who in the hell was this white-haired man in the passenger's seat supposed to be now? What was he?

"Damn it..."

"I'm sorry, man. It's how things are gonna be, I'm sure..."

Lincoln eyed to the backseat. Lily was still sleeping like an angel, unaware that her brother was there. "She usually take the backseat?" He asked.

"Yeah, nothing's changed," Clyde answered. "I mean..."

"But no one's suspicious, right? No one is looking closely at her, right?"

Clyde shook his head. "She's shown no trouble in the school, nor gained any suspicion, but she said she had a boyfriend. You believe that? Little Lily has been growing up-"

"Stop talking," Lincoln growled in anger. "So, where are we going?"

**Fourteen Minutes Later - The Aberrant Motel**

The Lamborghini pulled up into a near-vacant motel that ran along further up the road, five miles after they had passed through the forest. Clyde took his exit after shutting off the engine, and gave his friend the honors of carrying teen Lily in his arms. The two made their way into a room on the bottom floor. Clyde took out a key, quickly inserting and turning it counter-clockwise. "This place has two beds-"

And without warning, Lily, having felt real cold to the point it woke her up, despite having a pink sweater and some green leggings, spotted big brother Lincoln carrying her like some sort of guardian, and then slammed her hands into his chest repeatedly. "OH, M-MY GOD, YOU! YOU!"

Lincoln wasn't phased by her, but took a breather and closed his eyes while Lily went on to punish him. Clyde closed the door quickly behind them, hoping to not attract any unnecessary attention.

"HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE ME LIKE THAT?! YOU PROMISED! YOU MADE ME A PROMISE AND YOU LIED TO ME! BASTARD!" Just like the two anticipated, Lily flew into an emotional tantrum, letting her hands fly free to smack all over her big brother's chest and face. This went on for over a minute, until she wore herself down on her own. And then the crying followed soon thereafter.

The silly blonde had nearly lost her grip on him after nearly falling out of his arms, but Lincoln ensured her safety. "Are we done now?"

"Like hell..." She pushed herself off of him, landing softly on the carpet below. "I can't believe you... You promised-"

Clyde went to the bathroom to collect a few sheets of toilet paper for the teenager, offering it to her wirelessly. Lily wiped the tears from her most cheeks, silently thanking him.

"You're right, Lilster," Lincoln agreed to. "I broke it, and..."

Now that she was more visibly clear under the yellow light that glowed from the ceiling lightbulb, Lincoln got to see her for who she was now. Lily wasn't the eleven-year-old he had deserted long ago. Times were different, and not at all in any neutral way. Not anymore. Lily had aeen better days, and could definitely use them. Maybe with Lincoln back in her life, she would come to know them again.

But inside, Lincoln hated that he had lost time with her. "There is nothing I can do that'll make up for how long I've been gone, but... I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

"F-fuck you!" Lily had the energy to slap him one last time, and took it. She managed it so hard that she spun off balance and fell on her ass. "Y-you promised you wouldn't leave me!"

There was no way to compensate for it, not even with all the apologies he could muster up. The young man looked down on her until he then faced away. He left her crying, taking to the bathroom. "Get me clothes at the ready," he instructed his old friend before disappearing for a long overdue shower.

Clyde sat on his bed, positioned in front of the sobbing Lily. "Hey, are you okay?"

"What do you think?" Lily asked sarcastically. "I hate him, Clyde. I hate him so much..."

"At least he's here now," the black man pointed out. "I'll never know what it's like to have a sibling, but I'm sure he will try to make it up to you. After all, he's your brother, and I know he cares about you."

"Hmph," Lily scoffed, still wiping her tears. "He has a funny way of showing it."

"Well, yeah, that's true, but he didn't expect to be gone this long. It was..." What kind of explanation was this to give to a teenager? Especially one who had no understanding of the hellish hardships Lincoln had endured from childhood up to here? Could Lily have been mature enough to understand it? Understand all the choices Lincoln made, both the regrettable and correct ones he tried to make to undo his errors? Was Lily able to see all of that? Or did she have to learn by falling, falling right into that same dark reality? "What matters is that he's here, and you should be happy."

"Maybe..." In her mind, what Lily really thought was that she had been scared and angry at the only choice she saw him make; leaving her right after she had been rescued by him. Long before Lily had reunited with her long-lost brother, she was in a sad, isolated place where she knew not of the perfect family that existed around her infant years. However close she had been with the very few members of the Loud family tree had never felt the way she wanted it to feel. Even now, being with the white knight that had broken her out of that particular hell, away from Aunt Rinn Reagan's home, had made her feel just as she had, all the same. "I wish just once he knew how I felt."

The hot water hit and ran down Lincoln's hair, gushing through his freckled face. He had torn off the silly, fragile hospital gown rather than simply removing them the old fashioned way, and had been improperly stuffed into the trash basket at the other end of the bathroom, right near the toilet. There was no shampoo for him to use, so he made due with only the bar of soap he found, not caring if it had been used before him. Whatever the case, there were more bigger issues to deal with than this.

He ran the bar around his body, thoroughly rubbing it where his skin made contact with it. For someone who hadn't showered in four years, he was quite calm as if it were simply another day.

Clyde knocked thrice on the door before entering. This was their secret code to signal each other's identity, of which was a generic but simple one to remember. "Coming in," he stated, having grabbed fresh clothes for the man of the hour.

"Understood," Lincoln cleared. "Leave them near the door."

"Uh, right," Clyde complied, setting Lincoln's fresh clothes down. "Hey, Linc? I have to know something."

"Spit it out!" Boomed the albino.

Clyde closed the toilet lid and promptly sat down on it. "What's the plan? You going to remain Jerry Cruise and raise Lily off-grid? I mean, it's the only thing I can really see going for you. Hell, I could help you out by offering you to live with me. Lily's been at my place for these past few years, you know."

"Well, I appreciate that you did that for her."

"Did you know?" Clyde was going into unexplored territory now. "Did you know something would happen?"

"You mean back there?" Lincoln thought he knew what Clyde was asking. "The takedown?"

The raining water driplets hit the tub hard, them emitting the only sound apart from the voices of the two friends. The steam filled much of the room, with some getting intp Clyde's face, kissing away his whole face and glasses, which fogged them up. "Did you think you'd come back safe and sound?"

The soap in Lincoln's hands slipped out when his hands squeezed on it, reacting from after hearing the question. Even as he was quick to answer, he gave it some thought. "I was hoping that it would have gone my way," he replied. Truthfully, he didn't know what would have happened. He had to have been fast to go in, place the homemade cluster bomb, and evacuate before alerting the other Freights. And he only had one damn chance to get it right. Many variables got in the way, and he had faced some unexpected surprises, which he hoped he made up for with his toughest decision as of yet. "My way..."

"Same here, Linc. Same here."

"Clyde... This can't end like this," Lincoln thought.

The black man was puzzled. "What? What are you referring to?"

Everything in his mind was all Freight-related hate fuel, and he, who only desired one last deed to carry out right before the remnants of his broken mind could whisper the everlasting peace at the end of this long, dark tunnel, had already decided what had to have been finished, all then and there. "I have to see it through, Clyde," he answered bluntly. "I have to kill the remaining five."

He shut off the showerhead, having concluded his long-due shower. "Lincoln, you're kidding, right?" Clyde wanted his friend to have been yanking his chain in that second, getting no quick response as Lincoln snagged on the white towel from the other side. "Linc, I can't allow this!"

"Why not?"

"You barely got out of the mess the first time, Linc! Why would you dare try to kill five ex-Freights that you have already beaten?! Why... Why would you do this to Lily?"

Lincoln wrapped the towel around his waist, gradually walking out. It was then that, when getting right into Clyde's face, that he was quite taller than him. But it didn't seem to intimidate Clyde at the same time. "You watch your words."

"Wuh-watch my-? I'm just speaking truth here, Lincoln. You barely walked away with your life, what happens if you die?"

Lincoln let out a growl, sounding equivalent to a motorboat.

"I can't let you do this again, Linc! I mean, you've won already! You've disassembled those guys and undid their accomplishments! There's no need to go after them!"

"Yes there is," Lincoln insisted. "Idiotic move made by the system if they roam free."

Clyde nodded. "Yes, but they will always be remembered as domestic terrorists for the rest of their lives, man. Wouldn't you say that's more than enough punishment they've earned?"

"Not at all." Lincoln went to the clothes, and removed his towel. "Excuse yourself."

Clyde turned away and took his leave, still insisting on keeping Lincoln around. "It's not a good idea, Linc."

"What's not a good idea?" Lily still rested against her bed, not having moved an inch from her spot. She had her phone out, but was only swinging it loosely in her hands, wondering if she could contact the boyfriend she had left back in Royal Woods.

"Nothing," Clyde lied to her, finally resting on his bed. "We'll be back in town soon, the three of us."

Lincoln had come out among the most, sporting a black shirt, tan khakis shorts, and purple socks. "Clyde, we've got to talk about your fashion choices."

"What? It's not like I had the time to find what you liked! I packed random clothes in a haze!"

Which begged a question Lincoln found himself forming. "Say, you came across me only minutes after I fled from the hospital, and knew I was at the diner. That's too much of a coincidence." He crossed his arms as Lily made a serious "cover me" face at Clyde. "What gives? There a tracker on me? No... You were _already_ driving before I woke up... How did you know?"

Clyde sighed, taking the notion to sit up from his comfortable spot. "Lily, I think you should share what you've seen," he told the blonde teenager.

"Lincy..." Lily rose up from the floor and sat onto her bed. "It's... Complicated, and peculiar, but... I kept having these dreams, and we were both in it. Most of them are the same, where Clyde and I found you in some dinner, wearing that exact hospital gown you had on you." She stopped and looked down at her lap. "It feels crazy, almost like I went insane. Same signs, same path driven, and I always... Ended up crying. And you know what?" In the middle of it, she went back into her light sobbing mode. "I was hoping it would come true, and it felt like it was bound to. I mean, what reason would've I had them if they foretold nothing? I needed to believe it was going to become reality! I just needed to..."

Neither Lincoln nor Clyde expected the teenager to throw one of her sneakers at Lincoln. He blinked when it appeared as if it was going to strike him in the face, but it smacked against his chest instead. Lily came charging at him, bolting in those same seconds after she had swung her arm to throw the shoe. Whatever she was going to deliver, he knew he had it coming.

Only, Lily hugged her big brother, arms wrapped around his waist. She burrowed her head into his chest and unleashed the four years' worth of pain. "Y-you idiot, welcome back!"

Clyde formed a smile, flashing a thumbs up. Lincoln took the time to close in the hug, rubbing away at both her head and back. "It's nice to see you again, little sister," Lincoln soothed.

**Night**

Lincoln and Lily occupied the same bed, laying side by side. Lily herself was nice and comfy right under the light bedsheets, sleeping like an angel. On the other hand, and other side of the bed, Lincoln had not bothered to get under them. His time within the Freight society had granted him the ability to sleep in the most uncomfortable of places, and this was nothing he couldn't sleep through. Only... He wasn't able to get a full night's rest.

_Even in the darkness, in the perfect, temporary tranquility of the atmosphere around him, the demons plagued about, coming in from every corner, every crevice, and every hole they could manage to crawl out of. They laughed, they wheezed, and they mocked Lincoln, right in the place where he had been meant to feel safe. And these demons, they weren't just random creatures, but rather the remaining five Freights that had survived his big bad blow. _

_The five ran around in circles, merely toying with Lincoln, mocking at his biggest failure so far. If that weren't enough, the thing that projected itself in Lori's image. "Look at you, Lincy!"_

_Lincoln found himself in a dark area, as if it was nighttime in the middle of nowhere. Mist was forming, which was able to conceal the other Freights. He found himself sporting a loaded handgun._

_Lori gawked at him, arms crossed, built with a disappointed look. "Couldn't even do one simple thing, dear brother."_

_The other four Freights were running through the ghostly fog, attacking Lincoln in random patterns. "Haha, if you couldn't get us the first time..." Cristina started. _

_Dana came from behind and kicked Lincoln in the back. "You can't kill us at all!" _

_Lincoln fell on his stomach, still lingering onto his gun. He raised it, scoping out for any of the ongoing attackers. He didn't get the chance, as all four swift-moving shadows gathered on the downed albino and began giving him a proper, brutal beating. _

_"You could never beat me, Lincy," Lori bestowed upon him in a calm matter. "You should have died in the blast." She grabbed the gun Lincoln had kicked out of his hand, and aimed it right at his forehead. "You lose."_

_And when Lori pulled the trigger..._

...Lincoln ended up screaming at the highest of his limit he was able to reach. Lily had somehow moved her way around his chest in the middle of the night, which he had seen briefly right before he pushed her off from him. His raging cries had indeed spooked them enough to awaken from their own slumber. Lily panicked and leaned back, confused and freaked out.

"Buddy?" Clyde reached for his glasses on the nightstand, putting them on while facing the two Louds. "Nightmare?"

"I'm guessing so," Lily thought, pressing a hand onto her assaulted ear. "You really are a Loud, aren't you?"

Lincoln brought his hands up to his face, not knowing what to find. The gun wasn't there, because there wasn't any gun at all. And upon looking around, there was no Lori or any sign of Club Freight around. "What time is it?"

Clyde picked up his phone to look. "It's like a quarter past three in the morning," he yawned. "Can you manage?"

"I..." Lincoln stood on his feet. "I think I got enough sleep," he believed. "I'm going out for a bit."

"What? At this hour?" Clyde was puzzled greatly. "Lincoln, you need to get sleep."

"Lincy," Lily moaned, reaching out for him. She curled up around him, rubbing her face on the back of his neck. "It's cold out there..."

"I won't be long, Lilster," Lincoln told her, brushing her away gently. "Get some sleep, alright? Clyde?"

Clyde stood there, wondering what to say. "I wouldn't condone this, but if it wears you out when you come back..."

"Clyde!" Lily could not be hearing this right. "I- No, you-" She bounced up as Lincoln was already storming out without seocnd thoughts. "Lincoln!"

He had left, shutting the door firmly behind him. Lily jumped up after him, putting on her white sneakers quickly.

"Lily-"

"Screw that, I'm not letting him out of my sight again!" She argued, hurrying after him.

"Guys-" Clyde protested, but was hopeless to talk them out of leaving.

Lincoln aimlessly wandered onto the road, heading away from the motel. He thought he would have this, and be alone to his thoughts, but Lily sprinted after him, running to deny him the darkness. "Lincy!" She yelled.

Lincoln slowed down his pacing. "Go back, Lily."

"I'll do anything but that, Lincy!" Lily yelled, moving to his side. "Where are you going?"

"Just a walk is all," Lincoln decided.

Lily started to get cold. If she was regretting jumping out of bed, she didn't want to make it that obvious, so she lightly rubbed her arms when her skin felt chilly. "So... A nightmare, huh?"

"Yes."

Lily waited for him to share, but when she got nothing else, she took the liberty to pry it out of him. "So... What was it, if you don't mind me asking?"

Lincoln kept facing forward, eyeing the dark nothingness of the road up ahead. "Nothing that concerns you," he shared silently.

Lily scoffed angrily and moved in front of him. "Hell no, you don't get to write me off like that! Damn you, Lincy! I wish you wouldn't be so closed with me! Does a sister not mean anything to you? Do you-?" Her eyes widened as if there was an emergency she needed to attend to. "Do you not care about me?"

It wasn't that he didn't, but Lincoln had the preference set already. Lily was a sweet and innocent girl who mustn't cross into the territory Lincoln would never be fated to leave. And this meant never, ever mentioning the Freights. Lily could never know from him directly, even if she did have some sort of idea.

Lily began to tremble in the cold, huffing heat onto her skin still. "Lincy... You do t-trust me, don't you?"

"I do, Lilster," Lincoln found himself telling her. He noticed that the cold was doing quite the number on her, so he turned around, guiding her back. "Its getting cold, we'd better...-"

"L-Lincy?" Lily felt nerves hinder at her confidence, slowing her down from going all the way. "I... Know about the Freights, and Lori-"

"You what?" Lincoln halted dead in his tracks, finally giving Lily his full attention. "Lily-"

It was that he sounded serious which frightened her enough to retract her words. "Uh, C-Clyde told me-"

"Clyde?" Lincoln grew aggravated. "Who asked him to spill those beans?"

Lily rubbed her arm. "I wanted to know, Lincy. You both said you were in trouble, and I just... I know I wasn't supposed to know, but I... I just did."

Lily had found it out herself, and brought her suspecting knowledge to Clyde, who was not one to lie by then.

He studied her, examining for her reaction. "Lily..."

"Of all the things you've done, I wished you... You didn't go back." She broke away from eye contact and looked down at the ground. "I can't ever express how much I've missed you, no matter- No matter how many times I'll say it."

Lincoln had no words to say. Lily wasn't wrong, but he didn't feel he was at the same time. What he did was what he felt he knew had to be done. For the sake of those next in line who would fall victims of the Freights, he could not standby and simply escape them. He could never escape them, no matter what he would do.

Lily let out a sneeze, which told them it was past their time to get out of the endless cold of the night. The two jogged back to the motel, where Clyde had still been awake, simply laid perfectly in his bed. "It's been fifteen minutes," he notified them.

"I don't keep track of time," Lincoln stated, returning to the bed. "I'm gonna try to get some rest."

"For the better," Lily agreed, joining him.

It didn't take dramatically long for Lily to drift off. She slowly rotated her body to grind onto Lincoln's, which he felt upon, seeing as how he was still awake.

The last time... When was it? When was the last time they had slept in the same bed? He knew he had done so, but... For some reason, it was gone. And not just that, but other things, other memories, and little details all throughout the past were simply... Gone. He laid a hand on his forehead, and ran his fingers down to where he had received that round scar. Maybe he had earned more damage than he believed. "Goddamn..."

He closed his eyes, hoping that the monsters were kept at bay. He didn't know now, but he would come to know within the next several hours.

**May 18th, 2030**

"What's the plan for today?" Lincoln asked as Clyde was already pulling out of the lot. Lily tuned out the world with her music, and that also meant the two men in the front seats. Just like a teenager to do so. The trio had already packed up and left, and there wasn't much that Clyde had brought to begin with. "Back to Royal Woods?"

"Yessiree," Clyde enthusiastically replied. "Lily's missed a few school days for this, and finals are coming."

"Uh," Lincoln scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, right..." Clyde felt awkward. "It's a high school and above thing."

"Lily..." Lincoln looked to the front mirror. The girl in the mirror was a high school student, entrusted with a normal, quiet life, even more of a better life than he himself had lived through. And if Lily had a fate where she would graduate, she'd surpass Lori for sure. She'd make mom and dad proud, as well. She would make him proud as well. Which was why, when he officially announced that he would finish what he started, he'd have to leave her behind a second time. A second, and maybe the last time for the sake of her well-being. "She really did grow up without me, didn't she?"

Clyde pressed on the gas pedal and stormed out of the motel, racing away to the direction of Royal Woods. "For the most part, yes. She's a saint to be around."

"I'll bet..."

Clyde coughed. "So, um, about yesterday... Were you being serious about that? Wanting to destroy the final five Freights?"

The way Clyde interpreted Lincoln's words was that maybe it was just him being angry that he didn't kill them all, and that he had to pay a toll he wasn't looking forward to pay. Why, yes, it had to be like that. Lincoln was just simply angry, but things had been drawn to a calm. And Clyde, believing this was the case, had to be sure that Lincoln was not going to throw himself in danger a second time. No reason to go out of his way to kill five individuals who surrendered to the authorities and had been destroyed and stripped of the destructive life. Wherever they were, they were over, and had fucked themselves to such a magnitude. That was the punishment received to each of them, including the notable Lori Loud.

Did Lincoln understand it? Surely he had to have gotten at least some clue that there would be no threat from them again.

Lincoln took the time to answer, but he did nonetheless. "I want them dead."

And Clyde was processing it. Not what he wanted to hear. "Lincoln, no."

"Lincoln, yes."

The sun shone brightly above their heads, but hadn't yet reached its highest point. The rays struck against the front windshield, prompting Clyde to lower the sun shade. "Lincoln, as your best friend for over ten years, I strongly advise against it! Let them live whatever lives they are going to live for the rest of their lifespans! Like, it's over, and you have a priority with your sister back there!"

Lincoln lowered the window and stuck much of his face outside. The rushing, chilly air ran into his face, blowing away at his white hair. "You're right, but I need to fix this."

"I dont understand you at all, Lincoln Loud! Again, it's over! You defeated the Freights! What more could you possibly want from that?"

His hands formed into fists, and he grew angry when that question was asked, and it was only because it made him think. No, it fucked with him. Made him wonder something else; what was to be after he went out of his way to kill them all? What was the point of roaming around the godforsaken earth? His life was no longer his life, and all he had to live with was a cover story, and nothing from the past. Lincoln Loud had died long ago, perhaps even longer than he initially believed, but returning to these thoughts again proved to enrage him.

Just who was to blame? Who was the real monster or monsters responsible for this? For where he stood today?

"It's not over until I say it is!" He bellowed loud enough to get Lily's attention.

"Did you say something?" Lily pulled out one earbud, staring at them and wondering what she missed.

Lincoln drew a blank, leaving Clyde to fill in the gaps. "Nothing, Lily. Lincoln was just-"

There was no need to lie, Lincoln felt, so he went on and decided Lily needed to know of his plans. Which was sloppy, for if he didn't reveal his plans, she wouldn't have reason to worry. "Lily, I-"

"Lincoln!" Clyde knew automatically where the big brother was going with this. "Come on, man. You just got your life back."

"What life-?" He scoffed, and then chuckled. "This is not a life, Clyde. I can't call this living if I'm destines to live a fake life with a fake name, and with quite possibly a new hair color!"

"But Linc-"

"I won't hear it, Clyde. I can't simply let this go, not for any simple reason."

"What? What are you talking about?" Lily only grew lost, rotating her head side to side. "Lincy?"

"I don't know how much you hate them, but I've gathered enough to know that it won't end well for you. It's... It's killing you, Linc! Don't you see?"

"What I see is that five maggots are still alive!"

Lily began to piece two and two together. "Five... Five are-?" And she then proceeded to piece it all together, from that one fact. "Oh, no. Lincoln?"

The albino man crossed his arms and prepared to take the heat. "I don't see why you're giving me quite the grief today. Last time-"

"Hey, I wasn't onboard back then either, but you did it because you wanted to atone for all the atrocities you've done with them. And you did just that, for the record. This... This isn't that! I can't believe you're actually serious!"

"Oh, I am, and I've been serious since before I upped with them!"

"Lincoln!" Lily did as her heart guided her to; she leaned forwards and slapped the side of his head. "You aren't doing this to me again, damn it!"

"I didn't have to if they just-" Lincoln found himself repeating the same rhyme again. "I need to, Lily."

The teenage girl grit her teeth and faced down. "It's like you really forgot about me... Back then, you said you were going away..." She punched the seat Lincoln occupied, doing so in a heavier manner. "You said you'd be back immediately, and you... You didn't come back! And now, here, you're trying that same lie again! If I let you out of my sight, you'd be as good as dead!"

"Think this through, Lincoln," Clyde pleaded. "You go after them, and it won't go unnoticed. Why, pretty soon, a person of interest matching the deceased Lincoln Loud will spread, and you will no longer be labeled a dead hero. No, you'll be wanted for what role you played in, and if that isn't enough of a hellish nightmare..." Clyde turned to Lily. "You'll be dragging an innocent into your bullshit."

It sank. It sounded so horrible, and realistic, and that's why it sank as it did now. Would there be a true victory at the end? Lincoln exhaled deeply though his nose, as if he was admitting defeat. "D-damn it..."

Lily relieved herself, taking this as a moment where he had seen perfect clarity of a dark reality. "Thank you..."

Clyde also gave himself a mental pat on the back. That's all. That's all it took to get him to stand down.

Only... Lincoln was not one to easily give in. Yes, this was all in the name of Lily, who didn't need to be roped into this. Maybe he made the wrong choice when coming to little Lily's aid, all those years ago. Just maybe, he should have let her suffer to simply spare her of this, a much worse future she could never have imagined in comparison to what she had been exposed to. Maybe Lily was better off if she was bound to get hurt in this adult game.

That was why he planned to escape when they weren't looking. Escape, mainly to finish the job. The only one that ever mattered to him. And anything that came after, he promised to pay whatever price called for.

"We'll be in town before you know it, buddy!"

**May 19th, 2030**

The house, after all these years, after all the times Lincoln had been there, was still standing. Once lived by both of his gay fathers, the black man had inherited it from Harold McBride, the one who made the initial purchase, coming from the will as he lay dying a few years back. No way Clyde was going to sell it, or move out of this place with many wonderful memories.

Despite all of the remodeling it went through, Lincoln could still picture how it looked back then. It felt weird and a tad out of place. He went exploring around, finding that Clyde had turned his parent's bedroom into his own, and his old room, the magical place where sleepovers were held, had transformed into Lily's room.

Lincoln expected a girly room, filled with endless pinkish colors and ponies and whatever teenage girls loved in this day and age. He was wrong. "This... Looks like it's from my old room," Lincoln thought.

He discovered more about Lily than he had thought. It turned out that there were the genes of a gamer lingering within Lily, as told in secrecy by the many posters of current and past video games that hung without life all around the room. And none of the other sisters he had were sisters who shared his hobbies. At least not until...

"So I'm a bit of a gamer girl, so what?" Lily swooped down onto an orange beanbag, laughing away. "Not only that, but..." She pointed to the closet.

Lincoln followed along and slid the closet open. He was met with a black and white electric guitar, placed perfectly on a stand. "You play guitar?"

"I mean, more or less," Lily opened up. "Been practicing for a year now."

Lincoln crashed onto her bed, and held out a hand towards the instrument. "Well? Aren't you gonna play big brother a song?"

Lily raised an eyebrow, and then had her cheeks go red on her. "I, uhhh... I'm not that great-"

"Let me be the judge of that. Bring it out, Lilster! Show me what you've got!"

Lily was reluctant, for she didn't feel like she lived up to the skill that several of her classmates expressed, sometimes even hyped. She gave him a fake smile, but had decided to go ahead and give him something of a performance. She only meant to show him the instrument, and not play for him at all. "Don't blame me if my skills are rusty! It's been awhile."

"Excuses, excuses," the brother laughed, watching her wield the electric guitar. "And make sure you amp it up!" When he said that, he didn't know if it was just his words forming before he thought the next ones, or maybe it was a subconscious command, constructed by the very memories he had of Luna being her passionate self, rocking out to the max with her own instruments. Maybe he missed that, and he didn't realize it yet. "Live up to your name!"

And just when they thought to be alone, Clyde peeked into the room, filming away at the two as they started to bond. Lincoln was in plain view, smiling away while the blonde sweetheart ran her fingers around the steel chords, playing the cover of a rock song Lincoln didn't recognize. Clyde wondered if he knew that he had missed too much stuff from the world, and maybe Lily would be the one to catch him up. Yes, her, the only sister he had left.

Needless to say, there had been enough footage to look back at as a fond memory, a keepsake of what both brother and sister still had.

After Lily had wrapped up, she disconnected the guitar from the amp and set everything back to how it had been. "Well?"

Lincoln clapped tremendously. "Oh, that was beautiful, Lilster! You're not bad at all."

"Aw, thanks, Lincy," she giggled. Then, something got her attention. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

Lincoln watched the young girl dash into her drawers to pull something out. "What?"

She came back and placed heelsef beside him, holding up a stuffed animal. Only, it was no random stuffed animal. "Is that-?"

"Say hello to Bun-Bun!" Lily cheerfully stated, moving its arms as if to wave hello. "Hiyah, Lincy!"

"You kept... Him... All this time?" His hands moved closer, extending to reach out to the stuffed rabbit he had grown up with, and left behind at some point of his life. "You had him?"

"Yes, I wasn't going to throw it away!" Lily went on. "I couldn't, knowing what it... Or he, as you aay, meant to you. And it was the only thing I had that kept your memory alive. No way I couldn't-"

Lincoln lunged to give Lily the warmest hug she had rightfully earned, while still holding the rabbit. Lily gasped, developing sparkly eyes as her dear brother showed deep affection. This hug was one of a tranquil type, and not at all one she received out of comfort to ease her pain. It was this way that he told her he loved her, in which she returned, to treasure it.

**Night**

He crashed on the couch of the living room, which he felt just as comfortable in as the last bed he had ever laid in. He had done his research by then, but had only gained one clue in total around the final five. Cristina McAlister was behind bars in some small town far from here, but with the super car at their disposal, Lincoln could get there in fairly quickly. The keys were left on the countertop, which he stealthily snagged before moving out.

He had ideas on how to get to her from the outside, but all were risky when he thought about it. Risky, in the sense that he would be announcing to the world of his grand return. Maybe if things went well, he needn't worry at all. This time.

He made sure Lily and Clyde had been asleep before he moved. And move, he did, only he'd be on his own the second he pulled out of the driveway. He ignited the engine, which let out a beastly growl, strong and clear enough to arouse the car lovers galore. He set the clutch in reverse, lightly pressing the gas pedal. Before long, he had been off that night, and gone with no such weapons or anything of the sort. He really was on his own.

**May 20th, 2030 - Jamestown, Ohio**

Cristina McAlister had been there since the fifteenth, and, as she had no one to bail her out, she was stuck there. And she had the audacity to extend her stay when she chose to further antagonize the cops who ran the precinct. She was alone, cold and gloomy in the small cell, just one of six that were located in the back.

She had only a dirty mattress and a toilet that had no toilet paper. She had to make due with her dark blue sweater, which had gone through two shit-wipes already. Lucky for her that she had only gone through a sleeve, and had ripped it off of her sweater. It made her attire uneven, but she accepted it over crying about it. Lucky for her she had never any guards come at those times. Lord knows she didn't need to be gazed upon when she went about her business.

Right now, before the untimely stranger of a past era had reintroduced himself back into her life, Cristina sat on the mattress, wide awake somewhere in the middle of night. Her eyes had developed bags, and she had a bit of a headache that gave her quite a hard time, but it wasn't due to being unable to sleep under these accommodations, but rather because she found herself to be drifting, wondering what she had to live for.

A life was destroyed. Her own. Not just her own. On her own, labeled an outcast to the family name. "Man..."

Next thing she heard was the sudden sound of glass shattering, some hard thud, and gunfire going off all at once, as if someone had flipped a switch on the volume. A shitshow was happening within the walls, and she was just a helpless worm caught in it. "Uh, hello?"

The little squabble outside ended after a minute, leaving her a little worried. She jumped on her feet and closed in on the bars, hoping to see something or someone. Was it possible that assailants had staged an attack to break her out? As much as she had known, one of the special agencies had overworked themselves to the core, having "killed" Cristina McAlister, and in her place had been someone else. Tricky stuff all around, but here, and according to the database that pulled her records, she came up as Georgia DiMartino.

"Yo, sheriff guy," the redhead called out. "Get me out of here!"

It was a lame attempt, but she figured she'd try anyway.

Lincoln came into the cell block, busting his way in with a Mossberg 500. He had fought his way in and subdued all officers in the precinct, firing slugs where he deemed necessary. A few painful moans echoed behind him as he passed through the cell block, and found a familiar face behind the last cell on the right.

Cristina gasped upon glancing Lincoln's white hair. Then, she began laughing hysterically, to which Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "What's got you laughing all of a sudden?"

Cristina fell to her knees, not being able to stand strong as she giggled fiercely away. "This- This is hilarious! Don't you see it?"

Lincoln aimed the gun at her. "All I see is someone who should have died, still somehow breathing before me."

"Hahaha, dear God!" Cristina pointed at him. "You've come all this way to see me, just to kill me! And you know what? There is nothing for you to kill, Lincoln! Nothing at all!"

Lincoln moved the barrel in between the bars, still centered on her. "We'll see about that."

Cristina was out of breath now. "I bet you want to know where the others are, don't you?"

He twitched.

"I can tell you where the others are, you know, but even so..." She began to sweat. "You are actually going to kill me because you believe that you need to, don't you?"

He remained silent.

Cristina remained sitting on her legs, letting her hands rest on her lap. "I've got news for you, little man. This won't change anything. Your little quest of vengeance, which I know this is, won't do anything for you!" Immediately, she howled back into a disturbing laugh, genuinely poking fun at him. "You will never know true peace as long as you live, you broken little war toy, you!"

Lincoln shot a slug near Cristina, serving as a warning. "Tell me where they are, Cristina."

Cristina had a giggle fit so hard that she had her cheeks go insanely red, along with her amazing set of green eyes having watered up. "You'll never walk free from this, Lincoln Loud. I promise you."

When she looked up at him, he looked right into her eyes, and saw that Cristina was not stalling for time, but truly believed what she vowed to him. She really felt Lincoln would never be free. Ans she laughed heavily because she knew. She knew.

"Dana is near Carson City, Pennsylvania," Cristina dropped willingly. "Just northside of the city, there are a bunch of high-end houses, you can't miss them." She then smiled widely and closed her eyes. "I don't know about the others."

Lincoln cocked the shotgun to reload, and took a deep breath.

"See you in hell-" Cristina's entire head jerked back after the single shot had penetrated through it, and the wall behind her had been repainted, going from its depressing gray color and into a red mess of brain matter and blood. Her facial features were gone as well, replaced by the uneven flesh rearrangement brought upon by the slug. Cristina had died before her body slumped forward, blood racing right out from what remained of her head.

Lincoln left without a thought, or the utter sensation to vomit from the graphic death. _Next, Carson City._

**May 21st, 2030 - Carson City, Pennsylvania**

Dana Hall had been checking up on her fellow ex-Freights as often as she was able to. Lori, Chandler, and Rebekka stuck together, but Cristina, a true troublemaker, went off-grid and out of contact, despite her having Cristina's contact info. It had been some long years after the fall of her many destructive comrades, and, running away with a duffel bag of dough, she established a quiet life in a nice, big house just outside of the city.

She was a brunette who didn't know what she wanted, or what to do. With the leftover money she had, she knew it wouldn't last long. She'd have to get back into the real world, after so many years of battling against the world, alongside a horde of outcasts. An outcast herself with no real life experience, apart from having a part-time job once. How did she get here?

She learned as she went along, and did fairly okay for herself, and with the new identity she had to adopted, she had been given just one chance to do right. And that, she took with no hesitation or second thoughts.

Dana developed quite the guilt for her role she played, so she took it upon herself to request a list of victims made freshly from the wake of the Freights' attacks. She found the Fox kids that way, a group of quintuplets left as orphans which she had taken under her wing. The five kids, consisting of Jay, Jared, Jasmine, Jasper, and Jake, were all thirteen now. All the kids were built with brown hair, but their eye colors were either blue or green, and all boys were the same height of 5'4, with Jasmine being two inches shorter.

She raised them, but couldn't fully embrace a motherly role, so there was no real bonding with the five kids. It wasn't like they thought of her as a surrogate mother. At most, she was just someone who looked upon them with pity. Only, Jasmine was grateful to have a roof over her head, and the orphanage they found themselves in wasn't the best home they've been in.

Currently, Dana had brewed hot cocoa for the younglings, and served them out two at a time, doing it a few times. She finished up and sat down next to Jay and Jasmine. "I hope it's to your liking, guys," Dana said with a cheery tone.

Jay took a big gulp from his glass, taking it in while it burned his tongue. "It's pretty hot!"

"Blow on it, idiot," Jake passed at him, while Jared laughed.

"Oh, but I like it that way," Jay lied.

"Are you sure about that?" Jasper tested. "I mean, are you absolutely suuuuure?"

"Please be quiet," Jay shot back before he took another gulp.

"You are embarassing," Jasmine grunted.

Dana let out an innocent laugh, finding the company of her adopted kids amusing. They helped her get back on her feet, but did so in a slow fashion. She had forgotten what it was like to laugh, and have some grade-A great times to treasure. It was one of the many things she had come to wonder for the other four. She hoped they had come to realize what it was that they were missing. Maybe they had known, but had never acknowledged it, as it went both ways. Could she have afforded to get hurt by her own accord back then?

Her phone vibrated flat on the table. "Hm?"

Picking it up, she checked to find it was a text send by "L-Girl", which was the name she assigned onto Lori's contact;

**Did you hear about Cristie?**

Attached to the text was an article link. Dana clicked on it, and found herself redirected to the article on her browser;

**Local Precinct In Jamestown, Ohio Attacked; One Dead, Many Injured**

**In the late hours of last night, an unidentified male suspect, as seen by multiple witnesses, had come in and attacked the officers. Said suspect is described is his mid-twenties, with a scar on the right side of his forehead, and some white hair-**

She stopped. And re-read. White hair. Those two damn words were the keywords that brought her the horrifying realization that the suspect could have been none other than Lincoln Loud. "Oh, my God."

The kids turned to her, following her with the serious tone. "What's going on?"

Dana went back into the thread, already having filled in the pieces. She sent a reply to Lori, fearing of what this meant;

**Did he... Get her?**

She gulped after sending it, and put her phone back down on the table when a sudden knock madecher jump out of her chair. "Dear God!"

"Hey, what's going on, Miss Anderson?" Jasmine asked.

"I, uhhh..." She stuttered.

Jay got up and decided to play nice guy. "I'll get the door."

"No, wait!" Dana stopped him all of a sudden, grabbing him by the shirt. If she hadn't spooked them, she certainly had by now. "Wait..."

Lincoln knocked again, this time hitting the butt of the shotgun against the door. "Dana Hall!"

It was. It is. It sounded just like Lincoln's voice, as if he hadn't changed or grown up since she had last seen him at the Freight hideout. "Oh, my God, no!" She panicked and pointed to the basement. "Kids, up! Up now, get behind me!"

"What? Why, who is that?" Jasper squealed.

Dana rushed towards the basement entrance, and pulled a key she had on around her neck. She bent down and inserted it, while continuing to give instructions. "I knew it, I knew he couldn't have died!"

"Who couldn't have died?" Jasmine was quaking nervously while Dana acted to protect the kids from some unknown menace banging on the front door. "What's going on?!"

Dana rushed inside the basement, switching on the lights. She picked up a backpack on the right side after reaching downstairs, ans gave it to Jared, who was the closest boy behind her. "Listen, this has all the information you need. Don't open this until you all cross together."

"Cross? Cross what?" Jake scratched his head, eyeing the backpack Jared held.

"It's a little heavy..." Jared yelped.

Dana went further into the basement, which the kids were only seeing for the first time. The basement had been off-limits, for reasons they didn't know. But being kids with manners, the Fox quintuplets agreed to not pry around the mystery, even as curious nature allowed them to be. They didn't find any of the stuff they assumed had occupied the basement. Most of it was actually empty, save for something large concealed by a tarp at the far end of the dusty basement.

"What is that?" Jasmine wondered in amazement, staring at her brothers. "Is that...?"

Dana tugged on the tarp, removing it away from whatever it concealed, revealing a large contraption that looked like it belonged in a science fiction movie. The contraption, a U-shaped device with a pad on the right side of the thing, had been activated quickly. The machine hummed lightly, signaling the start-up sequence. "Listen, kids," Dana commanded strictly. "This machine is going to take you elsewhere, far away from here and now."

"Far away? What do you mean?" Jasmine had no clue what Dana was on about. It was too much and too fast for her to catch up and process, just as it was for the rest of them. Dana was acting quite weird and nervous on their behalf, and it occurred right after the sudden stranger had come in unannounced. That led her to believe that Dana withheld some secrets from some past event or events. "D-did you-?"

The machine put up a blue oval in between both metal pillars, which began swirling around as if it consisted of water that gravity had no effect on, a sight truly inexplicable.

"What the hell?" Jared's mouth went agape in solid amazement.

"Inside, now!" Dana had set in the date in the machine's screenpad. "Hurry, you've got yourselves a mission!"

Dana's heart gradually sunk, having to let go of five good kids for the single purpose that would benefit her, and spare many others, both Freights and some victims of the gang. She had been warned only once that Lincoln hadn't died, and was going to go after the survivors in due time, but she didn't believe it. She didn't, and even so...

Dana acted with precaution, praying that such a possibility was unlikely. It was, until tonight. Tonight, when Lincoln Loud had now broken into her home and started clearing the rooms on top floor. "DANA HALL!"

"D-Dana Hall?" The kids thought they heard wrong, eyeing "Megan Anderson" with confusion. "Who... Is that your-?"

"Inside!" Dana boomed, pointing to the portal. "Now, kids-"

Lincoln began thrashing the place, calling for Dana's attention. He had found no sign of life within the rooms, and neither the living room. He had lowered the shotgun when he directed to the kitchen, and then raised it back up when he smelled the faint smell of hot cocoa coming from the table. Six glass cups gave away six individuals that weren't too far away. He came across the opened basement at the far end of the kitchen, only to be surprised by the engaging Dana.

"LINCOLN!" She pounced on him, attacking him with nothing but the perfect set of teeth she showed off with a great smile. She bit into his neck, which was just as fast as him firing off one of the last shells. She was struck on her waist, with the shell having pierced through. Her lavender sweater with white stripes had been ruined this way, but Dana wasn't out of the fight yet. She held onto her clean-shot wound, applying pressure to it with one hand while trying to throw a punch onto Lincoln as fast as she could.

Needless to say Lincoln had gotten the upper hand and battered her jaw with the shotgun's powerful butt. It hurt her enough to get her in a case. Lincoln wielded the firearm back in place and fired another slug at Dana's legs, which hit right above her left leg's kneecap. She let out a severely harsh cry and reverted to limping while she bled.

"You really made it out alive! And here I was thinking you were at peace!" Dana stumbled over, now dragging herself to Lincoln's legs. "S-son of a bitch!"

"Where are those others?" Lincoln waved the shotgun back at the table, referring to them by the cups.

"Th-they're just kids, Lincoln, I swear!" Dana didn't know whether to attack or plead for mercy. She considered the well-being of the kids, praying that the quintuplets had all entered into the portal before Lincoln discovered it. All she needed to do was to get to the trigger now. "Hey, hey-"

Lincoln pushed the bleeding Dana back, calmly moving to the basement. He reloaded the shotgun before waltzing down the creaky steps. While he didn't find any children down there, he did come across the big contraption and the blue oval it formed before him. "What the hell is-?"

And for a faint second, the flash of white and orange came out of nowhere, and the force of the explosion send him flying backwards.

Dana crawled her way to the staircase, firmly watching Lincoln seemingly die from the remote bomb she concealed within the wall behind the contraption. A second one went off in the kitchen, which went on to claim her now. She smiled in the last second before death, feeling all was well in the world. Her burning body had gone flying right over Lincoln's head, splitting right on the ground. As for the weird blue oval that was there before, it dissipated completely, and the projecting machine had been destroyed with the blast. And Lincoln was left with one question; where did the others go? Did they, these kids, manage to escape? He surely hoped that was the case.

The house had gone through a chain of multiple explosions before he made his eacape, and by the time he raced away, the house had been ravaged greatly from the inside, fires still burning brightly. He had parked Clyde's hot ride two blocks away.

The quiet area turned to a noisy atmosphere, where cop cars and a fire truck had come blaring their sirens right up to Dana's house. He left before that part of the area had been closed off.

_Two down, three to go._

With no clue on where the final three were hiding, Lincoln decided to head back to Royal Woods, where he was sure Clyde and Lily awaited him. At this point, he didn't knkw how angry they'd be, but they'd have well been past the point of words. And in a beautiful example of coincidence, he was stopped by a black 2021 Dodge Challenger that went out of its way to block Lincoln. He honked on the horn and lowered the window. "MOVE IT, FUCKHEAD!"

"LINCOLN!" The driver came running out, charging at Lincoln's side. This time, Lily had skinny jeans and a purple sweater on her. "YOU PSYCHOTIC BASTARD!"

Lincoln set the vehicle in park. "H-how did you...?"

Clyde emerged from the backseat slowly, greeting Lincoln with a dreadfully silent look. "Baby has a tracker, Linc. You didn't think you'd get away with it, did you?"

"Hmmm..." Lincoln didn't consider that. Clyde really did think of everything.

"Lincy, why did you...?" Lily placed her hands on the car door. "Please stop it, Lincy."

"That's enough of your foolishness, buddy. We've been following your trail, and you've basically told the world you're alive and going after the last of the terrorists."

"You let Lily drive?"

Clyde sighed. "Don't do that, Linc. Come on, bud, we can still head back to Royal Woods. You... You're just making a mess of things."

When he blinked, Lincoln saw the laughing demons again. Lori, Chandler and Rebekka frolicked about, circling the shadow of the man that was left of him. He opened them just as quickly, denying them mental time. "I can't..."

"You can't come back...? Or won't?" Clyde corrected.

Lily opened the door and tried to pull him out. "You're coming with us!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No."

"Lincoln!" Lily put her foot down for the last time, punching him in the face. "I tried to slap some sense into you." Then, she turned around and shook her stinging fist. "Ow, ow!"

"So... Who's left?" Clyde asked the killer.

"Lori, Chandler, and Rebekka," Lincoln answered.

Clyde looked to both sides of the street mindlessly. "Jesus... You really aren't gonna stop, are you?"

"I already told you, Clyde. I will not stop until I've killed them all."

"Oh, my God, he's that hopeless," Lily groaned, throwing her arms up and giving in. "Come on, man."

"If I can find their location, will you come back after you've ended them? Will this... Senseless quest of vengeance end?"

Lincoln made deep eye contact with the young black man. His blue eyes glittered with a sort of hatred that could only be depicted from him. Such a resolve, such a conviction, and such motivation. It was crammed into the darkness of his eyes, and Lincoln was centered to see it through to the end. "Yes," he admitted from the bottom of his darkened heart. "It all ends with the three."

Clyde had already fixated on the location from the remaining trio of ex-Freights. He had every reason to withhold that information for the sake of both Lincoln's and Lily's lives, but Lincoln, being his stubborn, persistent self, couldn't be stopped. He and Lily gave their attempts through sentiment, but they couldn't try to the point they would resort to brutal tactics he was familiar with. "Okay..."

"W-wait-" Lily thought she had misheard Clyde. "You can't be serious?!"

"I've been covering much of your track, Lincoln. I hope you know that." Clyde pointed to the Challenger. "Lily's been driving while I've been toying with my custom software, sneaking around backdoors of multiple databases. I've missed news outlets and such, mainly because I have never had to bite my way into those. Sorry."

"That's fine..." He didn't think it would mean too much to anyone who read it, apart from conspiracy theorists and some skeptical officials. Would anyone bat an eye his way? Would those who worked in the high departments catch wind, or let alone suspect he was actually alive under these circumstances? In any case, whatever happened was going to.

As long as... As long as Lily was one to not pay the price for his actions. Her just being here with him meant a great deal on itself, as well as her having been related to Lincoln Loud, the Freight. They'd never live it down with her, if it became clear of the relation.

"Are you going to-?"

"The Mystic Plaza, in Brooklyn, New York," Clyde dropped. "Yellow building with thirty floors. You want room three on the sixteenth floor. They've been a trio for quite some time, I guess."

"Oh? That saves me the trouble of going to three different places in total. How convenient." Lincoln smiled widely. "Hey, I don't suppose you have anything on you."

"What, like a weapon?"

The shotgun had only one last round, and he couldn't even use that in a populated area. He had been fortunate to have taken two old comrades out with nothing to begin with.

Clyde shook his head. "Not even a knife for you, sorry."

""I guess I'll make due with my hands," Lincoln thought. "Better get going."

Clyde looked back at Lily, who had already gotten back inside the driver's seat. She had been eerily starting at him, with discontent in her heart until he faced her, making her look away. The teenager was too immensely bothered by the trials against her. "Listen... If you're going to go, Lily and I are tagging along."

Lincoln slammed his hands on the steering wheel. "No! This isn't your fight!"

Clyde narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "It wasn't, but you roped us into this by making us chase you! We couldn't allow you to screw up whatever life you could possibly have! And I'd do what it takes to maintain a shadowy lifestyle for you, without every reporter, cop, or angry relatives of the dead you left behind right on your ass!"

Lily stuck her head out the window. "Yeah, you tell him, Clyde!"

"Idiocy, I'm not gonna-"

"You get no choice in the matter, I'm afraid," Clyde cut off. "You're not gonna desert us as if we're just thing you can put away easily. And if you run out on us, I will report this sweet Lambo as stolen. Call it insurance.'

Lincoln grunted, for the genius of the two had actually gotten a checkmate this way. "Goddamn it..." He had no choice but to accept. "I want you to stay out of the fight when we arrive, got it?"

"Yeah, we're not stepping foot in the hotel," Clyde agreed.

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "It's a hotel? Huh, so they're living fancy, are they?"

"Well..." The black man raised his skinny shoulders. "It doesn't make them fancy."

"Heh," Lincoln chuckled. "That's actually funny."

"So..." Clyde was being obvious about what he wanted his friend to confirm. "Will you give me back my wallet?"

"Fine, just..." Lincoln handed it to him, despite him having nabbed half of the money in his pocket, and motioned his hand toward the blocking vehicle. "Can you tell her to-?"

Clyde held a thumbs up to Lily, who in turn reversed back into the correct lane. "Don't ever think we won't be far behind!"

"I don't suppose you want me to follow you?"

Clyde scoffed. "You'll be first. And, if you try to lose us, we'll still know where you'll be. I doubt you can find the tracker easily."

"Hurry up, man. I've got some friends to reunite with."

"Right..." Clyde returned to his other car, getting into the passenger seat. "You're following him."

"Following him into the danger, was that really a good idea?" Lily began to have doubts about the layout of their plans.

Lincoln was off again, driving off into the night.

"I know, but he has to see that he can't do everything himself. I hate this as much as you do, but we really can't stop a person like that. You saw that he ran away to kill McAlister and Hall, and he did just that without hesitation..."

Lily did a U-turn where she was able to, following after Lincoln just up ahead. "He's still the Lincoln I know... Isn't he?" She whimpered.

"He will be, I hope," Clyde answered in a whisper. "Don't worry, Lily. Things will be okay soon enough. I'm more than positive that'll be the case."

"I'll keep driving, and you should take a nap or something," Lily suggested. "I've got this."

Clyde yawned. "I do need my sleep," he yawned, removing his glasses and moving the seat down. "Wake me in a few hours."

"No problem," Lily agreed.

**May 22nd, 2030 - New York City, New York**

Car horns. The chatter of people. And echoes. Lots of echoes disturbed him from his everlasting sleep. When Clyde woke up, he did come to find that he was gradually alone. Wherever Lily had gone, she had gone with Lincoln. At least, that was what Clyde thought when he found the car keys left in the ignition, right for him to see when he was finally up. Not even a note had been left for him, rather the garbage of the mess.

"Are you kidding me?!" He screamed, unheard by anyone inside the parking garage.

Lily had left Clyde, guided by Lincoln under the reasonable idea to have him keep watch on both hot rods, seeing as how they both parked next to each other. Such a vehicle like those were guaranteed hot enough to commit theft to. But the main reason for Lincoln was that this was more for tactical escapes. If they had chosen to park in or near the Mystic Plaza, they'd be seen by countless. witnesses who would label them suspicious. Ergo, they had to leave their cars pretty far, relying on a commuter to get there.

It was a busy morning for them, but not a quiet one at that. People crowded all over the sidewalks, streets, and even when they crossed the street. Lily kept bumping into fellow strangers as she and Lincoln were getting to the commuter station, having already analyzed their pathway from a map Lily had come across.

"Stay close, Lilster," Lincoln warned from in front.

"This is gonna take awhile, isn't it?"

They had reached the platform of the local commuter, standing right next to a formed crowd of civilians after buying a pair of tickets. When the white, three-car commuter train arrived, the two Louds entered inside as outgoing commuters rushed out and into the crowd. Only, the combined force of the businessmen managed to block and push Lily away from Lincoln, long enough for him to take notice when he called out for her. "Lily?"

Lily had to resort to her untapped strength she considered un-ladylike, and was about to jump into the train when the doors slid shut, separating both brother and sister in such an inconvenient manner and time. "No! Lincy!"

"Next stop! Go to the next stop! I'll be there!" He hoped he heard her through the glass panel built into the sliding doors. She confirmed his commands by giving a quick nod.

Lincoln had lost his cool tenfold, and was recuperating it back inside slowly. He looked around for a seat, but found that all riders had occupied them, with a select few actually standing. And then, in the corner of his eye, he saw something he figured he was hallucinating. "Huh?"

Lori, Rebekka, and Chandler were huddled together, at the far end of the car. He found them, and then turned around to avoid being detected by the likes of them. All three of them, there and united as a collective of evil. A trio of danger.

Lori, in a dark green jacket and tan shorts, felt something was off the second the commuter rolled off again. Not a text or a call from Dana had given her quite the bad omen she made this out to be in the first place. Just what were the chances that Lincoln, her younger brother, was roaming around freely to continue that which he had started long ago? Could it have been true, or was an impostor picking up where he failed? To think hard about it had made her hurt a shit-ton, mainly because her brother, one such person she thought had cared for her, had decided to forsake her by carrying out the death order. And he tried. He really did try to kill her. And it broke whatever there was left of her. She knew from then on that Lincoln was no brother of hers thereafter.

Whatever was happening, she hoped that some psychotic fanatic was behind the death of Cristina McAlister and the sudden disappearance of Dana Hall. Her brother could not have been alive after all these years... Could he have?

Rebekka Letenko, a short-haired redhead, had worn a blue tank-top and black pants, brushing off the coldness quite easily. Her specialty happened to be toughness, which came from being a natural-born Russian trapped in the hells of America. She, having arrived as a foreign exchange student, learned a fair amount of English to be considered fluent, but maintained a hint of her accent that would be questioned if ever noticed.

Chandler Jacobs was, well, Chandler Jacobs. The snotty man-brat with a dick attitude, and somehow he was seen as leader-potential among the club Freights. He was dressed in a baggy blue sweater, some gray jeans, and an orange hoodie, feeling as lucky as a loan shark on this fine day.

Only, it wasn't so much as a good day for them. They were on edge, concerned about what vastly unfolded before them. Someone was going out of their way to kill them one by one, and they had all known it.

Lori raised her head towards the many city people inside with her, and spotted the long set of white hair on a faceless individual. She squinted her eyes, believing it to be her mind playing a trick on her. "Luh-"

And Lincoln half-assed it by turning around, letting Lori know that it _was_ actually him. Their stare-down happened in such a sharp manner. The daggers were coming from Lincoln, striking away at Lori while the sensation of adrenaline ruptured throughout her body. In that moment, she knew great fear again, so much that her heart was bound to come beating rapidly out of place. She stood up from her seat and screamed.

Chandler and Rebekka looked to her, and followed the thing her eyes were centered on. "Holy shit-" Chandler yelped, sounding equally alarmed. "It's him!"

Rebekka took out a 1911 handgun from the under Chandler's sweater, wasting no time to unload it onto Lincoln. "Die already!" She roared as she fired at him.

The passengers who were in between both parties moved out of the way, and some were lucky to have a head start when the gun came into play. Rebekka shot three civilians in the process, all while Lincoln avoided her shots by moving around. The commuter train began to slow down, stopping right as Rebekka had emptied the entire clip. She missed him, but five people had been hit at the end of her blind target practice, with two of those being dead. And Lincoln remembered this was the reason he was after them to begin with. "REBEKKA!"

"LINCOLN!" Rebekka kept clicking until she accepted the gun was empty, and rushed him, throwing the gun at him before she went for a kick. He shielded himself from the firearm but took a foot to his abdomen, sending him back into the corner. Once the commuter stopped, all the passengers began rushing out, screaming away from the train, save for the wounded ones.

Lori and Chandler remained still in the other end. "Go help her!"

"What? She just used the gun!" Chandler shot back. "I told you we needed one for each of us!"

Lincoln countered a swing and grabbed Rebekka by her arm, dragging her right onto the window. He battered her head along the glass until it shattered after four hard tries. Rebekka dangled over the window, bleeding profusely from her head. Just when it looked like she had been beaten, Lincoln granted no mercy and ran her neck across the window pane, where her throat was slashed in pieces by the fragments of glass. She choked as blood flooded in her mouth, making her heave it out as she pushed herself off from the window, falling weakly on her back.

"L-Lincoln..." Lori had just witnessed it, and even then, she couldn't believe it was really Lincoln. "Stop..."

Lincoln stood over Rebekka, watching her helplessly try to stop the bleeding from her neck with both hands. He needn't go further, as he was sure Rebekka was already dead.

"Bastard!" Chandler took a daring step forward. "Why can't you leave us alone?!"

Lincoln looked to the other bodies dropped by Rebekka. "Don't be stupid, you knew you'd have to answer one way or another."

Lori twitched at it. "We... We paid for our actions! We've all paid!"

Lincoln maintained his distance as Lori moved forward. "Clearly, you have not."

"Lincy!" Lily's voice broke Lincoln's focus for a few seconds. Lori found a brief opening and charged to attack him, breath shaking heavily. But the source of the voice, a familiar teenage girl, came rushing to his aid, shoving right into Lori. Lily successfully knocked her down and rejoined Lincoln's side. "Are you okay?"

"Lilster-!"

"L-Lilster-" Lori repeated, finally realizing that the teen was Lily. "Lily?"

The sound of sirens started to fill the airwaves, meaning bad news for all four. "Hey, Lori, we should get out of here," Chandler suggested frantically, stretching his hoodie lower.

"I don't think so," Lincoln denied, looking behind him. Lucky for him that he boarded the first car, which put the conductor's controls in it. It had been left open for him to enter and use, and that he did, moving a lever to start up the commuter. "We're going for a ride, scumbags."

Chandler was almost close to leaving, but Lori shot him a death glare that promised consequences should he jump out. "Lori, come on!"

"No! He'll keep following us should we run away! This has to end here! It has to!" Lori raised her fists as Lincoln came back to meet her. "Fight me..."

Lincoln's blue eyes opened wider, mouth going agape to reveal his gritting teeth. "Fight..."

"Just like old times!" Lori then charged at him, throwing the first punch to which Lincoln blocked easily. She rerouted it, turning it into an uppercut from below, getting a solid strike from this. Lincoln's head bobbed backwards, enough time for Lori to throw an additional set of hard punches to his stomach. The third one backfired on her when Lincoln caught it, yanked her hard and delivered a hardened headbutt special to her face, breaking her nose. "Yargh!"

"Take it!"

Lori cupped her face, moaning from the broken nose and the blood flowing from it. "S-son of a bitch!"

Lincoln rushed her and pinned her hard to the ground, choking her out. "Fucking stay dead!"

"Hccck!" Lori grew weak, trying to push Lincoln away with her arms. The more she pushed, the more energy she felt vastly elude her. She flopped her arms all directions, hanging onto dear life. Chandler was frozen stiff, specating like the statue he'd been rendered as.

Lily twitched when it was made apparent Lincoln was not going to let the woman live. She made a step forward, stomach churning as she advanced. "Hey... Lincy..."

The life drained rapidly from Lori's beautiful blue eyes, pleasing the broken brother more and more as he kept squeezing her throat, depriving it from all the oxygen in the world. The glitter in her eyes told him that she didn't know she was already dead. She bought it. She bought into the lie, the self-deception, in which she played a role in being some human who could return to the crowd of nobodies, forever damned and destined to wander about, dragging the boulder of her regrets and burdens.

She didn't want to die, but also didn't want this to end in the inevitable death Lincoln promised long ago. It didn't have to be like this... So how did she get here? Why didn't she take the offer that could have changed this outcome? She... Failed him back then, which was why he was now letting her down. Literally.

She let out a tear that came from her left eye, running down into her ear. And closed her eyes.

"Lincoln!" Lily bumped into him, knocking him off balance. "She's still my sister!"

"Lily, don't interfere-" The commuter crashed into a passing trailer truck, storming right through the trailer. The impact send all four passengers down hard as the train had dramatically decreased. If any cops had given chase, they'd be surely catching up right about now. He and Lori had slid into the front end of the train, and Lily had somehow remained in the middle. Chandler had held onto the seats when he, the only one in view of what happened behind them, was quick to take action.

He was the first to get up, and to unveil the mystery prize he concealed with his baggy sweater; he had a vest composed of explosives, aimed to be for precautionary purposes. "Lincoln!" He took out his phone, revealing it to be the trigger. "We're going to walk away freely, or..."

Lily ended up being snagged, held as a hostage by the mad Freight. "Lincy!"

"We all die! You, me, and the girls! I know you wouldn't want little goldilocks here getting fried, would you?" He slowly moved to the exit, just as the train began picking up speed again. "Stay where you are, don't follow us!"

Lori began crawling her way to Chandler, still bleeding from her nose. "Help-"

"We're going, Lore, we're leaving-"

Lily steadied her breath and gasped. "Close... Close the door b-behind you..."

Lincoln's eyes shot wide open. "Lily?"

"What?" Chandler was baffled, and Lori raised an eyebrow from below.

"I'm sorry, Linc... I didn't mean to get here..." Lily lowered her panicking hands after hopelessly trying to break Chandler's grasp. "I didn't know that I'd be here in... In this situation-"

She wouldn't be able to sleep if she lived to see the two get defeated and killed by Lincoln. It was too dreadful and awful to even gaze into that bloody pit of darkness and despair, and even worse to see someone she loved participate in the pit games with pure ease. She wouldn't allow herself to be at peace if she saw it, so she made the one move that could spare her from it- And at the same time, there was a big price to pay. This, over facing the fact that her brother was the monster she could no longer deny, was chosen over it.

Lily elbowed her captor and turned around, tugging at the wires of the rigged vest. "Take cover, Linc-!" She pushed the horrified Chandler out of the train, along with herself just as the explosives detonated. The two became burning bodies in the matter of seconds, and the fire extended past Lori, who screamed in agony as she burned on the ground. Lincoln fell back into the control room and tried to shield himself from it. He, too, received some burns below his neck, but it wasn't all too serious. Parts of his clothes were burned quite enough to leave holes. "Lil- Lily!"

Lori had screamed out the worst of her blood-curdling cries as the fire further damaged her. She might've actually been dying, and Lincoln didn't bat an eye to her. He went back out to see a large chunk of train missing after being blown apart from Chandler's vest.

"LILY!" Lincoln saw no sign of his sister around. The bodies had been left behind, no doubt. And in no way was there a chance Lily had survived that. She couldn't have, and didn't at all. Lincoln staggered about the slow-moving train, lost on the last seconds he had seen Lily. And replayed it slowly. She died, doing so to-

He held his hands up to his face and figured out the sacrificial equation. She died to save him, and what little of his soul he had left. And he closed his eyes in pure disbelief.

_Oh, Lily..._

**One Hour Later**

He walked with that shit on him, heading back to the exfil point. Clyde had no idea what happened, hopefully he didn't make a move on his own and drive to the hotel. Not that Lincoln was wondering if he knew or not. The problem was having to explain that he had lost her, and he had done so all willy-nilly. It was going to be his fault that Lily had been killed. And he didn't need to be reminded.

Clyde had made a move of his own, which was actually driving around the city to find them. And after some time, lo and behold! He had found Lincoln strolling along the sidewalk, looking completely dead, with his clothes having seen better days. He honked the horn and alerted the young albino. "Lincoln!"

"Uh?" Lincoln didn't have to turn to know it was Clyde. On cue of his voice, the devastated soul wandered into the street to get in the muscle car. "You've got a tracker on me, too?"

"No, I was just looking all over for-" He noticed the missing person. "Hang on, where's Lily? You didn't lose her, did you?"

He was petrified, and gave no look or answer to Clyde.

"You did, didn't you?" Clyde demanded, driving off again.

Lincoln looked down.

"Honestly, I can't believe you! Looks like we'll have to play hide and seek with her."

"Mm!" Lincoln went, looking down at his feet. "I... Lost her..."

"Yeah, I know you did!" Clyde turned the left corner, entering another street. "We're going back to the-"

"No, Clyde. I didn't lose her, I... I _lost_ her..." He admitted softly.

The young black man suddenly hit the brake pedal and understood what Lincoln meant. It took him several seconds to process and accept. "Y-you mean Lily is-?"

"THAT'S WHAT I FUCKING SAID, GODDAMNIT!" Lincoln thrusted his fists right onto the glove compartment, seething in rage. "FUCK!"

"How...? Did you two come across-?" He turned to look at Lincoln, but the albino had too much shame to return the notion.

Lincoln hyperventilated, withdrawing back into a calm state. "I'll... I'll explain everything."

Clyde formed traffic behind him, forgetting he had stopped in the middle of the street. The car behind him honked desperately, bringing him back to the driver's seat. "Oh, crap!" He said, speeding away.

Lincoln looked down to his burned, black shirt. The explosion had left a crescent-shaped hole right on his chest, as if some mysterious force was branding him. "Hey, what does this look like? The quarter moon?"

"...Linc?"

"Hmph..." He pressed a hand to his chest. "We... I'm sorry we had to leave you, but I saw fit to do so..."

"Linc..." Clyde sighed.

"But we boarded a commuter, right? We got separated, and Lily was left behind. So I'm there, right? Inside and alone, but I looked around. I looked, Clyde..." Lincoln began to motion the scenario with his hands, to exchange glances with him to see if he understood. "I looked, and I saw them. All three of them are at the end of it. Lori saw me, and before I knew it, the shooting-" He froze, eyes finally sparkling red for the first time. "No, no, no!"

Clyde had stopped on a red light, finding the time to eye his breaking friend. "Linc...?"

Nothing in the breaking tone of voice had told both men it would be okay. A family member had paid the price for Lincoln's actions, when there should not have been one to begin with. It was crazy, downright insane of fate to have done such a thing. To have swiped the life of a sad little girl who had but only one wish, and that was to have her brother back. Fucked up, completely fucked up. An evil design, carried out by some higher power he didn't understand or accept in his heart. Lincoln paid the toll for his revenge, and wanted to cheat on it.

He brought his hands to his face and went silent into his palms. "I couldn't... I couldn't do anything to save her, Clyde," Lincoln wailed.

Clyde gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder. "I'm... I'm sorry, man."

"I couldn't do it... I couldn't save her, and it's just... It's just like that other time... The fire..."

Clyde centered his eyes back on the road, steadily driving again when the light went green. "You did try, didn't you?"

Lincoln sniffed visibly. "I didn't try hard enough."

It hurt him because he had to explain it how it went, and he realized once more that it happened. It was God-awful, and Lily was to never return again.

"Ahhhh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He broke.

"We have to stay, Linc. We need to get the body before it gets tagged. They'll find out who she is and put two and two together. First, we've gotta book us a room."

Lincoln rubbed his eyes. "Do what you've gotta do, bud."

**Later**

He was allowed to be alone in the bedroom, brooding and grieving severely for the girl with the sunny hair he would not longer be able to see, hear, or let alone touch. It killed him, made him immensely miserable. It was all on him. Back then, he had some plans to make once he ended it. Here, he had no idea at all what to do now. All hostiles were gone, but one of two friendlies had been downed.

Whatever Clyde was doing with his fancy-shmancy tech, Lincoln didn't care. The next step was to break into the department morgue to recover Lily's remains before it was apparent that Lincoln Loud ran around, which would ultimately lead to a lifetime of being on the run, and who wanted that?

At least Clyde respected his wishes of being alone. Honestly...

Lincoln was better off dead from the start. It would have spared Lily from death and the pain he caused her after he had come back. If only... If only he could change back time to start over. If only.

Clyde knocked in after over an hour of playing around and breaching from backdoors, as he called them. "The autopsies haven't been put in yet, so there's still time."

Lincoln stood up to his feet. He didn't want to go, knowing it would probably hurt him again when he saw the actual remains of Lily. "Mmm..."

"Hey, we have to do this, man. For you and I!" Just days ago, he wasn't itching to follow Lincoln, but seeing him now, it was surely odd of him. A confidence that came from fucking nowhere.

Lincoln circled him. "You know, I've been meaning to ask-"

If not for the mirror that hung on the wall with the bed, he would not have noticed the reflecting object, a wire tap, loosely dangling from his sweater. And then and there did Lincoln realize that Clyde was compromised. He made no sudden reaction, but moved away from him, heading out of the bedroom.

Clyde was either being forced or complying willingly with them. He had no idea, so he figured to leave Clyde. Lincoln snagged the keys of the muscle car. "I'll be right back, Clyde."

Lincoln never made it past the door before his ears succumbed to the cocking of a handgun. Clyde had pulled out his borrowed weapon in quite the rookie mistake, confirming Lincoln's suspicions. "Damn it, Linc! What gave it away?"

"I guess I was meant to see the wire on you, idiot." Lincoln gripped the keys, raising his occupied hand onto his chest. "When did it happen?"

"I couldn't tell you that, but it's been like this for awhile." Clyde sat down on the table, still in range with Lincoln. "From the bottom of my heart, I didn't want to believe you were truly a monster, so I gave you a chance to not mess it up for you. I did that out of respect for you, and for the friendship we've had for so many years."

Lincoln snorted. "You're holding a gun to me, and you wanna talk about friendship?"

"Hey, I've gotta humor you now, right?"

"I get it now..." Lincoln put the pieces together. "You two followed me, and your real reason was to have me arrested over there, right?" He turned around slowly.

Clyde formed a smile. "That's it, man! And that's how it was going to go! Only... It all went south..."

They exchanged darkened glares with each other, not as friends this time, but as sudden strangers in the heat of the moment. The foundation of their friendship began to crumble away, deteriorating before them.

"I'm sorry, Lincoln. Lily's death was not part of the plan. Plan was for you to go to the hotel, not go in circles."

"But you admit that Lily was part of this?"

Clyde gave a simple nod. "Yes, she was. She would have been placed into child services."

"How long until they get here?" Lincoln had only one shot to escape.

"Minutes, I'd say," Clyde answered. "Don't think you can get away, Lincoln. It'll only make you look more guilty and vicious. Please, come quietly."

Nothing, no one had been helping him from the start. Clyde had been running his own agenda, in league with CIA, or FBI, or whoever the fuck. Lily followed her brother into the war zone, which was his idea to begin with, and the rest of the world was but a collective of enemies made up of a freat many. At least he destroyed the Freights, the only thing he wanted to do, in bloody retaliation for what he was today, and what they had taken from him.

Only, he didn't feel better in any way. Nothing had changed, but only had gotten worse. "I know what to do."

"Ah, I do hope it meets with the-" Clyde was smacked hard with the keys once Lincoln had thrown them with all his definite might. "Oof!"

Lincoln ran right at Clyde just as the gun-toting mole fired away at him. Two rounds into his hip slowed him down, but Clyde made the mistake of staying in place. "Lincoln, no, I-!"

Lincoln stripped him away of the gun and pushed him backwards, sending him down.

"W-wait-" Clyde believed for a moment he'd get mercy from Lincoln, but the monster in his body said otherwise with those dastardly, maliciously cold eyes. "Linc-"

And the monster shot him dead, executing him with no remorse or regret. All was right in the world, even if it wasn't right. He took the gun with him, tucking it onto the back of his shirt. Pity to anyone who was able to see it, due to a missing portion of the shirt being noticeable from behind.

And he was running away, just like that, away from the hotel room. Running, like a rat in a maze.

He lost those around him, either by choice or unlucky spins. One thing he really knew was that it happened because of him. The senseless, bloodthirsty desire had taken more from him than he believed could have been possible. Just like before, he was alone, back at square one. Only, he wasn't running rampant with the crying, or fears the way the child version of him had expressed one time too many. This was different, and he could never explain it. But he it was different, because the emotion was different. He was simply ready for it, and he wasn't either.

He wasn't ready to say goodbye to Lily.

**May 24th, 2030**

The McBride residence was awfully quiet when he had returned. The silence was dreadful, and insane to take in. The sound of the ticking clocks played into his head so much that Lincoln threw a chair at it to regain his shattering focus so that he could be calm inside. Peace.

He had slumped onto the floor, gun falling away from him, making a racket as it slid on the ceramic floor. Why now? Why was he getting weak? The albino gained a nasty headache that hadn't gone away since he had done Clyde in, and wanted it to stop. Why, the pain was massive and intense enough to intentionally self-harm by slamming his head onto the walls, and taking objects to his skull. He bled, but the aching pain didn't go away. If only-

He looked to the gun, and found what may have been the most reasonably irrational solution there could have been. He grabbed it and placed it onto the side of his head. For what did he live for? Finger set on the trigger, he squeezed it with a hardening look on his face. He opened his eyes when the gun clicked rather than fire one into his head.

The clip was empty from Clyde unloading it all. Lincoln didn't count the rounds fired, as his mind centered on shutting Clyde down. "Fuck you..."

It was funny for him enough to laugh. He thought of killing himself, and the showrunner behind his endless streak of bad luck would not allow him to drop out just yet. "Come on!" He yelled to the ceiling. "What am I supposed to fucking do?!"

God and the angels from heaven, those are who he felt were laughing at him from way beyond the clouds. Laughing away at the hell he had not crawled out of. It was all just a twisted game played by deities, fit to server for amusement.

_Damn those fuckin' gods._

He dropped the gun and laid down. Why _was_ he alive for? Peace was a pipe dream, and a chance to get back into society had been revoked. The ones Clyde stood behind had to have known about all of it. Lily, the fake identity he adopted, and more. This place would soon be infested, as it may have also been bugged, and it was now that he figured that was the case.

At the very least, he went to the television to drown out whatever broken pain he could have. Maybe cartoons. Maybe the news. Or maybe Dream Boat, if those still aired. He laid on the couch, grabbing the remote and turned it on. The channel it had been left on was the Kron channel. There happened to be a breaking news report;

**Breaking! Mysterious Creature Attacks Vial Corp Facility; Dadetown, Colorado Under Lockdown!**

From a helicopter's point of view, the footage depicted a building heavily in ruins, burning brightly. The camera was shaky, but not too shaky to miss the many silhouettes down below, all seemingly running away from the building. At first, he looked at it as if it was a Freight affair, having all the right signs for one. He raised the volume to get more information.

_"This is Katherine Mulligan reporting live high in the air near Dadetown, hovering just above this Vial Corporation facility, as you can see below, now in complete ruins from what can only be described as the effect of some sort of explosion. There have been numerous reports from both Vial staff and an unnamed civilian whose identity has been asked to be withheld. The civilian in question has reported seeing what can only be described as a "huge reptilian monster." If you look below- Wait, what is that?"_

The camera panned closer to an area where it hadn't been locked on, depicting several bodies near the wrecked facility.

_"Oh, my God, move the camera, Gene! Move it- Uh, here's Riley Doubt with more from the ground. Riley?"_

The camera switched to a ground unit, with a young blonde woman next to a blockade of patrol cars.

_"Thank you, Kathy. Riley Doubt reporting live, just down the small road that leads into the facility, where it has been cut off by two of the local law enforcemeod units. Officer, can you tell me why the need to barricade this road? Has there really been such a creature sighted? And what about those people moving around the dark?"_

Lincoln narrowed his eyes as the reporter went to one of the officers before turning it off. An interesting thing to say. Interesting and motivational. He smiled greatly, for he knew right then and there that he didn't have to stop. The world had just offered him a different type of work, and he accepted it. Soon, he'd be looking into this, and see just who had been up to selfish, corrupted activities. Soon, he'd be going out to kill again.

Soon, Lincoln would return to the big world and make his mark. And what did he have to fear? The darkest raid of his life had given him something in exchange.

* * *

**AN: Thus ends chapter one of eleven for the complete Act I. Yeesh, I didn't know how long this chapter would be, but it had to be long to get it as right as I can, and better than the original. Things will be different, obviously, but a great many things will remain from the previous three fics, but going in different routes and paths for your beloved characters.**

**Here's the line-up for the entire Act I;**

**1\. The Darkest Raid Of His Life **

**2\. Adrenaline **

**3\. Superbeast **

**4\. Velocity And Momentum **

**5\. Sweetwater **

**6\. The Comedienne **

**7\. Death Angel **

**8\. Demon Hunter **

**9\. Grey **

**10\. The Patriots **

**The eleventh one is a surprise, will not be revealed until I drop it. All I can say is that it's horror, and it involves one of the sin kids.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter II: Adrenaline**

* * *

**May 5th, 2030**

Lynn Loud waited for her team to assemble. Said team was made up of an all-female roster, consisting of Polly Peine, Paula Ward, and Margo Jefferson. The four had participated in three special missions in total, but Lynn had known they had been in it longer, to which she didn't know yet. The fine print said that bonding was not recommended in this line of work, but it wasn't a prohibited thing either. Lynn went on to befriend the trio at her own risk, and while she had to remember that they could die at any given time out in the field, Lynn never held back her humanity with them.

Sure, she wasn't exactly the most lady-like of all girls, but Lynn had heart, and was one who wanted to come back victorious at the end of these missions. Maybe it was because death was the consequence of failure that she joined up with the FBI to begin with. Lynn was pushing herself to insane levels, where the punishment for losing was harm, maybe even death. She trained hard so that she _wouldn't_ fail, and pushed herself through hard trials that required to be in this place.

Lynn had to do a lot of work to let alone enter the agency, which that itself proved to be quite the hardest time of her life. She worked for it because she wanted it that badly. The hardships of high school, to which she traded up for college, all for a four-year bachelor's degree she needed just to get in. And then came more hardships.

And in a matter of those long years that passed in between, she had succeeded her goal, and made Aunt Rinn Reagan very proud.

Lynn just wished that her parents were also proud.

She knew what she signed up for, and had played with guns before arriving. Even so, she got more training with firearms at the her workplace, learning the basics for both a handgun and a shotgun, and learned some new stuff she hadn't before. The shotguns she used had quite a kick to it, but in time, she had mastered the grip and perfected her aim by a long shot, only missing once or twice from every ten or so shots.

Lynn was a proud FBI agent of 5'6, being the shortest of the team, but was twenty-seven years old, the third oldest of the four, with Margo underneath. Her brunette hair with the signature ponytail had long been forgotten, replaced by a shorter, wavy hairstyle. The reason for this was to closely emulate Luna's own for a reason she could never share to anyone. The sports were dropped from her hobbies long ago, filled in completely by fighting arts and gunplay. Sure, she felt nolstagic at times and would catch some matches from time to time, but Lynn had grown quite enamored with this particular job, maybe even this life if she were to wonder about it more, despite its many occupationap hazards. And those were one too many in the field.

She was all for it, always trying to go the extra mile around her work, which seemed weird to the whole department, up to the point they were led to believe Lynn had some sort of death wish, or was actually a whole new level of crazy never seen before. But Lynn was still the Lynn she had always been; the enthusiastic over-achiever who didn't know when to cease until someone had to be that person to do it. And in this case, that person, or rather the three, were her unit's core members.

Polly Peine was twenty-eight and a half, a figure of a lanky 5'8. Her face was a little mannish, especially with quite the chin her face packed and sported, but it never made her stand out in the days she spent working around the Bureau. She happened to be Lynn's first friend, having bonded over past sports and other recreational activities. It turned out they did have much in common, which kicked off from learning that the other had participated in rollerskating derbies, to baseball, to pretty much many other sports.

That was how Lynn's first day had gone, and she was glad to have made a friend in Polly. Truth was that Polly, being the only female in their district before Lynn's arrival, had been looked down upon by her colleagues simply for being a "defenseless flower" as one of the macho agents had put it with no consideration of her own views or the facts she'd counter the comment with.

Needless to say, Lynn had quite the blood boiling in her when Polly had shared that disrespectful scene, which led to Lynn only choosing Polly as her one and only partner for assignments. They had gone on only three as the dynamic duo before their superior, Director Richard Mathers, had requested the transfer of two other female agents from the neighboring Bureaus.

Lynn and Polly had claimed it a victory by having Margo Jefferson and Paula Ward join their little squad, but in reality it was more back-up for the two, for Mathers would not have "those two girls acting real stupid" under his jurisdiction.

Paula was the tallest of the Lynn Brigade, being a whole six feet and an inch in height. She looked more skinnier compared to Polly, but only without her protective gear. She was a blonde with bright blue eyes, hair set in a ponytail, just ahead of Lynn in age by three months. Paula was the third member of their unit, and the one with a screwed-up past just as it was like Lynn's own; Paula was left an orphan when her parents bit the big one when the Freights, the infamous domestic-based cult of criminals, had staged a bombing carried out at a restaurant they had gone to for their anniversary. It led her to move in with her aunt, where she continued to go on with her life, but only with an entirely new goal in mind; she got into law enforcement to personally see that there would be change, for she wanted to make a difference. And when she went out into the field with her blood sisters, she made another step to ensuring a better outcome of the unknown that was the unpredictable future. But she hadn't been alone in her personal crusade. And she was thankful for her buddies.

Paula had been the first of the only two to have been open on why she joined the program to begin with, which made Lynn reconsider her choosing to keep that away from them. She, as well as Polly, had known that they'd have to share that eventually, even if several people from the entire department had known prior to their joining.

Margo Jefferson had come last, but that didn't make her the least good member of their little team. She and Lynn shared the same height, but the woman was twenty-five, making her the youngest of the squad. Her hair color was a mix of gold and orange, which she had never tampered with apart from keeping it straightened. Her eyes were of a clear hazel shade that sparkled greatly when the sun reached her eyes, as told by Polly once, jokingly. She had freckles, and the average, normal features to have, apart from a nose slightly bigger than meets the eye. Not that she was complaining.

Margo's own reason for being here was one that grew in a time span of over ten years, originating from a classic string of pedophilia that shaped bits of her past, as well as other girls. It was a middle school coach she had known for over a year, which was also about how long the incidents went on for. The coach had been caught and sentenced way back when, but the thing was, Margo had been left quite scarred from the whole ordeal, and to this day, she still had to attend the proper help. At least here, the department did come with such resources, and she never hesitated to go.

Paula and Margo were broken in their own ways, as were the silent Lynn and Polly, but together, the four proved to the strong and formidable agents of the FBI. Maybe fate had rounded them up together for some reason. Good ones at that, Lynn hoped.

She was the first one there, already at the table of the debriefing room, where missions were assigned and explained in full, with significant roles with their own objectives being part of the process. For that, Lynn had received weeks' worth of learning about how they ran, what kinds of operations were carried out, and way more stuff than she initially believed she'd come to learn.

Mathers, as usual, was the debriefer, impatiently awaiting the missing three ladies while he stood at the end of a room, right in front of a screen that took up much of the space of the wall. "Honestly, what's taking them so long?"

Lynn had already strapped to a bulletproof vest and her handgun holster on the left side of her, loaded for the next phase after the rundown. "It's only been like a minute, sir," she pointed out. "I'm sure they are-"

The metal handle of the door creaked as it rotated downwards, stopping after an abrupt halt. The three women had finally arrived, but did so in their bare, casual uniforms, unlike the loaded-up Lynn Loud. Out of the three, only Margo was seen with a fresh cup of joe. "We're here, sir!" Margo pumped out with enthusiasm. "What's this one going to be? Another surveillance task?"

Mathers cleared his throat and motioned a hand to the screen. "Today's case isn't an intel-gathering one, rather..." A mugshot of a beaten dark-skinned, bald man popped up. "This is James Matthews, one of the suspected affiliates with the terror syndicate known as Five. The broker for various arms deals in a fifty-mile radius around here. Since Five just so happens to have international allies and property, this makes it a CIA affair, and so it shall be that you four will be rendezvousing with their team."

"What?" Margo squealed, nearly choking on her coffee. "A joint op?"

"Hey, what's the reason? What are we-?" Lynn began whining.

Mathers raised his hands and held them out, requesting for their collective silence. "Matthews is personally seeing a truckload of what we suspect are military grade weapons be shipped out to a supposedly vacant warehouse in the next two hours, with the buyers being members of Five. Lucky for us that he was apprehended just yesterday and a deal was made fairly quickly."

The screen switched from the mugshot to a set of photos of a white semi with a trailer, appearing to be in an alleyway. "So...?" Paula wondered, still confused.

"Matthews is to man the vehicle, with one of the CIA's own ensuring he tries nothing funny. You four and the rest of their team will follow close behind until you get to the drop. From there, I hope it all goes our way."

Lynn gathered that this was really a special mission, and not just a simple recon mission; the four were going for a bigger catch. And she felt a little nervous about this particular one; so much that she had a cold shiver hover right over her shoulders, penetrating right through the vest and uniform. She had every right to excuse herself from this possible upcoming battle, but she didn't bother to at all, and that was mainly due to the signature Lynn Loud ideas. She couldn't forfeit it simply because of the danger. She had to do it. She had to toss herself into the crossfire, and to try her best to win. Win, and live. And re-do.

"Any questions?" Mathers asked the girls before wrapping up.

Margo and Paula exchanged each other stern looks, having similar thoughts like Lynn. Only Polly seemed to be down with what she'd been handed down. "Not at all!"

Whatever would be in store for the young women had already been fated, and was being carried out as they all prepped up for the mission, and they'd soon come to know about today's schedule soon enough.

**Later**

The city of Chicago hadn't gone through real developing changes the last few years, really. Parts of the city were still just as bad as it had been forever, maybe a little worse by today. The HQ fell in a better area of Chicago, but it didn't really stop the occasional wandering homeless vagabonds from passing by and making for public disturbance, or some idiotic punk teenager vandalizing cars for the fun of it. Those types of thing, common in this busy-average city, as well as many other nuisances and various crime. Lynn only hoped the boys in blue did well on those issues.

Lynn was silent in the black SUV, seated like a statue on the front seat passenger's side. Polly was today's designated driver, but was now parked to the side, tasked with awaiting their target vehicle and the trailing escort start it off.

Paula feigned her worry through small talk. "So, Lynn, what's going on with that one guy?"

Behind the scenes, Lynn had indeed met a nice guy while the women were out on one of their casual ladies nights, spending that particular one at a bar and drinking some light beer. Paula thought to dress up as if she was going to a high-end party hosted by an A-list celebrity, coming to it in a purple dress, while the other three found reason to laugh at the spotted joke when she had shown up like that. They had dressed up with no care in the world, and it was during a reminiscing conversation where Lynn had spotted a nice man with a muscular build, and a shirt he must have intentionally put on to show off those guns.

She was reeled in within those fifteen seconds of staring at that perfect, indestructible body. Margo gave her a gentle push, urging Lynn to follow that meat. She cut their night short, trading it for some great sex back at her apartment almost an hour later after that.

"Oh, um..." Lynn had tried to go into details only once, but being a woman who wasn't fixated with the gossiping and a full-on girly characterization, she hadn't a feeling of eagerness to share what went on. But today made it an exception. "Right, yeah," she recalled, blushing away.

"Hey, little Lynnie is completely flustered!" Polly teased. "Go on, tell!"

Lynn turned her eyes to the mirror, already seeing Margo and Paula looking back at her with hungry eyes and ravenous smiles that begged Lynn to start telling her the goods. "There wasn't much that happened," she explained, still cheeky red. "Like I said, we hooked up and slept together-"

Margo gave a slow nod while the audience kept their faces attentive to Lynn's sexual tale.

Lynn drew her head back and exhaled contently. "Oh, God, he was so damn good! I mean, I thought I was gonna do all the work, but he totally took the initiative, and..." By then, she had a warm, horny sensation tap into her womanhood as she went on, genuinely feeling aroused just as she had been that late night. "He had me in between his great body and my bed, and- Dear God, I can't describe it, but he had the best junk made from heaven!" Lynn snickered little a little girl.

"Oh, you lucky gal, you!" Paula laughed. "I wish I found myself a good one."

"Now, wait just a minute!" Margo cut in. "What went on after? Surely, you've gotten his number, or decided to make plans for the next step in this relationship?"

Polly and Paula squealed out.

Lynn groaned a bit before answering. "He left me without contact info, actually. But he did say he goes to the bar quite often if I do want to to somewhere with it. He was nice, and well... I'd like him to fuck me again, of course!" She burst out laughing after.

"Oh, sounds like he's actually testing you," Margo pointed out.

"Huh? Is that so?" Lynn wondered, looking back at her.

"Yeah, think about it. If you go to seek him out, he'll know for sure he sank his hooks into you."

"Sounds more like a trap if the man turns out to be one of _those_ guys," Paula added in. "I'd be careful if I go after that ass."

"Hey, I know how to kick ass, remember?" Lynn held up an arm and curled it into a fist. "Girl power!"

"I hear that!" Paula seconded.

"That's the way to go," Margo followed.

Polly had kept her eyes on the street, and was the one to notify them when the truck had started pulling out of the alleyway. "They're moving!"

"Lock and load, ladies," Lynn announced as she and the three agents with her pulled out their handguns from the safe holsters and cocked them back. "Remember the drills."

"We've got this," Margo told them, but felt unsure of her words.

Once the trailer truck pulled onto the street, a black 2018 Camaro followed it close behind. None of the girls could see who was driving, for the windows of the muscle car were tinted to the darkest degree possible. Polly pulled out of the side and began trailing them.

_"Stay back two car lengths, over," _the speaker at the other end of the walkie-talkie instructed.

Lynn picked theirs up from her lap. "Roger that, awaiting further instructions."

Paula giggled. "You're breaking protocol."

"Break this," Lynn snorted, taking a toot in the vehicle.

"Ugh!" Went Margo.

"Lynn, can you please not?" Polly cried.

Paula covered her nose and began laughing. "Dear God, Lynn, you are really something else!"

At first, it appeared that they were having a good time in the SUV. Lynn crossed her arms in triumph, smirking with pleasure, while her companions waved their hands in the air to brush away the odor.

Then, Paula dropped her head low as if she hit depression all of a sudden. And then she spoke. "Guys, I'm... Feeling a little nervous-" She had begun to take unsteady, cracked exhales, only answered by Margo who felt a mutual thing going on. Paula was then given a firm shoulder pat by the autumn-haired agent.

Lynn and Polly looked on through the mirror. "Yeah? Well..." And for some reason, it was hard to admit it. And not for the sake of trying to hide fear. No, there was totally another reason Lynn felt she couldn't share her weaknesses for. "It's okay, Paula. We've all got our backs today, and you'll do our best to make it count. I know you will."

It was advice and easing words she would shove into their heads and brains as many times as she could, but it would never be such words that she would ever have the luxury of heeding. For the life of her, Lynn could not take what she delivered and apply onto herself. A flaw.

The rest of the drive went smooth, but was that of a silent one. No one dared to speak after Lynn had tried to call the tension inside Paula. Maybe they were simply too scared to move that it affected the car ride. Lynn coughed visibly and decided to withdraw their minds from the likely danger with the same method Paula used. "So, Margo, how's your cousin been doing?"

"Oh, she's been alright," Margo answered quietly. "Liena's gonna graduate soon, and yet... No sign of Lyle, even after I tried to find some angle into his case. Sadly, nothing yet."

"You'd better ask those days off and go see her when she's done with high school," Paula thought. "Maybe we all could go, it would do us wonders to get a break, right?"

"Sounds like a plan-" Polly looked back at the backseat passengers, giving Margo a smile, and in such a bad timing, too. The Camaro up ahead was lost to some sort of explosion that claimed it without warning, ravaged into burning wreckage with its inhabitants being rendered into nothing but human crisps. This was likely some sort of ambush going underway. Then, the firing broke out.

"SHIT, STOP THE CAR!" Lynn yelled as she helped Polly turn the steering wheel a sharp right. Polly stammered a few seconds after some nearby shooter was targeting the truck's driver and passenger. Polly screeched to a halt, making the four jerk frontwards. "DAMN!"

Civilians walking the streets had already begun to run to safety, clearing the scene from any stragglers. The stunned driver set the vehicle in park as Lynn got out, gun readied, pointed upwards while she took cover behind the SUV. "OUT, OUT, OUT!" Lynn quickly ordered as she looked to the other side for the hostiles in play.

Margo quickly got out and dragged Paula with her. "Watch your feet!"

The blonde had to catch herself on all fours, scathing her hands on the gravel below. "AGH!" She bounced back up and drew her own firearm. "Where are they?!"

"I don't see anything!" Lynn took peaks rapidly, still keeping eyes on the truck. It was still there, almost as if it wasn't moving. And then she pieced it together. "The weapons shipment is compromised! I'm advancing, cover me!"

Polly relocated to the other side of the street, moving cautiously, gun held firmly in both hands. "Covering!"

Lynn ran way ahead of Polly, leaving Margo and Paula behind like nothing. It was how she did it that made it all the more risky and dangerous. The sheer dumb luck she no longer believed in was probably all the difference in the world, the factor that decided she wasn't off to the hereafter already.

The entire sidewalk had been cleared of innocent bystanders, which Lynn was relieved for. She had only ran past four parked cars when two individual shooters, at long last, had emerged from either side of the street, gripping some serious firepower in the form of M16s. "Oh, shit-"

"Get to cover!" Polly yelled from behind.

Agent Loud forced her body to fall behind one of the parked cars. The shooting came in bursts, anf Lynn could almost hear the bullets rip through the air as the shooters fired at her. "Can you get a bead?!"

"Lynn, that's for tracking!" Polly went, having stopped and aimed her gun at one of the two shooters.

The one who had come from Polly's side of the street went for the shipment directly, opened the driver door and pulled the corpse of the Five affiliate out of the cab. The other one covered him and kept shooting where Lynn was hiding. There was no time to think about them, who they were, or anything else. Lynn was pinned down, and in any moment, they'd lose their window just like that.

The cackling fire from the burning wreckage grew noticeably loud and fierce. It would only take a few minutes for the area to be locked down, but not enough time to get the proper back-up. Lynn had to center her ears on the firing, mainly to spot the in-betweens.

Silence. The reloading sequence. Lynn jumped out of her hiding spot and aimed at the attacking assailant, shooting to wound. Five rounds, but two hit the target's right leg, just as they had already reloaded. The rifle had fallen out of their hands as they dropped to the ground, having an unstable leg to balance improperly.

Meanwhile, the truck took off. Lynn and Polly focused their guns at the wheels of the vehicle and fired all of their rounds.

"Margo! Paula! Sometime today?!" Lynn bellowed.

The truck had picked up some significant speed, but enough wheels had been punctured that it went downhill for the other hostile. Polly regrouped with Lynn, meeting her in the middle of the street and behind the truck. Paula and Margo paced up and caught up with the two after all had gone quiet. No firefight, no screaming, or anything apart from the burning wreckage behind them.

The downed suspect was merely groaning as Lynn and company closed in on him, guns still pointed at him and the truck at the same time. Lynn and Polly reloaded their guns.

"Bag that guy!" Lynn kicked away the rifle and had today's fresh grab pinned down by their hands before sending them to sleep. "And call this in-"

Margo took care of the unconscious figure, looking over the bullet wound. "R-right!" She reached for her phone just as Lynn and Polly suddenly began firing- And the second person carrying out this little theft operation had realized there was no way to escape the Feds with flat tires. Margo only thought of herself in that fast-thinking moment, taking cover behind the unconscious body.

Lynn had an advantage between herself and the shooter; she kept steady breaths and the sights arranged to the designated target, while the other guy waved the rifle as he fired, having less of a chance to hit anyone. She was the one to get a headshot after only letting three rounds fly. "He's down!"

The sound of a gun dropping made her eyes jerk wide. She took her time to look at her unit, only to see Polly fall on her knees and tumble on her side. She had been struck with a stray that burrowed and lodged into her chest. Not only that, but Paula received one of her own, penetrating her right leg and leaving her unable to stand. Margo tended to her as she screamed in pain, but had also noticed the shape Polly was in. "Oh, my God!"

"P-Pol-" Lynn flipped the wounded agent on her back and checked how critical the wound was. The flowing blood had already gotten a head start, eluding from the woman's insides. Lynn had no full medical expertise to extract the bullet, or shards if it had broken upon impact, but she knew to apply pressure on it. "Don't worry- It's gonna be alright!"

Polly presented her brown eyes, now mixed with a visible, throbbing red color, was silently, mentally screaming to Lynn that she didn't want to bleed out like this. Not here, and not today. Her hands tried to direct themselves to her chest so that she could stop the bleeding herself, but they only trembled uncontrollably. She knew some true fear right off the bat, feeling it all the way.

"Don't move, T-Peine! Slow breaths, no sudden movements!"

Margo had already hung up the phone while helping Paula. "Ambulance and back-up on the way, guys! Polly, keep holding on! You and Paula are gonna be okay!"

"My fucking leg!" Paula screeched, turning and dragging herself without a plan. "Did you get him?!"

"Was that not obvious?!" Lynn threw back. "Stay down, damn it!"

"Paula, Paula-" Margo began to urge, lightly forcing her friend back down. "Oh, fuck-"

None of the four expected the sudden, bright blue rip in the fabric of space and time. A tear in the form of a swirling blue circle, and it was an unbelievable sight before their naked eyes. The scenery stopped, and their movements ceased to an unprecedented halt. The blue circle, hovering just above them, had stolen their full and undivided attention.

"What the hell is that?" Polly thought she was seeing the afterlife, but the fact that Lynn saw it and looked up made her realize this wasn't heaven, nor some sort of wild hallucination caused by her loss of blood. She stuttered to speak, but choked on blood and spat it out.

Margo felt a snag all of a sudden. Then, the gravity took a shift for the worst; Margo began to float inexplicably. "GUYS- HEY, HELP!"

She took Paula with her, which was an attempt to hold onto her. "MARGO, LET GO!"

"ARE YOU INSANE?! HELP ME OUT!"

Paula tried to plant her one good leg on solid ground, but was also caught by the grip of the invisible force that seized them both. "IT'S TOO STRONG!"

Polly was already levitating in the air like a corpse being sent to heaven's welcoming arms. Lynn stuttered about, unsure of who to help here, but she soon found herself to be stripped of that decusion, for she was also pulled into the air with her crew. "HOLD ON!"

Whatever this mysterious blue thing was, she didn't know what to expect but had prepared for the worst. She had seen enough sci-fi movies to make the educated guess that it was some sort of incinerating beam, or a portal that led to some foreign place. Curse Lincoln Loud's movie choices when it was his turn for those movie nights her family hosted every Friday night.

Even their weapons had come with them; Lynn's gun, or Polly's, came floating in front of her, so she grabbed it without a second thought, and aimed it into the blue hell she was about to be subjected to. She would not be probed by some fucking aliens today. Sweat formed now, out of all times she had been given a chance to. "COVERING!"

And then she and her teammates entered the blue portal.

**2062**

Lynn hit the sidewalk, arriving last on the scene. The guns, including the rifle, and even the knocked out baddie had also arrived with the four. "Uhh..."

Margo went to the guns and picked up two of them, handing one to Paula. "Where... This isn't Chicago anymore, Lynn."

"What-?" She did take a look around, and filled her eyes with the sights before her. The city was a different one, and not just one where they were in another place. It was more like the structural layout seemed to be different. The streetlights were gone, replaced by unknown devices placed together, appearing like a built railing for giants. What was more, was that there were numerous lights circling the darkened skies. The buildings, all of which she could see, all glowed in heavy, multiple neon colors, flashing away as if the theme here happened to be rave-based. They messed with her eyes for a bit until she adjusted. "Where are we?"

"Is this Japan?" Margo lifted Paula up on her shoulder, giving Lynn the idea and applied it to Polly. Only, Polly was a heavy one.

"I don't know, but you should call again-" Lynn began to suggest, when suddenly, a large vehicle came revving in full throttle, skidding to a halt in front of them. The vehicle, a fully upgraded version of a BTR-70, with a stealth engine, dual automated minigun turrets front and back, bulletproof tires, and painted in a matte black color. The xenon lights remained on as a voice on a speaker rang out from inside.

_"Domicile scum! Toss your weapons and surrender!"_

"Domicile-" Lynn noted that they spoke English. "Hello, we need some help here! We've got wounded!"

"Lynn...?" Paula sensed something really wrong with this scene. No law enforcement in their era drove such a beast like this; the only type of vehicle similar to this belonged in the arsenal of a military she knew now which one. "Does this not feel...?"

Margo also noticed it as well. "Uhh... Lynn-"

_"This is your last chance! Put your weapons down and hands up, or we will fire upon you!"_

"Wait, we're with law enforcement!" Lynn countered. "I'm Lynn Loud Jr. of the FBI!"

She had to show them authenticity by taking out her badge. Who could have anticipated what came next?

The front turret turned to their direction and fired upon them. Margo was shredded into bloody chunks of flesh, ripped completely from top to bottom. Whatever the ammo was being used, it surely beat their Kevlar, a tad overkill. Lynn's mouth went agape with such shock. Paula had fallen on her stomach and dropped her weapon, having been bathed in Margo's blood and innards. She threw up while down, further staining herself.

"Muh-Muh-Muh-" Lynn mumbled, barely able to speak. The remains of Margo had left an atrocious mess of red, with pieces of clothing and armor mixed into the mess. The puddle had extended past the sidewalk, dripping onto the curb. Lynn didn't notice that Polly had fainted on her. "NO, WAIT, OKAY!"

Paula raised her arms up, all teary-eyed and reeking of vomit. "Don't shoot- Please!"

"Okay, wait, I- We- We're not-!" Lynn dropped her gun and complied now. "Don't shoot!"

"Oh, please, do something to aggravate the PF soldiers!" A female voice rang out. The owner of the voice revealed herself as a teenage girl climbing over the war vehicle and then ripped out the front turret with her bare hands, revealing some unholy supernatural strength. The girl, blonde, was in blue jean shirts and a black mini-shirt that didn't hide her firm six-pack or belly button. She handled the ripped turret like a bat and set it behind her shoulders, smiling fiendishly and stomped her left foot twice on the roof of the vehicle. "Don't interfere, men! This is Primer business now!"

"Who-?" Lynn had questions, but let her eyes go from the teen girl to the dead Margo.

"You three fall into my jurisdiction now!" The teen girl yelled.

"Who are you?! What's going on?!" Lynn had grown tired of holding Polly now. "Why did-?"

The blonde jumped from the BTR, landing closer to them. Her impact upon landing made a faint crater that only concerned Lynn and Paula even more. "I take it you're Lynn Loud, right?" She asked.

Lynn was baffled as to how this young stranger had known her name, maybe even more than she could surmise at first. "Y-yes, how-?"

"Welcome to the goddamn future, Lynn!" The blonde revealed with sarcasm, extending her arms for the extra mile to her act. "You've never met me before, but I know who you are. Oh, you bet I do."

Lynn narrowed her eyes when the girl spoke the only keyword that seemed to matter. And she shook her head, skeptical, refusing to believe it. "N-no, it can't be-" She was adamant to call the silly blonde on her insane bluff. "You're lying."

"Believe what you want, I'm just here to correct a mistake made long ago-" She closed her free hand and then opened it back to reveal some sharp claws replacing her normal fingers. "-And I won't fail."

_"Miss Mercer, what would you like us to do?"_

The freak teenager looked back to the BTR and pointed to the right of the street. "Return to base, and notify Letenko and Chang of my position in ten. I'm going to get my long-due fun tonight with the speedster all by myself."

_"Copy that, Miss Mercer," _the driver confirmed, already taking off the way they came.

Mercer sniffed the air uncontrollably, almost as if there was some heavenly aroma that filled the atmosphere. The scent that attracted her happened to be the fleshy remains of the late Margo Jefferson, for some strange reason. Lynn and Paula kept steady, but were still shaken on the inside by the development of this mess they could never have imagined.

Mercer went on all fours, dropping the turret piece and began crawling eerily towards the remains, further disturbing Lynn and Paula. She opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out, revealing a parasitic, flipping tongue that did not belong to any normal human being. It grossed the two agents out when Mercer began picking off the chunks of Margo's flesh and devoured them off the sidewalk.

Lynn had enough of this and looked down to her gun she dropped. She had the chance to snag that, or the rifle that had come with them. Not to mention she had forgotten they had another extra body there.

Still, Paula was wounded, and Lynn could barely take much more of carrying Polly now. "Damn it-"

Lynn went on her knees fast, letting Polly down in that quick second, and went for the rifle. The teenage freak proved to be no challenge for Lynn; she hsd been too distracted in her act of cannibalism, noticing too damn late that Lynn had pointed a weapon at her and fired before she could bust out her own moves. Lynn went full auto with the M16, emptying all the rounds into Mercer. Most of them hit the girl since Lynn was close enough not to miss. Mercer was covered in many holes as if she had received polkadots all around her face and mini shirt. Lynn had killed her, she was sure of it.

"P-Paula, I need you to limp! I have to carry Polly, can you-?"

Paula picked up her gun and bounced back up. "Thank God for us she sent that metal behemoth away!"

"I hear that!" Lynn picked up Polly and heaved her on her shoulders. "Go right!"

"Wait, what about-?" Paula considered what the situation was with Margo's remains. She still reeked of vomit and had the dead agent's essence all over her.

"We'll solve that later! Right now it looks like we're in-"

Mercer's corpse moved back up, and the pair hadn't even moved ten steps away from it. The bullets that had entered her slid out of the holes. Mercer moved like an uneven ventriloquist dummy, arms, legs and head rotating while her advanced healing was taking place. "You... Girls..."

Paula began limping faster away from Mercer, already having enough that she practically said no to this. "LYNN!"

"Are... Going..." Mercer rejoiced her body to normal just as the wounds began to fade away.

Lynn exhaled sharply and returned to her objective, sprinting away with Polly. "Jesus!"

_I'm sorry, Margo. Looks like we'll have to come back for you..._

"TO PAY FOR THIS!" Mercer let out a monstrous growl, followed by the horrid twitching of her limbs. Her fair, smooth skin began to degrade to a nasty, dark green. Serious sharp claws were there where her hands had been before, ready for a deadly attack. Her baby-blue eyes turned into something that of a pure nightmare, going full yellow with her pupils reshaping into a black slit. Her body changed into something more grotesque. Her ears went pointy, with her nose transforming to a narrow shape to form slit nostrils. Scales formed from nothing, and her shoes were ripped apart from the inside, revealing beastly feet. There was even a tail that whipped out, ripping right through the back of her shorts.

Lynn and Paula dared not to look back, having already gotten an idea of what was transpiring behind them. "Keep going!"

And in one fell swoop, their only wildcard, or perhaps an actual favor lady luck delivered again, was activated; their captive suspect had come to, after all of that time, looking right at the monstrous reptilian creature on his right. He shudddered and gasped, quickly going for a hidden revolver no one thought to check he had. "COME ON!"

This proved to be a delay the agents definitely wanted and needed. The Mercer beast received an additional six bullets. Only, they never entered past her skin, but had stung the beast enough to get his attention. The monster opened her mouth, revealing a worse variation of her tongue, and a horrifying set of uneven, pointy teeth, almost like daggers. She went out of her way to sic this random hostile, shoving one of her feet onto his chest and then ripped away at his face with her vicious jaws.

Lynn and the wounded agents had lost it, already reached past a block over. She had so many questions forming, but her body, heavily subjected to what she could only describe as the maximum level of fear, which came in a burning flowy feel in her bloodstream, and the pumped-up heart beating rapidly, and not to mention her actually sweating, gave her all the reason to ignore her brain, only caring for the well-being of the poor woman. It went to combat with the images of her dear friend and ally being killed. Killed right in front of them. Near them. It happened, and Lynn had only labeled it as insanity while she ran with sharp breaths. One of her own. How was it going to look? How was she going to explain this to Mathers? How would this sound believable?

And then, Lynn remembered anger again. She did slow down, while Paula, ahead of her, hadn't taken notice yet. Something had to be done, and right back to that monstrous girl-creature. "D-damn it..."

The noises of all the world halted, taking an unscheduled pause just for her. She concentrated on her heartbeats. She could never be the one to back down from a challenge, no matter how tough and impossible it seemed. Not even for an opponent as powerful and carnivorous as this creature. She stopped and turned around. The hideous girl-creature came galloping on her hands and hind legs, laughing in the low, distorted voice she gained in her new form. "Here we go!"

Lynn set Polly down again and raised her fists, taking a firm fighting stance. Mercer made a pounce in the air, intending to topple her to death. "YOU'RE MINE!"

And it would have been Lynn's untimely and unnecessary death, if not for the weird, large red beam that just appeared and struck against the deadly beast, taking her away from Lynn. It happened so fast as a sudden breeze picked up and brushed her hair around. She had no idea what just happened.

"Lynn!" Paula was limping her way back. "Oh, my God!"

Lynn was still processing what just happened. She kept looking down the street while picking Polly back up. "H-how-?"

"No time for that yet! Yes, it happened! But we've gotta get a move on!"

The Loud agent stared one last time before rejoining Paula in their escape from whoever they were, for whatever fucking reason. "We need to get off the street!" Lynn suggested. "I can no longer hold her anymore!"

"We've gotta zigzag these blocks!" Paula realized. "They'll be looking within this perimeter, you know!"

"No shit! Fuck, we need to escape this city altogether!"

Paula nodded. "We also need to rest and get weapons!"

"Also that," Lynn agreed.

**Later **

They were a mile out of where they had landed, thanks to that portal, wherever it came from. Whoever it was sent by. Was it a mistake? Or... Was it intentional?

She got to thinking about it now that they had decided they were far enough to settle for downtime. Polly had missed out on everything, and there was no need to fill her in if she was going to opt out involuntarily by the news. Plus, there was still the matter of her wounds. Lynn then realized something she hasn't noticed before; the two bullets that struck Polly should not have penetrated through their Kevlar. The ammo that shredded Margo made sense, but not the rounds from the M16s. But, it did. Did that make it an armor piercing mag? Was it the same type as what was used on Margo?

Lynn stripped Polly from her armor and inspected the gunshots more closely. For one, the bleeding had only slowed down, but Polly was still gravely injured. "I have no rags or anything..."

Paula had fallen on herself, leaning against a wall across from Lynn, and helped herself manually. "Grgh!" It hurt like hell to even touch outside of the tiny red crater, but she gripped around the wound tightly. "FUCK!"

The three had taken shelter in a building that had a depressingly tan color, with a dome added as the roof. Lynn guessed it had to be a library, only this particular one was open for them. The only reason they knew was because the doors, a white, metal pair, opened by sliding upwards, basically telling them to get inside. Motion activated, perhaps?

They huddled in the front and stayed there, with the company of a white light shining down from the ceiling, in a weird layout of five lines. Only Lynn seemed to notice it while Paula tended to her leg. "You know," Lynn opened up. "That girl, she said-"

"I know what she said," Paula retorted with hostility. "I was there, too."

"...Right, sorry," Lynn softly responded, now letting her mind properly synchronize with the events so far. "I can't believe-"

They both shuddered to think about the only thing that made today memorable, and not in a positively good way. It was a scene that would haunt them thereafter, living to know that a great friend and acquaintance had been killed around them. Paula might have been more messed up than Lynn, considering that she was nearly killed as well, barely a miracle for her that she wasn't grazed by the turret. But Margo's essence lingered onto her by the blood that dripped onto her. God knows what she was possibly going through, or would be soon enough.

Lynn stopped herself from picking at it, for Paula's mental health. "Do you think she was telling the truth?"

Paula had been tightly gripping on her leg since she had finally gotten a break, and had begun to finally release it ever so gently. "It's... It can't be possible, Lynn. It just can't."

"I don't know what to believe, Paula..." Lynn took out her phone and went through her contacts, finding the one labeled Mathers. She pressed on that one and then proceeded to call him. It never rang, but rather redirected her to an automated machine that went, _"We are sorry, but this number is unrecognized in the Prime Federation phone book." _

_Prime Federation? _She wondered, before hanging up and calling again, only this time she turned on the speaker. "Hey, listen to this!"

The same automated message played again, and left Paula a little baffled and confused. "That's...-" She had no explanation to that. "It can't be... Can it?"

Polly opened her eyes and began moving her arms. "Ugh..." She wheezed.

"Oh!" Lynn looked over her in alarm. "Hey, are you still in pain?"

Polly made angry eyes at her, but was also squinting. "What- What happened?" She whispered.

"We had to move," Lynn explained. "I guess we're hiding from..."

Paula moved up, still clearly struggling to stand. "I need to wash up," she told her fellow agents. "I'm gonna find a bathroom."

She went further into the building, vanishing after the sliding door had let her in to the next room over. This was then followed by a muffle scream that belonged to her and no one else. Lynn went into panic mode and jumped on her legs. "Shit! I'll be right back!"

"Don't die on me!" Polly hoarsely whimpered.

Lynn hurried into the other room, coming across Paula in the center. What got them this time was their surroundings; a large rectangular screen hung high above them, and in a blue text font, it read; **Hall of the New World**

Around them, the whole floor was vastly decorated by various computer screens on both sides, and the room was divided into two at halfway, with more screens embedded into this third, short wall. Paula was looking at one of the screens, having toyed with it out of some dangerous curiosity. "L-Lynn..."

The brunette was quite relieved. The blonde hadn't gotten into trouble it seemed, just a senseless scream at most. Or so she thought. "What's the matter?" She wanted to make a joke, but this wasn't the right time nor place for it.

Paula pointed at the screen. "I've- I've had the idea to find answers, and-"

Lynn followed the arm, taking a look at what had Paula concerned. "What's this?"

The screen had flashed today's date, finally revealing when they were; February 2, in the year 2062.

"Twu-tuwuhhhh..." Lynn tried to speak. "Six-"

"We're thirty-two years into the future," Paula whispered sharply. "Three actual decades..."

The screen had a square gray button just underneath the date. Lynn raised a finger and tapped it lightly. She needed to know more, and would maybe get insight on this Prime Federation thing and what was going on in the world today. The screen flashed and changed to show her five new options on the pad.

**Public Archives**

**The History of the Prime Federation**

**WARchives**

**Notable Figures**

**From 2026 to Today; A Timeline**

The last choice was the most appealing one to Lynn. She tapped on it, without realizing what she was risking. Paula was behind her, being the voice of reason. "Lynn, no..."

"On the off chance we don't find a way..." Lynn started as she was taken to a list of videos, marked from 2026 to 2062. A whole lot of footage to cover. She selected her present year, which was marked as a fifteen-minute runtimer.

"I can't believe you said that..." Paula had highly suspected there was a chance they could get back home. If they had been sent here, regardless of accident or purpose, they could get back. Such technology had to exist, and surely there was likely such a device. "Have hope."

The video began, rolling in black text, and no interesting background to add life to it.

**In the year 2030, a number of unaccounted events unfold against the agenda of Vial Corporation's true founder, Lisa Marie Loud, starting in May of that year-**

_L-Lisa?! My sister Lisa?!_

**-Starting with the off-the-textbook funding and establishing of the agency known as the Patriot Division. The apparent foundation for the creation of the agency is to combat and apprehend the unconventional of threats. Of course they were also founded on the suspicion that Vial Corporation was engaging in illegal activities, long enough to have quite the rapsheet. **

"Vial Corp?" Paula skimmed through the words. "Those guys have been-? Er, I mean-" It made her head spin indefinitely, no doubt about that. "They've been doing this?"

Lynn didn't get sidetracked.

**The Patriot Division, led by former sandbox veteran Alexander Elmont, began to connect a state senator Peter McMahon of Washington, DC, to Vial Corporation, only right after the terrorist cells Five and Scythe had appeared to have a buyer-and-seller connection. Vial was in charge of creating state-of-the-art firearms and ammunition, advanced than the standard military grade varieties. **

Lynn re-read the line again. _The seller of the shipment... Was Vial Corp?!_

**The Division itself caught a lucky break, in the form of several members of Lisa Loud's family tree. These members, siblings of the founder of Vial Corp, had come out of the woodwork with their own special abilities, enabling the Division to round them up to become America's first pheno team, marking a milestone in history. **

"What- What is a pheno?" Lynn scratched her head.

**The original roster includes Lincoln Loud, Luan Loud, Lynn Loud Jr., Lana Loud, Lola Loud, and Luna Loud. **

Her name. Her damn name was there, along with a few of her siblings.

**These select six would later come to be enemies of- **

The video cut there all of a sudden, prompting Lynn to poke the screen impatiently. She needed to know more, and especially if there was a way out of here through this info pad. The screen had gone black entirely, as did all the rest of the ones around them. "Is this a blackout?! Now?!"

Paula looked up. The lined lights were still up and running, meaning this was something else at work. She felt nervous in that instant. "Lynn-"

Words popped up on the screen, when Lynn wasn't expecting it. It wasn't the video running again, but more like a message directed to them;

**Hello, I've been expecting you! I hope you know how hard going through all PF museum databases is, and how long as well!**

Lynn blinked, checking her eyes. "M-me?"

**Oh, yes, you! No time to explain, but you have the entire Prime Federation force after you! You've gotta get back home before they kill you!**

"Wait, I still-" Lynn looked back at Paula. "We still don't understand! Why us? What the fuck did we do?"

**Lynn, it's what you will do that will paint a target on your back. And I won't allow you to cheat by looking at your own future, sorry.**

Lynn flinched her eyes, a little peeved. "I... Do something?"

**The moment you come back to the present, things will change. **

They studied those words, wondering what this hacker meant. "I've just seen a bit of my own... I become part of a-"

**You will, but not yet. Now, I need you to go up to the exhibition floor, the second floor above. I'll have a portal ready up there to take you to my location, and from there, I can send you back. **

Lynn and Paula both gasped in delight. "Please!" They cried in unison.

**Stairs are past this floor, so make it snappy. Lizy, the girl you encountered, will have a battalion of units swarming about for this. Get going! **

"Hold on... Who are you? And how are you able to hear us? Are there hidden bugs around?"

**You don't know me, but you will when you get back. Just call me LK for now. **

LK. What... What did that mean? Was that their initials? LK, her savior she had to remember. "Right-" Then, she realized she had forgotten about Margo. "Wait, the remains of my friend- I can't just leave them-"

**I have that covered, trust me. Please get moving. **

Paula placed a hand on Lynn's shoulder. "Lynn, they'll take care of her. I know it."

The brunette backed up from the screen, looking back to the entrance. "Y-yeah, okay. I'd better get Polly."

"I'll meet you upstairs, and don't worry, I'll drag myself if I have to." The screen showed arrows to guide Paula as Lynn rushed back to Polly.

Polly fiddled her fingers around before Lynn returned to her. "Lynnie-"

"We've found a way back, you just keep holding on, okay? We're going to get you to a medic." She hsd regained enough energy and stamina to carry Polly again. "Up you go."

Polly gave a deep breath before speaking softly. "Lynn, I don't think I'm going to make it..."

"Huh?" Lynn ventured back into the screen room. "What- No, you're okay... Aren't you?"

Polly began coughing severely right after, telling Lynn a whole other story. "I've been slowing you down, h-haven't I?"

Lynn slowed down after getting halfway across the room. "No, you haven't. I take care of my own, and it's worth it, every step of the way."

Polly grunted, closing her eyes. "Lynn, you... You always had heart, you know that?"

Lynn stopped just before the stairs. "Hey, don't-"

"You've been a real mystery to me, you know that? Margo and Paula were more open than we could ever show and tell."

Lynn looked down, letting the undeniable fact sink in. "Yeah..."

"But you've been the bravest of all of us. You rushed it, Lynn. You moved first in our operation, when Margo, Paula and I were scared. You're brave..."

Lynn narrowed her eyes.

"But you're the one who's the most scared of us, aren't you? The one most damaged of this squad?"

She gasped. Polly had broken through that surface built by Lynn's apparent bravado, where she pretended things would go in their favor. Even now, even as one of their own had fallen, and Lynn was trying her best to sell Polly hope so that Lynn herself saw to it that she wouldn't believe the ugliness of the world existed again, not after she had left Aunt Rinn Reagan's place. She needed to believe that they'd all be okay. That they'd all-

_Margo._

Lynn lost her composure as her mind withdrew into an uncomfortable panic. She drew shaken breaths, struck in the nerves and hurt by the very idea of waking up to understanding that she had only been trying to play a game where she tried to win, and her alone, using the three agents as her excuse and the object of the charade. She needed to win it all, so that she could never remember what it felt like. So that she could never suffer the consequences of being a failure, and the very same one who, even with all her strength and energy, could not save her parents from the fire that consumed her house.

Lynn was still a scared girl who had to take on the mask of the woman she thought she was. Nothing more, and nothing less. A broken Loud.

She let herself cry, what was the point in hiding it? Denying it? She was weak and fragile, had been for so long. And forgot what this was like. "H-how did-?"

Maybe it was from personal experience that Polly had come to suspect, know, and eventually understand Lynn's demons. Yes, Polly was on the same traumatic wavelength. And therefore, Lynn didn't need to ask, and understood why Polly kept to herself all this time. And for Polly, the case had become vice-versa. So Lynn didn't need to ask. She owned up to it.

"It feels scary and yet relieving. You- You understand me that much, don't you?" Lynn sobbed.

"Just as much as I do with myself," Polly admitted. "I may never know what horrors you faced, but just know it doesn't have to hurt you to the point you drive yourself to shove it away. I ran from my fears once too, so I should know what it does."

Tears went down poor little Lynn's face.

"You have to keep up with us, and to stop running far, and I mean that figuratively. It's okay to be scared, Lynn. It's okay to lose someone..."

The fractured brunette caved in and wailed while trying to keep a steady face. "I hate it... I I-hate it so much, T-Peine. I just... Get scared-"

"Yes, but you let it control you, rather than you being the dominant girl as it should be."

"Then what should I have done? What should I have learned?" Lynn desperately asked. "Tell me."

"I can't tell you, Lynn. This journey is yours and yours alone. Now-" Behind Polly, the sliding door from the frontside was activated. They had company again, in the form of armed men dressed in black suits, with thick body armor and masks, all sporting gray rifles unlike anything Lynn had ever seen. Definitely an advanced type of firearm. "You and Paula have to go!"

"What, are you insane?! What about-?!" Lynn was shoved into the staircase, falling face first right into the steps and immediately turned around and peered into the doorway. The second before it closed on her, Lynn saw Polly form a wide smile back at her, wordlessly letting her know things were gonna be fine, even if she was going to die far away from home. "NO! POLLY!"

The soldiers lined up side by side, focusing their guns on her and fired. They also fired at Lynn, only for the metal door to come running down, shielding her completely. Polly had died, and away from Lynn's sightlines, too.

"Lynn, what's going on?!" Paula had barely reached the exhibits floor. "Hurry!"

Lynn picked herself up and began sprinting upwards. The goons were just behind her, and it was an all-or-nothing race to the finish line. No way she could lose this, not after what she had seen, and not after learning she was destined for something she had yet to discover in full. Those, and the final words of Polly Peine meant something. The truth was found again, when Lynn hadn't known how to dig into it. Yes, she knew of it, but not how to exploit it herself. That was how strong her fear and insecurities had been, and Polly hadnt unraveled all of Lynn. Live, and overcome it. That was Polly's message. That was Lynn's lesson.

Lynn rejoined the only other squad member left and put the blonde onto her shoulders, just as she hsf with Polly, and together, they entered the exhibits floor.

This one was a peculiar sight for sore eyes, and totally looked like it belonged in a museum. Creatures of all sorts, rather than the average fake animals known to man, were all locked away behind cells, odd for an exhibition room. Not only that, but the cells themselves looked to be frigid, almost as if it was all kept on ice temperatures. There were smaller pads sticking out at the waist level just below each of the glass cells. "Weird, I've never seen statues being frozen like that."

Lynn came across only one, the first one on her left;

**Lulu the Vine Monster **

**In 2028, the first appearance of this entity, of possible extraterrestrial origin, had appeared initially at a summer camp in the state of California. The inhabitants of the camp were terrorized by the monster, with most of them being killed. The only survivor escaped alive only to succumb to an unknown disease thereafter. Lulu had since been captured and placed in cryogenic stasis to this day.**

She either needed to get her eyed checked, or it really did say monster. Why would this place have make-believe creatures-? "Are these- Were these based off real creatures?"

"Where's the portal that the LK person promised?" Paula impatiently pondered. "We have got to get out of here."

"Yeah..." They jogged through the room, just as impeding voices and footsteps alerted them that the armed PF goons were closing in. "Oh, no. We're cornered!"

The cell belonging to the Lulu creature had begun to heat up from an installed heater that activated once the freezing air conditioner had shut off. The statue began melting, only for it to begin moving as if it were alive. It just so happened that the creature, a green entity with multiple, slithering tentacles for hands and legs, had begun to break free from its contained cell and broke out fairly easily, attacking the surprised armed units by swinging its nasty tentacles to yank apart limbs and graze the skin of its victims.

A small shootout happened between the second and third parties, with the unnatural organism having a clear advantage. Its mouth even had a tentacle that entrapped one goon's head and shoved it into Its wide mouth for an instant decapitation.

When it died down, the Lulu monster turned to the two agents and then began to transform before them. It went from its full-grown monster form to that of a baby girl's own. The baby, a short-haired brunette, began giggling, crawling like a healthy, naked baby their way.

"You take it!"

"No, you take it!"

Lulu came crawling up to Lynn and demanded she be picked up when raising her adorable arms. This thing was totally acting like a real infant, even having the urge to wave its hands in a random pattern, playfully. "Mah mah mah," Lulu cooed.

Lynn accepted her request, sure that she'd be mauled and ripped apart, raising her high as her arms could allow. Maybe this was an infantile monster who needed parental figures so dearly. For a damn good second, Lynn pondered on taking her. "Y-you're a mean old girl, aren't you? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"

"Lynn... She didn't make it, did she?" Paula rubbed her arm.

Lynn lowered Lulu down a bit, sighing. "Yeah... Shit, Paula. I'll be damned if you don't either."

"Like hell!"

Lulu rotated its head past human limitation and eyed Paula almost obsessively. She opened her tiny mouth which expanded three times over, revealing a pit of sharp teeth laced in one round jaw, and her tongue, the only inner tentacle, came spawning back out. It latched onto Paula's neck, followed by the baby pulling itself to the blonde- and peeled off a part of her neck.

Paula succumbed to the pain and fell down hard, striking her head on the smooth marble floor. She struggled to breath, going to hyperventilate mode. Lulu had begun to devour her with large bites taking out chunks of her. The agent screamed in such agony, body twitching visibly. She forced her arms upwards and tried to shove away the monstrous baby.

Lynn jumped in and delivered a kick to Lulu upside the head. It only ripped another portion of Paula's skin and flesh as the baby was sent on its back, tentacle-tongue flipping like a whip.

"Paula! Goddamn-" Lynn focused on her downed teammate long enough to be distracted. The tongue came back and jabbed itself into Lynn's back, sending a special fluid into her. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

It paralyzed her rapidly, and she knew it right when her movements began to slow. She stumbled past Paula and was now dragging herself along the floor, right to the end of the floor. "Puh-"

Lulu returned to consume the blonde, and then posisbly Lynn, considering she was now unable to escape its clutches. _Damn it, no! The portal, where was the damn portal?!_

Her phone then rang from her pants, and somehow picked itself up without her touching it.

_"You'll have to excuse me, heh, but Paula and your little problem will be solved right about-"_

A blue portal had finally appeared, but it did so right underneath Paula and Lulu, taking them away to God knows where. Lynn only gathered it from the reflecting blue light, distraught that she had been left alone when the silence had formed. It was unbearable and frightening to her at the same time. Lynn was incredibly still that she could be passed off as dead. And even worse news would would come when the Prime Federation guys came in with reinforcements.

She forgot that the call was still active.

_"Hold on, I have one just for you," _the woman's voice announced. _"Incoming."_

Lynn spiraled through the floor after a fresh gateway activated below her. She fell for a few seconds and landed right in someone's arms. "Huh?"

Her holder and two other figures stood in a darkened setting, save for a huge glowing contraption that shone the same blue color as the portals. This had to be the center of someone's operations. Tabled with multiple paper sheets scattered about, weird weapons and other notable toys, and some photographs of people she'd never see before, all grouped together in the the middle. What's more, this looked like it was a facility that had been raided. The room was barely full of light, but the left wall was decorated with red spray paint with big words;

**THE DOMICILE WILL TAKE BACK AMERICA**

At first she assumed it was spray paint, but a body at the bottom of the message then convinced her otherwise. _Whoa!_

"Remember not to touch her," Lynn's catcher told one of the two figures in front of them. "Paradox rules."

The figure spoken to moved close and gave her an injection of some sort. Lynn could make out red snd white in the attire of this figure. Pretty soon, she was able to regain motor skills again.

Lynn was let go with ease, leaving her to immediately turn around. A woman with long, white wavy hair held up a hand to greet her kindly. This particular girl was sporting a brown leather jacket, which was shorter than the orange shirt she wore, visible to Lynn, with some dark jeans. It reminded her of her dear brother, which then baffled her when she put two and two together; Lynn was likely looking at his future daughter. "Oh, y-you're-"

"I know who I am," the woman said.

"I don't understand..." Lynn looked to the woman and pointed at the time machine. "Was this on purpose?"

The albino crossed her arms. "No way, man. Too much information for you, and besides-"

The silhouette who had given her the injection had spoken to her. "You'll understand it when you make it to my position, Lynn," the second female said, sounding strangely familiar to her. "You'll understand why this sacrifice has been made."

"Suh-sacrifice?" Her time was cut short when the U-shaped time machine hummed like an engine. "Wait, my friends-"

The albino grabbed Lynn's arms and led her right into the blue portal. "You've been given the abilities of a speedster, which is someone who can run really fast. The thing that the Lulu monster has infected you, but this formula will be canceling it out. You'll have some serious abilities in about five minutes."

"What? Wait, this isn't making any sense-!"

"Get captured by the Patriot Division, and your future will be all set. That's all you have to do." The woman stopped right before the portal and then proceeded to shove Lynn into it. "We're going to meet soon enough!"

**May 27th, 2030 **

Lynn had an intense free-fall session that lasted for over five seconds, and definitely over twenty feet in height. She should have died- but the fall didn't actually kill her, but the concrete ground was painful to fall from that distance nonetheless. She got a headache the same second when hitting upon it. She sat up and looked around to find random civilians staring idly with interest on her. Who wouldn't be intrigued by a falling FBI agent who was still able to move after that?

But the sight of everything around her was the same as before, yet different. The streets were more crowded with cars, and the sidewalks were taken upon by crowds of people. The buildings were taller than that of Chicago's own skylines. This wasn't Chicago, but not the futuristic world she had seen. "Where am I?"

Lynn raced away from the sidewalk she had landed on, moving right into the concerned citizens who had already made some calls to the police, and had filmed some safe parts of it. Lynn ran from the witnesses and went into an alleyway she came upon. Lynn hid behind a dumpster, flat out paranoid for any chasers behind. Again scared, she'd not deal with that. She found herself alone, wondering where Paula had gone. Stupid of her to not have asked, even though it seemed like she was going yo be okay. She dearly hoped Paula would be safe and sound, but still needed to know.

She picked her phone out of her pocket and decided to call Mathers again. And just as she had done so, the phone exploded out of her hand, breaking into millions of pieces. A sniper bullet had shot right through it, and exited her palm as well. "Yeargh!"

Lynn looked upwards, holding her wounded hand, surprised to find Lincoln Loud perched on a roof, aiming a Beretta sniper rifle down on her. She didn't recognize him due to the sun having made his hair bright, throwing her off. And it appeared that he didn't know who she was either.

"No one could have lived after that fall!" He said. "I saw you coming from one of those, so you must be one of those freaks with Vial Corp!"

"Freaks with Vial-? Hold on, I-"

The next shot aligned with her forehead, and Lincoln fired before she could explain herself. The bullet made contact.

* * *

**AN: Two down, a great many to go. Yes, Lizy undergoes a change that expands past her new name. Embrace Lissandra Mercer as your new Lizy. Unfortunately, her next appearance won't be until many acts have passed. Consider this a special occasion, a hint of what is to come. As for Lulu, I just knew I had to have her here as the monster Patanu (I think) created from the start. She works best here, that's in my humble opinion, even though she'll have the least number of appearances, but it can always change. **

**RIP Margo and Polly. They are gone from this tale and from Lynn's own arc. As for Paula and Lulu, oh don't you worry. That's been taken care of. Huehuehue. **

**Now that I have basically revealed I'm going to be changing the lore of many of the Sin Kids this fast, I guess I can say Lyle will be coming further this act. And yes, he and Liena are in the same family tree as Margo. **

**Huh, wonder if I should stop with these little Easter eggs and tiny reveals. No, not all of the Sin Kids go through "not a Loud" alterations. But I think it'll be fun to throw what I brainstormed. **

**Anyways, this ends chapter II. See you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**May 24th, 2030**

The same routine. The same mandatory commands. The same fucking bullshit that drove her insane. She didn't just hate being trapped behind the glass case like a lab rat, but it was also that she'd been there for so long that she simply grew fatigue of the same old cycle again. The labcoats ventilated sleeping gas every damn time they had to enter her cell, just so they could give her the daily shots and, once a week, extract her blood. They had to see how one of their newly-created monsters had fared in terms of physiological shape. She would always fight when she tried, but it happened to be never too often.

Luna Loud was a loser who won the unlucky lottery, being selected involuntarily to be experimented on by the devilish fiends who ran and worked in this Vial Corporation facility. She thought about it repeatedly, the need to break through this indestructibly clean glass and slaughter all of these maggots who kept not only her, but the other misfortunate folks who served the same role as Luna. She was far past knowing the legal and illegal aspects of this, already having settled that these guys, the scientists and the guards armed with both lethal and non-lethal weaponry, simply didn't care about nabbing people to use as their guinea pigs.

And if they had no sense of morality, then why should she have kept hers in this hellhole?

Today presented no promise of change, so Luna didn't expect hope for the umpteenth time in whatever year this was.

In her cold cell that had only a white mattress, a pillow and blanket, and a toilet in there, and she had only decorated the cell further by scratching away at the wall with lines made from her special nails, which represented how many days she had been here. And then, every now and then, shed forget to add a line; currently the tally was past seven hundred, but that number wasn't exactly accurate. She didn't know how many in exact it was, but she had to believe it reached a thousand by now.

Luna had been already experimented on long ago, when she was still a fresh catch for the scum at Vial. They worked on her, strapped her to a table, and had injected a syringe that contained a dark-green liquid. Two labcoats held her down while a third one, all wearing surgical masks, gave her the mysterious dose while she squirmed and shrieked like a child who had been denied candy.

Within minutes of having taken it though her neck, the serum worked its way into her entire system and did the job on its end. After that, it was time for the labcoats to see if Luna was able to handle the effects of the serum. Two guards formed on their behalf, having their rifles locked and loaded, aimed at the young woman.

Luna lost control of her body, a transformation she could not explain or stop. Her bones readjusted, almost basically being reshaped by an invisible will commanded by some fucked up deity. Her skin mutated, going to green color, only darkening fairly enough to be noticeable. Her short brown hair took exit, traded in for two rows of serrated teeth. Her nose was sucked into her skull, replaced by a pair of slit-shaped nostrils. Her ears went pointy. Her eyes went from a lovely shade of blue to monstrous yellow, with black slits in each eye. Luna only heard the sounds of her own body take an alternate shape, with the sound in question coming out like something from a grotesque horror movie with some serious effects. The last effects of this transformation involved her hands and feet, rearranged to be fitted with claws and talons, and even a tail.

And there, the newly-born Lizard Luna was born way back when, having the cold-blooded capabilities that belonged to a lizard, and now met more of the requirements to be an awesome friend for her younger sister Lana. Her senses had gradually heightened to superhuman levels; her nose had been able to sniff out odors normally undetected to the average nose; her eyes leveled up to be as sharp as grade-A binoculars, making even the flies, if any flew around, detectable to her; her hearing had also improved, with the chattering from the other side of the glass being comprehensible to her.

She gained these superior senses, a tail, and the stunningly ravenous appetite to consume flesh. She received fifteen to twenty pound of meat every couple of days, when it used to be a daily thing. She had, on the 42nd day, attacked a labcoat and gnawed on his throat, which wounded him fatally. Luna wasn't thinking as herself back then, but as the beast within, the very same one that didn't hesitate to lung and maim that labcoat. This had led to the ventilation shafts having the special chloroform gas installed to drive all testies to sleep when it called for it.

The hour of the gas had come again, and the clear air again was being filled up with the gray chemical. Luna, strapped in a white set of clothes, looked up at the shaft and backed away from it, smacking right into the impenetrable glass. As pointless as this was, and no matter the outcome, she still had some incentive, some motivation to try and defy what they force-fed her. This, this was the true meaning of hell on earth. And Luna had never ceased to want freedom back in control.

The gas swallowed the whole cell, just as Luna heard the faint and irritating squeaking of shoes running along the hall. She held her breath and tried again to fight off the drowsiness she'd get succumbed to. The way this went for all of these poor souls was based on time marks; each of the trapped people part of these insidious experiments were picked off and given their injections every half hour, rather than it being an all-at-once thing. This had been protocol since Luna had gotten there.

Escape, was it even to bother wondering about it?

Luna turned arpund, barely able to see with the gray gas through the transparent barrier. Two labcoats and only one armed guard were there, standing on the other side, but not moving a muscle. They were intentionally waiting for Luna to fall asleep involuntarily. In turn, the desperate woman in her ugly, plain attire began banging on the glass.

"COME ON, GET IT OVER WITH! I PROMISE I WON'T HARM YOU! JUST TAKE AWAY THE GAS!" She persisted on smacking her hands on the glass, waiting and hoping for some reaction from the stone-faced inhumans. Nothing. It angered here more, so much that she had not taken notice that the chemical agent had already infiltrated its way in. "Y-you mother-"

Her legs wobbled about as she backed away, making herself disappear into the dense fog. The gas was doing its thing yet again, putting her to sleep with her head throbbing as if she had been given a brain-freeze. She lost her composure and fell on a knee, still adamant to remain awake. She held her breath again and steadied focus on her hands, folding them into fists as she brought her claws back out, drawing them from her unstable anger.

Her eyes struggled to be kept open, focusing in and out from the sight in front of her. Her arms weakened dramatically, no longer strong enough to support her weight. In the next few seconds, Luna drifted off, falling right on the floor.

She failed again.

The ventilation shafts began taking back the gas when the metal fans stopped and rotated in reverse. Much of the dense gas dissipated in seconds, revealing the downed Luna to the cruel labcoats at her cell.

They entered her cell after accessing a clear panel on the left, which didn't seem to be there at first glance. The armed guard went in first, cautiously circling her, with the special rifle aimed down on her should she try anything funny. The two labcoats, in their long, white but loose coats that swayed by their sides. One of them grabbed Luna's arms and pulled them over her head while the other labcoat, carrying a small tray with a syringe filled with a yellow liquid, worked to give Luna her shot.

She received it just underneath her shirt, right over her stomach. But it didn't stop there for her, as the labcoat who placed the injection, had begun to lift Luna's shirt higher than needed, and exposed her breasts for his thirsty eyes to worship upon. And this had not been the first time Luna was taken advantage of. Sadly, it was never known to Luna that this had been going on for quite awhile, and it wasn't with this same exact staff member either for the course of her being molested unconsciously.

The labcoat, a man with facial hair all over, set on a creepy baby face, with cheeks all puffy and red, began fondling at Luna's average-sized breasts. "Perfect, perfect nipple placement, hon," the perverted labcoat moaned satisfyingly. He kept toying around with Luna's tits until he stopped to roll her on her stomach.

"Look away, boys," he advised. "I'm gonna get my bonus right now."

The pervert pulled her white pants down, revealing her smooth-skinned buttcheeks. He was getting more aroused, to the point a boner had begun to form. The second labcoat and guard turned away from the sight, leaving the pervert to tend to his primitive human nature. He unbuckled his pants and dropped up, followed by his dark-red boxers. His erect cock aligned with Luna's nice ass, slowly moving to infiltrate so that he could have himself some nice pleasure.

He placed his big, meaty hands on the side of her soft hips, gripping to steady his entrance when he penetrated inside. He bit his lip and rolled his eyes upwards, moaning hard after shoving himself into her. Once he felt his penis being tightened to a perfect sensation, he redirected his hands onto her shoulders and mounted right over her, giving in to his human nature.

As the pervert labcoat began fucking Luna from behind, the second labcoat and the guard tried to drown out the groans he was letting out with each single thirst onto the young woman's ass. It was either awkward or immoral for them to withstand it. Either way, they didn't budge a muscle and kept looking away.

No other lab rat in the other cells heard what went down, making the atmosphere pleasant for the rapist.

Only, the gas had been entering Luna's system for so long, that her body had indeed learned how to counter it by adapting to it, thanks to the foreign physiology of a creature she was forever bonded to. This time, the gas had been rejected slowly, leaving Luna to be awake at this time.

Her eyelids split from each other as she started recuperating from the effects of the gas. She felt a rather roughly painful force rupture her inside, that came from an uninvited guest on her ass. She didn't actually like it all all. The feeling in her hands and feet slowly came back to her as she opened her lips. She titled her head, noticeably enough to make her personal rapist slow down. The grunting had also ceased, and then the silence came about.

It was a short-lived sequence after she developed disgust and anger, which brought about her tail again. She had been able to control it like some large finger, only it was still gross to think about.

"Hrrck!" The labcoat had his throat seized by the reptilian tail, completely caught with his pants down and yanked right out of Luna. So to speak. "Gruhhhh!"

Luna pushed herself off the ground and stood up, still holding the labcoat in her firm, deadly grip. Luna let out a groan, feeling literally butthurt.

The two others had heard the faint cries of their associate, and turned around to see the young woman awake, and having control of the situation. She had lifted her rapist off his feet, submitting him to a slow and painful death.

"H-hey, hands up!" The guard lifted his rifle up again and aimed at Luna. "Right now!"

Luna had no choice but to use her dying victim as a rag doll. She spun around, and in doing so, she dragged the snagged labcoat from her right to the left, hurdling him right into the guard before he could take a shot at her. She knocked him down, just as the second labcoat yelled for his life and ran from the cell, leaving it open for Luna to escape.

She hadn't known this would have happened, expecting at most some serious punishment that met their preference. The whole facility, a true hell where anything and everything could happen. Damned if she was raped again from this point forward.

No, the cell was opened, and left for her that way. Perhaps, it may have been a sign. She wanted to Take it, a long-due chance to escape this vile imprisonment. If she were to go out... What would await her? A guaranteed escape... Or her being subdued again and landing back here?

She clenched her fists, unsure of what path to choose. She had only seconds to before the-

The blaring alarm went off in the facility, followed by flashing red lights that filled the hallway. The guard she knocked down had moved about, still trapped under the labcoat's body. Now she was really in for it.

No. Only if she stayed, there would be more of this. More of the everything she didn't want or need here. She made up her mind, moving forward and dragged the guard away from the rifle, throwing him right into the concrete wall, turning him into a pancake as well as redecorating the wall with blood.

The entire level was structured in an oval layout, the only one made underneath the main facility. It housed over sixty unlucky people, placed in either solo or shared cells. These people, just like here, damned to this confinement. She understood them in that way. Some of them who were nearby her cell, had witnessed the labcoats running frantically away, and then Luna killing the guard.

Some pounded on the glass, crying out for Luna to help free them, while the deader ones just looked on, eyes almost not focused on Luna. These ones were those who could not be saved, even if they had been freed by some damn miracle.

Luna hadn't time to react or reply, for both sides of the hall were then blocked by guards, all guns being centered on the one woman there.

_"Stand down, now!" _The voice behind the intercom boomed. _"Last chance or you will be fired upon!"_

Luna shifted her head between both blockades of guards. She came this far, so backing down was no longer a viable option. She brought out her beastly form again, readying for a suicidal fight at most. Her upgraded form had ripped her clothes quite enough, a problem for when she reverted back to human form.

She growled and charged at the guards on the right. The waves of gunfire started, and Luna broke away from a straight run by pouncing on the walls and crawling on the ceiling in an unpredictable pattern. Truth was that she didn't know how she fared against bullets, but she'd soon find out.

She closed in and got the jump on some of the guards when they began to reload. She opened her mouth wide and sank her teeth into one of them, ripping away at their throat. She swung her tail and swept a close few off their legs. Luna worked these fallen ones, clawing them to bits and pieces.

Behind her, the other group began closing in, taking shots at her. Luna was hit with a few bullets, but kept moving and slashing through the opposition. Her hands became moist with blood after several swings from her hands. She broke into a run before the others could close in on her. Her advantage here was her speed, so she outran them on all fours, circling around the floor to find her escape. She escaped past this block and came into the other one and spotted her exit in the form of a staircase.

She also came across other cellmates who were minding their own, sad business up until she began slamming her clawed hands against the glass of each of their cells. "I'll get you out! I'll come back for you all!"

This was what she promised without having an idea on how to carry it out, but she did it anyway, and went into the staircase after she marked her words. She made leaps up the railing, further speeding up her escape time. For a second, she thought it was damn easy. Not just yet.

She entered the main floor, just one stop above, coming across a reception area with some tightened security being on the clock. Multiple guards were already checking around the area, and the second Luna had come out of the stairs, more shooting had begun.

_"No, do not fire lethals! We need her alive! Get to the armory!" _The intercom blared out again.

Luna only cared about getting out alive, and the exit to the facility was just past the goons. She raced her way to them, snarling viciously.

"Keep firing!" One of the guards defied. "I'm not going down!"

Luna tackled one and opened his chest in a gruesome fashion, taking a large bite of his flesh. The fresh scent of blood had aroused her inhuman hunger, and acting by her new primitive directives, she consumed the flesh as the guard cried out in agony.

"Aw, fuck! It's got Matty!" Another yelped in horror.

A bullet smacked right into Luna's left cheek, which ended up in her mouth. The guards had stopped right after noticing that Luna had first. She moved her head diagonally, distorting her mouth to dislodge the bullet. It came into her mouth, to which she spat out immediately. This made the other guards uneasy.

Luna's cheek healed rapidly, which she felt when it stopped twitching from the air that brushed against the wound. She started again, ramming right into two of the security who were close in between her and freedom. She didn't care to harm them, only thinking about sweet liberty in the distance.

_"NO, DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!" _

It was far too late for that, as Luna burst right through the front, breaking the glass entryway into a million pieces.

Beyond the facility and the parking lot, was an endless landscape that was of mother nature's making. A beautiful green field which ended at a forest, was there for Luna to run to, and to escape. At long last, she had eluded her captors, taking her time to sniff the organic atmosphere and take in the cool-fresh air. She didn't have time to enjoy it right off the bat, as the staff behind her were tossing yells and continued again to fire. Luna full-on sprinted down the path, going for the forest.

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, ****Chapter III: The Beast Within**

* * *

She sniffed out the air and kept wandering about with no sense of direction, but she knew where the facility was, so fleeing from it was no problem. The possible issue here was that they might actually give chase, but she wasn't sure this was the case. She wasn't going to follow the road either, avoiding the possibility of being spotted should reinforcements arrive.

Luna returned to her base form and had an uncomfortable run with her bare feet being exposed to the dirt beneath, along with the tiny branches, rocks, and leaves. She reduced her speed to a jogging level, not breaking direction apart from the straight line she decided to follow, down left of the facility. She passed many trees, seeing no clear end to the wide forest.

At least she now had time to clear mind. She was rather relieved to be out of there, and that alone had put her well at ease. But it was that she, a free bird at best, wondered what was the next step here.

Yes, she figured they'd be coming after her, which meant she was still in danger. Only, would they still try to capture her or did she escalate this into something more deadly? She was out, and was able to go anywhere, or everywhere. She was the only one who knew what atrocities went on behind the scenes, therefore... She was a truly huge liability that they could probably not afford to let run around.

It was settled; Vial Corporation, a domestic science division that rose to become one of the nation's best research division, with Kapacity Korp and Mandel Industries being behind it, with power aplenty, could have very well have the resources to take control of the situation and hunt Luna as kill priority. She had to tell someone, anyone for that matter, and anyone who would most certainly believe her. The truth was in her hands for her to pass on. First, she needed to get back into society, no matter how long it's been, nor how much she had missed, nor how weirdly strange and distant it would feel like.

In that instant, Luna sobbed quite a bit, wondering what changed, while at the same time, being afraid of it. But she had to keep going.

**Dadetown, Colorado**

Three miles away, at the west end of Dadetown, a green 2019 Mercedes-AMG rolled up to an apartment complex, located right before the highway, one of many, that led out of town. It parked onto the small lot in the back, hidden at first glance, and that was only if anyone never passed the complex. On the far side of the complex, the small office was closed, meaning the landlord was not available.

The engine switched off, and the driver pulled out the key from the ignition, and out she left, coming out with her orange backpack. Samantha Sharp had come back from the college she attended, having a regularly good day. Even still, she had some serious work to do from her studies, for her studies. Today was no time to waste her time with her boyfriend and their group of friends.

Sam, the name she went by for most of her life, lived the majority of her young life as a kind-hearted, dependable girl with a clean record. At the hence of her teenage years, she picked up the rock phase, hitting the love for it enough to helm a guitar, but this was short-lived when after ascending to her senior year. She hung it up, while having developed a slow interest in computer animation.

Sam was a pretty blonde with a short and skinny body. She was of five feet long, half the inches away from a full six feet. Right now, she dressed more casually, sporting a pink shirt right underneath a fluffy purple sweater, with some gray yoga pants that displayed her ass for the world to see. She didn't like it all too much, but the only reason she wore it was for her boyfriend, Bradley Thompson, who had gotten it for her.

Truthfully, he was the exact opposite of her, being a big, muscly jock who had a full scholarship ride into college. He was of the sports variety, and a rough-houser for that matter, different from Sam.

How they were together had been a mystery for some time, but Sam, feeling like this relationship was vastly meeting its end, hsd already begun contemplating on how and when to break the news to him. Her dating life was not as long as of those she knew, and her sex life was about the same, maybe less. Either she just wasn't into it... Or there was something else behind it.

She walked up the stairs to her room, where she had been staying at since recently. She had been here because a serious incident had taken place at her own dorm, which she had shared with another girl. Someone had caused a "prank" that involved fireworks going off on their floor, and a fire had broken out. To sum it all up, six girls needed a new place to stay, and the dorms had already been stacked as it was. Money had come out of the college's pocket to pay a month for each of the girls while more was spend on damages and whatnot, while the legal battle was being fought at the court.

Sam chose this place because it overlooked the beauty that she didn't get to see much, over the popular place the other five girls chose. If the staff were questioning it, they did so in silent, otherwise Sam got it approved, hence why she was here today, for a month.

She picked a room on the top floor, just so that she could get the best view of the endless earth untouched by society. She had always found it peaceful, but never knowing why, she made it out to be a simple reason of it being just peaceful. And it was at that. Peaceful _and_ beautiful.

The first thing she did when coming back into her room was leaving her backpack on the floor, in the near-empty room. Considering she had lost quite a few things in the fireworks display, she had to make due like this. All that had made it out safe and sound had been her bed and phone. She wasn't going to take the whole mattress, so she settled on buying a sleeping bag just like campers used, and had taken her pillow for further, guaranteed comfort. Apart from the sleeping bag, Sam filled the kitchen with some plates, cups, clothes, and bathroom-related items. Thanks to some of her friends, she was covered on that and showed gratitude, promising to pay them back in time.

Still, the place was damn empty and weird, but not enough for her to make her wish she took to a cheap motel instead.

Sam went to the balcony and took a nice view of the landscape.

Not only did she have her life taken up by college, but she also had a job, employed at a shopping mart, working as a cashier. She racked up extra money, despite still having quite the leftover from the college tuition fund her parents had worked for since she had been born. Sam was grateful for it all, and words could never express how much she really was.

What more could she ever ask for?

Today was her day off, meaning she could enjoy attending to her studies without any distraction.

She sniffed the fresh air and smiled widely, taking in the peace of mother nature before going back inside to start her work.

Thirty minutes into going through her sheets, and sitting against the wall, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. "Ugh..."

She had already known who it was, and she proved herself right, which she hated. Jock Bradley had thrown another text at her;

**Hey, baby, where r u?**

She was already sure she had told him she was not able to make plans today, so what gives? She groaned and shot a reply back to remind him again that this was more important than free time. Not that Sam wanted to be a bitch, but she just needed him to understand the importance of her school work.

**Brad, I've gotta finish my assignments, you know how hard this is.**

He shot back another;

**Oh, cmon at least 1 hr**

Sam sighed and put her phone away, giving up with him for tonight. She loved him, and that had been certain before, but now, it seemed like the priority was changing, and maybe this get-together had been a mistake to begin with. He wanted to take her everywhere, to spoil her like the princess he saw, and to fuck her like the hottie his penis was longing to find a home for. Sam was no cocksleeve, and, after the first time they had sex, she felt off and awkward about it, mainly assuming this was because it was Sam's first and only time.

She ran her finger back to where she had left off, and was distracted yet again. Only, this time it wasn't Brad pestering her again.

Luna made a daring entrance by climbing right into Sam's balcony, and let her body topple backside down, having been weary from her ordeal. The blonde became alarmingly surprised, leaning up quickly, forgetting the work she had in her lap. "Goodness!"

Luna's sniffer had detected food, and, being so damn hungry, she came about with what was left of her energy, but fell flatly short with making it. She presented herself in horrible condition to Sam, making the blonde go concerned for her. Sam pulled the strange woman with torn clothes, which exposed much of her skin, including her breasts, inside to her home. How this stranger climbed up stories high with no problem or in a truly silent way was lost on Sam.

"Hey- Hello? A-are you okay?" Sam was not an expert in these cases, so knowing what to do eluded her. She flicked her hand and waved it around Luna's face in an effort to bring her back from her seemingly unconscious state. "Miss?"

Luna moaned out, whispering for some water. Sam had leaned in and heard her strained request, going to the fridge rapidly to get a bottle of water. She gave the poor brunette the bottle, eyeing out in wonder. "So, h-how did-?"

Luna gulped down half of the bottle in one sip before sitting upright snd saving the rest. Despite feeling better, her stomach growled with ravaging hunger. Her face studied Sam, the tenant of the place Luna hoped would be gone. The food had been smelled here, but Sam's scent akin to clean clothes, was undetectable. She thought to escape now that she had been seen by a young woman.

"Wait, a-are you hungry?" Sam fondly asked, still mentally scratching her head.

Luna looked at this heavenly stranger with sincere curiosity, taken aback from the kindness. The blonde showed no dead eyes that belonged to a drone working with those damn scumbags. Luna left her mouth open, unsure of what to say.

"What happened to your clothes?" Sam pointed out, grabbing at Luna's ripped shirt. "Hey, what happened-?"

Luna yanked the young girl's arm off from her, still clouded by the uneasy feeling she hadn't yet shaken off. "Please don't touch me," she softly menaced, giving Sam the stink-eye.

The blonde raised her hands and moved from Luna's range. "Uhhh... How did you get, like, all the way up here?"

Luna was reluctant to answer such a question, so she coughed and looked away, rubbing the back of her head. "Um, I'm a good climber..."

"B-but the balconies are space apart-" Sam countered.

"I'm also an acrobat..." Luna lied, not looking into Sam's eyes.

The blonde grew stunned but also amazed of her. For starters, Luna did end up from the ground, and there was no other way to do that unless she miraculously sprouted wings and flew like an angel. It couldn't be that, so Sam found this more believable. She didn't really question it, other than how well Luna must've been trained for this.

The tenant went into the kitchen, assured that the brunette was near starving to death. The clothes on the acrobat told her that Luna had come from a hospital or something, but nothing else that gave her clues. How Luna received all those tears, Sam didn't know, but felt she had to ask how it happened, and, more importantly, who she was and where did she come from?

Sam had some leftover pasta from the night before, so she served it up in a red bowl and microwaved it. She kept looking back at Luna, who remained seated on the floor, head down like she was brooding. Or, maybe she was brooding.

"Hey, um-" Sam became curious about this furthering development. The timer on the microwave kept counting down, with the humming of the machine keeping her comfortably at ease. The bowl rotated clockwise as the heating process continued. She moved her hand against it, head facing Luna the whole way. "Can I get a name? I don't get these kinds of drops in from time to time, ya know?"

Luna raised her head up, but didn't turn her direction. Just about an hour ago or so, she was being raped, and hadn't even suspected this was going on. How long had it been happening? What more atrocious acts went when they put her to sleep? No way was she ever going back there. Her eyes watered intensely, fists clenched hard. She leaned over and hit the floor hard, letting her tears fall onto the carpet beneath her. She mumbled out garbled words.

"Miss-" Sam understood this was an episode from the brunette, so she allowed the stranger to burrow into herself and wail out for whatever reason. If she didn't know back then, she gained more information now; this girl was in trouble, in some way Sam felt she needed to help with.

**Minutes Later**

Luna ate the pasta almost immediately, giving Sam more of a surprise. The style was different than that of her father's, but the meal was passable by itself. She set the bowl right beside her, going bsck into her mood.

On her other side, Sam had also sat with her, leaning against the wall, due to lack of chairs, or even a sofa. There had been a breeze that entered through the open balcony, blowing away at the remains of Luna's clothes.

"So..." Sam began. "What, did you run away from the hospital?"

Luna remained silent, much to Sam's patience.

"D-do I need to take you there? Maybe the police?" Sam dug her hand into her pocket, slowly taking her phone. "This looks really serious, and I'm not qualified to deal with these matters, I'm just a lousy college student after all..."

Luna had stopped crying, but the moist cheeks were still visible, and her eyes were still red. "I guess you can say that I did run away," she whispered with a deadened tone. "But it's... More complicated than that."

Sam held out her hand for a proper introduction. "I'm sorry, formalities were lost on me. My name's Sam Sharp, it's... Interesting to meet you like this."

Luna raised her arm and shook slowly. "H-hi, Sam," she returned, unsure of whether to be open with her or to continue with anothe lie. "I'm... Tabitha Sinclair."

"Nice to meet you, Tabitha," Sam concluded with a firm smile.

"So, a college student, you said?" Luna took notice of her surroundings, seeing the apartment almost empty. "You seem to be lacking in-"

Sam sighed, knowing where she was going with this. "Ugh, it's a long story, which I'm not going to get into."

There was no reason to be alarmed, even as something felt off about this Tabitha person. Maybe it was nothing, but the back of her neck was quite on edge. Even so, Sam had no reason to really suspect her of being behind something fiendish or diabolical.

"Thanks for the food," Luna expressed, late. Then, she realized something, and then began looking around frantically. Sam only watched as the brunette moved about, as if she was in search of something.

"Uh, hey, what's this?"

"Don't you have a calendar?" Luna asked heavily.

"I don't need one when I have a phone... Why?" Sam reached back to Luna, freaked out slightly. "I Don't understand-"

Luna placed a hand to her head, having her mind clouded with infinite bullshit. There was a number she had to remember. A number that belonged to Rinn Reagan back home in Royal Woods. Only, she didn't actually recall it well. The last four digits were lost on her. Apart from that, there was also the matter of the time. Just how long had she'd been away?

"What- What's the year? The date?" Luna circled Sam in a sort of panicked way, eager to know while the blonde was baffled as to why Luna would ask for the year. She understood if the date wasn't known, but the year? "We're on May of the Thirty."

"Thirty? You mean-?" Strangely, Luna stopped to process this, followed by a disturbing laugh. "I missed- I missed-"

She missed out on so much since her being kidnapped. It was all unfair, unjust for all the right reasons. Nothing more in the world could make her distraught this way. "Tabitha? How is it possible you didn't know? I don't understand-"

Her current objective now was to find a way back home, and that was after she went and blabbed to the cops. They'd look into Vial and see what those fucks were doing after she went and reported it. This was the scenario she could see happening. She had to get to the nearest department before Vial started their likely search parties among the town.

"Where am I?" Luna continued to ask. "This place, it's not Royal Woods."

"What, Royal Woods? No, this is Dadetown, state of Color-" It began clicking to her slowly. "Were- Were you k-kidnapped-"

Luna flinched at it wildly, which put Sam's suspicion to truth. The blonde college girl, far younger than Luna, placed a hand over her mouth in this profoundly horrible realization. This girl had to have escaped from her captors, who put her in these clothes. Sam right away felt she knew what to do now.

"That settles it," Sam ultimately decided. "We're taking this to the police."

The way this looked to Sam was that Luna, or Tabitha, was involved with some street gang or something. She had drug mule written all over her, a truly disgusting thing for someone as fragile as her. Sam, being a selflessly generous person, was not afraid to get involved into this. She took initiative and raced to the bathroom, grabbing her towel to let Luna have it.

"What's this?" Luna wondered.

"Well, you're practically naked, so wrap this around your chest. Sorry, I don't have any clothes I could spare, I don't have your size."

"It's fine, Sam. Thanks anyway."

Luna did as the nice girl asked and grew a little cold, then adjusted to the towel in terms of body heat. She followed Sam when the latter was already fetching her keys and shoes, storming her way out of the complex. Once the door was locked, the two girls made their way down to the parking lot. It never bothered Sam once that a fraction of her day off was being taken this way. Who could have really expected her?

Sam's car was alright, not that Luna cared, but it had been awhile since last being in a vehicle. The Way it felt when it was moving, and the strain and pull at the turns, it was all too familiar. Luna wanted the air conditioner, so she turned in on, mainly because the cold-blooded nature in her compelled her to. No heat stroke up in this ride.

"So, you're from Royal Woods, right? I'm sorry, I don't know where that-"

"Michigan," Luna cut off immediately. "I've been living in Michigan most of my life."

"Oh... Is it a big city?"

"Small town," Luna responded with no jazz in her voice. "What about here, what's this Dadetown like?"

"Small town as well. I mean, this state is more forest than civilization, I figure everyone knew that." Sam began tapping her fingers on the steering wheel at the stop lights, impatiently eager to get this older woman some help, and the proper type too. "So, um, how old are you?"

Luna hadn't known that either. She missed some birthdays, and had almost forgotten the day she was born. She had to calculate it for a bit. Considering they didn't pass July yet, this made Luna to be of twenty-nine years of age, soon to be thirty. "I'm almost in my thirties," she mumbled.

"What? I'm not even twenty-three yet!" Sam let out a groan as she passed an intersection. "Well, whatever has happened, I hope that it turns out well."

"Hmmm," Luna managed to croak out.

"I... Don't know what I'm supposed to say, but whatever happened to you, or whatever they did, I'm sorry." Sam might have been a little inexperienced, and awkward, but she was sincere and meant it for all it was worth. She also didn't need to acknowldge how dark and tragic it might have been on Luna's end, and she had done well to avoid those certain bumps.

If there was anything Sam could do for this victim of God-knows-what...

She had an idea and veered off course. "Hang on, I think you are going to need a touch-up."

"I'm sorry?"

Sam pulled into a shopping center before they got to their destination. Upon parking her car, she asked what Luna's size would be right about now, to which she hadn't known, only knowing what her last measurements were, and Sam went and sought out the sizes higher than described. Luna adjusted the towel again when it began to fall off as she waited for her savior, having already gained the idea that the college girl was going the extra mile by gifting her some actual threads. She didn't protest it, for she might have needed a disguise to get by the search parties, should there be those.

The car was faced toward the store, and Luna had to watch people come in and out of the stores in front, including the clothes shop. She took notice of the people coming in and out. Normal people, regular citizens who had never been kidnapped, experimented on, nor even kept in damn glass cases. All these happy folk who lived their lives in full, now why wasn't that something she earned? She, who only did wrong by someone once. But was that enough to have earned this? Had she been truly deserving of this hell inflicted onto her?

The smell of something rather stinky irked her enough to sniff out the source. She looked back behind her, eyeing the backseat. There was indeed a pink bikini with a faint fishy smell that made her raise an eyebrow. She turned away, but on the road behind her, her eyes caught a glimpse of a large, white truck that looked like one of those armored transports banks used, moving in the direction they were going. On the side of the truck, she could make out the logo that made her heart sank; **Vial Corp **

The schedule was happening faster than Luna had expected, and there wasn't even time to be prepared for it. Luna grew pale white when more armored trucks tailed the first one, acting like a convoy. Where were they going?

About fifteen of those scary vehicles had passed through when Sam had returned, and Luna still stood staring through the back window, thinking she'd be seeing more. Sam pulled on the handle, which made Luna jump; the scared brunette hadn't centered her focus on the nearby sounds, so of course she was caught by surprise. Luna's weight shook much of the car, which made Sam freeze while holding a large paper bag.

"Hey, what's the matter?" It looked like Luna had seen a ghost. Sam held the bag up and gave it to Luna. "I think I got the right size. You can change at the police station, alright?"

Luna took the back and placed it on had feet, looking into it. Sam picked out pants that she felt was purple-pinkish, or a color she didn't know, along with a white shirt with a colorful target in the center, and a baby-blue sweater that felt rough by fabric. "Oh..."

"I know it's not much, but I hope those are fine," Sam stated firmly. "Alright, no more delays."

As she inserted her key into the ignition, Luna shot her hand out and snagged before Sam could start the car. "Wait!"

Sam was so startled that she dropped the keys, trembling with nervousness from Luna's sudden move. "Whuh-what is it?"

The terrified Loud woman strained to speak. Her head grew to throb from within, from the instability her state of mind had become. She kept opening and closing her hands, shaken by the escalating situation. The chances of being locked away again had increased tenfold, with Sam being the one to drive Luna back to the discomfort of her dark lifestyle. Even Sam had a sense of what was, she didn't know all, so Luna had to fill her in all the way.

"L-listen," she twitched verbally. "D-do you know what Vial Corporation is?"

Sam slowly nodded, not breaking her eye contact from the brunette with this dark backstory. Luna let her hand go, but Sam remained in her position, wondering where Luna was going with this. "What about them?"

"Them, Sam. It-it was them who did this-" Luna tugged on her ripped white shirt and rubbed it between her fingers. "They took me, and..."

The driver's lips split from each other, overwhelming Sam with more than she bargained for. "Th-those guys?" She gulped. "But, they're a firm for science-"

"No, th-they're more than that!" Luna protested to the top of her lungs. "They take people, they- They do their damn evil things onto- Onto us! I can't go back there! I just can't!" She turned away to burrrow her hands into her face and bellow out a fragile cry.

"Uhh..." Sam wasn't sure how to take this. "Y-you mean they've... Been... Experimenting on people-"

"Yes..."

The blonde college girl let her eyes move away from Luna, and her head moved dramatically away. "Then... How long have you-?"

"Four years, dude," Luna counted. "They locked me away for four years."

"Oh, my God... Then-" She immediately recalled hearing about various people having gone missing, and it started only around the time Vial had been unveiled to the world. And then, two years later- "So, you don't know, do you?"

"Know about what?"

"Okay, so maybe thus is gonna sound crazy, but..." Sam cleared her throat before going forward. "Two years ago, there was this reported break-in at a Vial facility in Ohio, right? At least that's what they've reported to the news, but a month later... These... Girls, two girls, they just shown up and out of the blue."

"Girls? What does this have to do with-?" Luna was rendered silent when Sam went out of her way to pull out her phone and open up an app. She typed into the search bar, quickly getting video results. She clicked one such video and showed Luna;

**Velocity and Momentum speeding through Times Square**

Luna was shown a vertical video where someone was recording around the area of Times Square, focused on the traffic. The cars in the video were moving along, and some nearby people walked in front of the shot. It was only a few seconds in when someone screamed and pointed to the right. The camera redirected to the other side, catching two bizarre lights of both pink and blue, catching the attention of everyone around. A wave of hearty cheers filled the air wave, with an additional horde of car honks joining that chorus as well. And then, the video ended.

"What- Wait, what did I just-?"

"The world's very own pair of heroes, of course!" Sam took back her phone after holding it for Luna to see. "I was skeptical to believe it when word first started coming out, but they made it to the news, it's... I still think it's something out of a comic book, but here it is."

It sounded like she was being a fangirl, to which Luna coughed loudly.

"So maybe I've been told a bit of this stuff by some of my friends, but I looked into it and I thought that there might have been a connection between them and Vial..."

"So, I missed out on the introduction of actual heroes, is that right?"

"When you put it like that..." Sam was good at side-tracking herself. "Okay but with you here, and your whole experience with Vial, that has to mean that they've been behind many of those missing persons cases that started back four years ago, and also..." Sam happened to be slighty deductive to a frightening level. Right now, she was wondering that reported break-in was not one, but rather an escape that was successful. And they who escaped were none other than the two heroines of New York. Only, those two heroines had never mentioned or outed Vial's doings to the media, or anything of the sort. "Can I ask some questions?"

"Look, dude, I don't mean to be pushy, but I'd rather go back to your place."

"Wait, what? Tabitha, this just got, like, way bigger than I thought. Like, jeez, you escaped a corporation of evil, one who has some serious power and money to like... You know."

"You mean..." Luna thought about it and assumed Sam meant to imply the corporation was powerful enough with resources to have Luna silenced, if she were to blab her mouth. So... Did they even need to bother? Then, what was going on behind them? What was it that Vial was really up to now?

"I don't mean to drown your hopes, but... It's just not possible to fight some bigger power like this. You're gonna need proof, and... I don't know if you know, but crying wolf won't work."

"The one I was in, it was back over there," Luna mentioned. "The direction just past your place... And what's more, I wasn't the only one there."

She stammered about. "Y-yeah, I got that..." She gulped, closing her eyes, for realizing how scary up front this had escalated to. And she wasn't even one of the kidnapped people, so for sure Luna had it real intense for her. And suddenly, going to the police did not seem like the best plan in the world. "Okay, okay, I'm t-taking you back-"

"But- Wait, why won't that work? They have to believe me, right? I-"

Sam shook her head. "A story without evidence is only one that's been fabricated, and that's how the system has always been, otherwise everyone would get away with lies and what they selflessly wanted."

"Uhh..." Luna had her mouth go open, but then shut it when she made sense of it. "But... It really did happen."

"Yes, I don't doubt you, with all that you shared and told me. But, the thing is, this isnt an easy case to win, even if you happen to stir suspicion onto them. They're a whole body, and you going up against them will mean nothing because you're... You're just one person..." She didn't want to be that person at all. "Don't get me wrong, you can possibly make a dent if you gathered evidence that proves what they've been doing to you, and to anyone else in their facility."

"Evidence..." It was that word that brought upon a challenge, part of an internal conflict that resided within her. She could not be able to fulfill it, for she'd have to to confront all of those labcoats, and the ugliness of that place. No, she could never. It wasn't even remotely fair, for she had escaped with her life, or what was left of it. "Fuck."

"I'm sorry, but there isn't much I think I can do from here on out, apart from helping to hide you... But I couldn't be able to do that forever."

Luna was defeated, and defeated so damn hard. Her versus an entire board with unlimited resources and power, why did that feel familiar? "If it's all the same with you..."

Sam nodded, accepting Luna's request. "Is there anyone related that we can reach out to? I'll try that, which should be just as good, right?"

Luna shook her head. "All my contacts were in my phone they took, and I can't remember the home phone of my aunt," she told the blonde. "Damn it, why can't I remember?"

"Take it easy," Sam suggested. "What about social media? Facebook? Twitter? Tumblr? Or maybe Discord?"

"I... Kinda had a falling out with them... My aunt, I-" She stopped, and had no trouble recalling what set the divide between her and Lynn. "I don't know if I'm welcomed back in with them."

"Oh, family matters, huh?" Sam finally picked up her keys and started the engine, being more than ready to leave. The sun above had reached its highest point, marking it past the noon, and had only a few more hours left before the darkness would coat the sky. "I guess we'd better be going, and don't worry, we'll come up with something."

Sam drove off steadily while Luna had her mind clouded with the hopelessness she received from her guardian angel. She was truly grateful to have a sweetheart having come to her aid, which was only due to her crashing into the girl's life without an invite. She had no idea how to repay her back, but maybe she didn't have to, but Luna was obliged to, out of the leftover decency of her heart. Only, she had no idea how to yet. "Hey, um... T-thanks for this... For everything."

They stopped at a red light, still a few blocks away from Sam's temporary place, which she hadn't explained to Luna yet. She believed now that she no longer had to, as she was sure they'd find some family member of hers and they'd tell them of the situation, and that would guarantee Luna's safety permanently. This was how it had to go... Or bust.

"Hey, you don't need to, I just want to make sure you get to safety, live your life and all of that, you know?"

That had gotten Luna wondering; Sam sounded more older than she appeared to be, speaking with some serious, mature advice that made her feel like she was living for at least forty years. Luna had only taken notice of it right then and there, and thought to let her know. "How do you know so much? You're strangely calm than I'd figure, and not just that..."

Sam blinked in response to what Luna had unearthed. "What do you mean?"

"Like, you sound like an adult-"

Sam laughed. "Tabitha, I _am_ an adult."

"I mean, I know that, but what I mean is... Well, it's like you're experienced, like you're..." She knew the next words, and hit a nerve. "L-like a mother..."

"Mother...?" They had gone another block closer to the west end of Dadetown. Sam had been told she had some certain vibes that felt like a professional life counselor, but being compared to a mother? Someone who had children and knew how to raise them? That was by far the most unexpected comparison to receive. And then, she wondered if Luna hadn't known how to describe it well, or maybe it was that Luna had- "Do you mean to tell me that I sound like yours?"

Luna narrowed her eyes, and stared at the blonde. After a moment of pausing, she went, "I... I don't know... I don't remember..."

"You... Don't?"

Luna looked at the window next to her, staring out onto the stores and neighborhoods they passed by. "My parents died when I was fifteen, and that was so long ago. I can barely remember them as it is, but... It's weird to say that I feel like you... On some level-"

"Oh, I think I understand," Sam figured. "You see part of your mother in me, is that right?"

Luna gave no immediate answer.

"That's..." She found it rather strange that Luna had shared it, but there was also the clear hint that there was a reason Luna did so. "Well..."

"Uh..." Luna felt awkward indefinitely. "I didn't mean-"

"Oh, no, y-you're fine, I've just never been compared to someone's mother..." Sam had finally reached the end of the block, veering left into the parking lot of her complex. "I guess I just have one of those personalities."

"You said you had questions you wanted to ask?" Luna recalled.

"Huh?" Sam pulled in to her parking zone. "Oh, yeah, I did, didn't I? Well, this is revolving around your time within those walls, but I'd get it if you dont want to answer."

Luna faced Sam again in full. "There isn't anything I could say, other than my time having been quite the hell you could imagine. We get gassed to sleep, we get injected with liquids we don't know what they're of, and worse-" Luna thought about telling her what she really was, the monster that they have created. The beast within that she locked away up to here.

Sam reached over and put a hand over one of Luna's, a gentle effort to ease her. "It's okay, it's gonna be okay," her gentle voice spoke. This girl was more than what was seen on the surface, and Luna really admired it. She showed off a smile to her, and Sam returned one back. All began to feel right in the world with someone like her around.

"Thanks, Sam," Luna expressed with content. "You're pretty amazing, dude."

"Oh? Nothing interesting about me, in my humble opinion, and yet people somehow like me," she shrugged, exiting her car. "We'd better come up with a solution right away."

Luna had no idea where to to, or what was going to happen from here on out. Life had gotten fucky on her yet again, but maybe she could catch a break and find a way to contact her aunt. Lily and the twins were likely to still be around, maybe even Leni, too. Lynn and Luan... They were another case she didn't want to think about. The scars ran deep with those two. "Her name is Rinn Reagan, with and E and an A." She got out of the car and followed, bringing with her the clothes Sam got her .

"Reagan? Not Sinclair? I see."

Right, Luna forgot she was using an alias. That was before she knew she could trust the Sharp girl this much, and before she had an idea of what she was like. "Actually..."

"Is this the part where you tell me your real name?" Sam asked with an eyebrow raised, stopping to look back at her.

"How did-?" It was her turn to be shocked. "Okay, fine. My name's Luna Loud, yeah."

"Luna... That's Spanish for the moon." She looked up and saw only the clear blue skies above. "I could still see it, even if it's not around anymore."

"Not around-?" Luna didn't know what Sam meant.

"Oh, well... It's been drifting so far from us that it just disappeared deeper into space," Sam explained. "This affected the oceans and the behavior of nocturnal animals, if you ever want to know."

Luna gazed upwards as well. Funny... Her name had meant moon, and coincidentally, the moon was gone. Was that to allude that _she_ was gone? Or rather, the person she had been before all of this? Luna closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose.

Returning to the apartment, Luna went to the bathroom and changed into her new clothes. Surprisingly, they fit her perfectly well, but Luna would have preferred her own threads. Not that anyone was complaining. She came out looking better, only she might have needed a shower as well. She returned Sam's towel and left it on the bathroom and threw away her disgusting white ones away. "Well?"

Sam held a thumbs up. "I'd say you're looking spiffy, Lunes."

"Lunes?" Luna wiggled her legs around, tugging at her pants. "Interesting color."

"Well, I didn't know what your preference was, but-"

Luna waved and flicked her hand. "Oh, this is fine, I like these clothes-"

Her body did quite the thinking for her; Luna moved close to Sam and gave her a hug. The difference in size and height became to apparent; Sam was shorter and a little more skinnier compared to Luna.

"Oh!" Sam was the first to have her cheeks go red. When Luna was that close to see Sam's face, she also blushed, and pulled herself away. They both scratched their heads in sync, looking away from each other while giving weak laughs. "That was, uh-"

"Uncalled for?" Luna finished for her. "It might have been."

"But that was... Cute," Sam stated. "In the nice sense."

Luna looked to the living room. "Only one sleeping bag?"

Sam crossed her arms, but laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I would have gotten another should I have known you were coming."

"So this is my fault?" Luna set her hands to her hips and gave Sam the sassy look. "Hmmm?"

"Yes, yes it is!" Sam sarcastically challenged.

"Well then-" Luna went for a playful tackle, taking Sam by surprise. She had the blonde fall on her back, with Luna having landed on her. The two broke into heavy laughter, then died it down as they looked into each other's eyes, and Luna's heart was beginning to beat faster at this time. She was guided by some unseen force, her hand moving to Sam's face, stroking at her cheek. The skin was smooth as it looked, and the blonde did the same with Luna. Then, Luna leaned her face in and pecked Sam right on the lips, closing her eyes.

Sam didn't fight her advance, but also had no idea how to react or respond to it. Actually, it felt rather nice. Luna's kiss onto her was soft and beautiful, not a heavy forced one where the tongue roughly got into her mouth. Not like Brad's. This kiss was more heavenly. And Sam wanted more.

Luna figured she went too far, but Sam wrapped her arms around the bisexual girl, pulling her so Th at she could kiss her softly and deeply. Their lips went at it again, entangled in an exotic dance. The further they went, the more deeper their kisses had ascended to. Luna directed her tongue and licked the back of her partner's upper lip, which let out a moan from her lovely voice.

Sam ran her fingers down one of Luna's hands and led it to a breast, which Luna squeezed with the right amount of force. "Mmm..."

Luna worked her way down, applying her lips to the cute blonde's neck, kissing all over it. Her body swelled up with intense heat, and it didn't help that her heartbeat had risen to a higher level, not that she fought it. She wanted it, and this long-due sensation was not something she'd deny herself, and by the looks of it, Sam wasn't either.

On the other hand, Sam was rather enjoying their make-out session. Luna was gentle and quite firm, with her set of hands being quite suave, nothing that felt rough, forced, or motivated by pure arousal. It was nothing like that of Brad's, where he was the opposite of how Luna was. This was perfect, and Sam loved how this was going. Did that mean that she liked girls?

Sam was in the midst of removing her purple sweater, eager to go further with the brunette. She slipped it off, followed by her pink shirt. She ran her hands behind her to undo her bra, which made Luna's heart revv up to full throttle. And just before the boobs could come out out to play, a siren rang off in the distance. Luna and Sam stopped dead short before they could escalate into sex.

"What is that?" Luna advanced up and jogged to the balcony, opening it and hearing the siren get louder.

"It's the civil defense siren, but what is it for?" Sam dressed herself back again, getting up from the floor slowly. Her phone had begun to ring; a call from someone. Sam dug to get her phone while Luna looked down the streets. She heard vehicles roaring down from the direction they'd come from, so maybe an evacuation was in order. What really happened was three of those Vial Corp vehicles appeared and stopped just before the exit from town, and blocked the way out. In seconds, armed guards, just like in the facility, stepped out and stood around the vehicles.

"Fuck!" Luna cursed under her breath, moving away from the balcony.

"Luna...?" Sam was seeing a live local news audio broadcast through her phone, and called upon the involved brunette to update her. "You'd better check this out."

_"-On all roads that lead in and out of Dadetown. Authorities of Vial Corp have instructed that all citizens immediately return to their homes while they, and the local law enforcement, work to detain the escaped animal. We'll have more coverage from the air in just-"_

"Escaped animal? Clearly a well cover-up, right?" Sam went out of the radio app she used, only to have Brad call her. "Oh, joy..."

"Who's calling at this time?" Luna scoffed.

"It's... My boyfriend," Sam revealed reluctantly.

This paralyzed Luna. "Oh..."

Sam rubbed the back of her head, feeling guilty at this point. "Well... I d-don't know if I can see us together, anymore-"

Luna eyed back outside, seeing the sky begin to darken. "Well, in any case, it's getting late..."

Sam had gone the extra mile for Luna, and like she thought, there was no way to repay her, until right now. She guessed that Sam would go further to try and sneak the girl out of town undetected. But that was if they wouldn't get caught in doing so, and the probability of that was less in their favor, for they were two versus a great many. "Sam, dude..."

"Y-yeah?"

Something else clicked inside. Luna had been dreadfully afraid of going back to her hell, but Sam had shown her something else she had long forgotten; Luna didn't have to be alone, nor was she, all this time. Sam was the person who proved that there was decency within people, and not just her. On that note, Luna had that potential, and considering that she could keep the ball rolling by paying it forward. Sam had all the right traits Luna sorely needed, and having an idea on what she needed to be. It was time for that to be applied, and Luna was about to play savior today, or die trying.

"It's time I stepped forward on my own," Luna confidently grasped, breaking into a run.

"Wait, what are you-?!"

Luna jumped right over the balcony and disappeared before Sam's horrified eyes. Pity about the clothes, for they were practically ripped apart as Luna transformed midair. When she landed on the parking lot, she was the hideous monster with the ravenous appetite yet again.

Sam looked over below, expecting to see human pizza. For the life of her, she couldn't fathom why Luna chose suicide for this, up until she saw for herself what really was. The gunfire erupted, and the Vial Corp guards were shooting up at the beast that she knew was Luna.

_Escaped animal! It is her!_

Luna clawed her way through them, circling unpredictably to dodge the grazing bullets she was sure could hurt her. She swung her arms and legs, hitting and kkicking away while her tail defended her backside. She tore and bit off several arms and legs off of them, eating away at some of these find limbs. Sam forced herself to stop watching this graphic spectacle and retreated inside.

"West squad is down!" One guard yelled into his walkie-talkie, right before Luna stood over him. "We've made contact-"

Most of his face had been bitten off, with only the lower jaw and below having remained. It was a dastardly bloodbath that Luna carried out with her darker side. Now that she had attracted the attention of the whole Vial Corp facility staff, she booked it and raced away from town. Whatever Sam had seen and planned, Luna hoped she would be smart with it, enough to be okay from this. The only thing was that she killed all those guards because they were sure to have pieced together where she'd jumped from, which was bad on Sam's end.

The Vial Corp facility was back down the forest she sprinted towards, finding it hilarious that She would be coming so soon. Unbeknownst to her, the faculty had deployed all their muscle into town to search for Luna; who could really anticipate that she'd be returning rather than trying to escape?

Breaking in wasn't too hard, especially with not too many guards to delay her at all. She came across the scattering labcoats while tossing the armed staff like nothing, with the labcoats giving out orders and yelling indistinctly. Luna didn't crash the party to kill them all, even if that was what her heart desires. She crawled in her reptilian form, moving swiftly to the stairwell, where she jumped down the steps and came across one labcoat who was retreating topside when the alarm was activated.

"No," Luna rasped with a deep, lowly grumbled voice. She grabbed this employee and dragged him back to the floor. "Open the other cells!"

""I- I- I-"

Luna let out an enraged roar in front of the labcoat. Her saliva flew out to cover his face like polkadots, and also made him smell bad.

"Okay! Uh-" The intimidated labcoat pointed down the left end. "There's a hidden room I can access-"

Luna wasted no time to get her mission done. If only Sam could see her now, taking and adopting that same bravery and will to achieve her goal, even as painful as was to be here. Luna avoided looking at the cells, fearing to imagine herself back inside them.

The hostage pressed a hand to the barren wall on the curved side of the hall, where a door opened up by sliding back and the rising upwards. Two others were inside, manning the cell systems. She tossed her hostage into the monitors they were seated at. "Release these poor people, now!"

She was chalenegd when one labcoat drew out a pistol and fired at Luna. She yanked his arm out of its socket and used the limb to slap him, with the gun still intaxt, knocking him out. "You!"

"P-please don't eat me!" The third one whimpered, returning to the controls. "Hold on, h-hold on!"

"Hurry!" Luna growled impatiently still holding the severed arm.

"There!" The labcoat opened all cells, and Luna looked at the cameras to see the other experimented victims begin wandering out of their cells, pleased with the results. She grabbed and threw the labcoat into the wall, sparing him from death.

The rest of the tortured guinea pigs were moving about, looking for the exit. This was Luna's cue to lead them all outside and towards freedom.

Above, Sam arrived before the various units had, stopped right at the parking lot of the red-blaring facility. Luna had to be inside, she figured. Only, Sam wasn't going inside. She left her car running when getting out, looking through the place, and saw no sign of life at first. "Hello?"

In seconds, she was greeted by the Vial Corp units who had finally come, and just in time to see the renegade escapees emerging from the building. They ran past Sam, centering on the many armed Vial goons they spotted, all packed with the same hatred Luna had come to know. Sam backed into the side of the building while the shooting happened. Some of these unarmed folk exhibited powers of different varieties, witnessed by the blonde before her eyes. She was truly amazed by the view of this phenomenal event, despite there being carnage in play.

"RUN! RUN AWAY AND HIDE, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!" Luna looked over the panorama and cheered on the others as they massacred their captors, while giving them instructions. "VIAL CORPORATION BURNS TONIGHT!"

Some of the kidnapped super freaks looked her way and cheered. A long-haired sandy-blonde teenager, accompanied with a redhead girl shorter than him, stared at their savior with curious eyes. Another one, a blonde with longer hair than Sam's, waved at her before calling out to her brethren. "Every freak form themselves!"

Most of them broke into a run, leaving the area once it was clear of officials and armed security. The day had been darkened enough to call it a night now, and Luna had achieved the impossible. Only by then, she knew it was all but impossible, and for that, she was grateful, especially with Sam's help in this.

"Luna?" Sam came up to the bizarre creature she had trouble accepting as Luna. "S-so..."

The field became empty, but they took no notice. Sam put her hands over Luna's own when she held them out, and the two ascending lovers stared into each other's eyes as they had before, back in their place of safety and tranquil. "I... Have to go..."

The smile on Sam's face flipped upside down. "W-wait, but you just won, y-you defeated them..."

Luna moved one of her vicious hands and stroked Sam's face. "More facilities to find... I have to-"

Sam understood, and that's why she backed away with hurt in her eyes. She looked down and was upset that this was how it had to be. Luna felt the same way and snorted through her slit-nostrils. If there had been a chance that these two women who came from different parts of a shared world were somehow falling for each other, it could not be, for one was full of life, and the other had been long gone. "L-Luna... It's been f-fun-"

"It has, hasn't it? Well..." She ran away from the facility, to hurt to say goodbye to that pretty girl she knew she'd been crushing on. Oh, how she wanted to go after Sam like this, to let her feelings do all the thinking for her when around the beautiful girl. If only this was granted to her.

A helicopter, followed by sirens wailing in the distance, advanced towards the scene, making Luna run with all her speed down into the forest. Next came the huge explosion from within the facility, and Sam was still near it at the time. She had kept staring at her, and taken notice of the chopper and patrol cars nearing the place, unsure of how to explain herself. The place crumbled down, and crushed her in the process. Luna lay witness to this and was truly denied the chance in such a fiendish way, aggravated and flabbergasted by the untimely death. She wanted to to and search through the wreckage in hopes that Sam might have been alive, but the timing was not on her side, and for that, she had to leave.

Luna raced far away from the area, runniny even after all the noise in the world began a deafening silence. That explosion had to be them covering their tracks, no doubt. But at least she did something to make them pull that move. Now, there were more of them to attack, and she knew it. More Vial Corporation facilities all throughout the states, and she had already self-appointed herself to that crusade to break out all the captured. And she'd offer anyone victimized a place alongside her, for this wasn't a one-woman army type of journey, and it didn't have to be.

Luna stopped when she heard footsteps running behind her, so she turned around to confront them, but saw no living soul behind. She focused her hearing, pin-pointing for a source of noise. There was a voice that came out whispering to her.

"Hello, Luna. I've been watching you for quite awhile, and I have to thank you for showing me what has been really happening inside of Vial."

"Who are you?" Luna heard the crunching pair of running footsteps from all directions. "Show yourself."

"I'm just someone with the same interest as you, Luna. I want to personally see to it that Vial Corp and all of its affiliates pay for all of their crimes against humanity."

Luna had yet to trust the man this voice belonged to. She let loose and went back to her human form, her new clothes barely holding onto her body now. "I'm listening... So how?"

Behind her, the speaking man had deactivated a cloaking device and let himself be known. Luna was met by a middle-aged man in some kind of armor that looked futuristic, unlike anything she'd ever seen before. The man had long, wavy black hair, with some facial hair that hadn't grown out fully. This man felt like he belonged to some sort of secret organization she had yet to find out. "You ask me how? Well..."

A blue portal opened up behind the man, further intriguing Luna.

"I'm hoping to put together a team."

* * *

The whole scene crawled with police officers, medics and firefighters. The entire thing was a mess, and the ruins of the facility had been closed off until further notice. The amount of bodies that lay in the wake of this apparent animal attack, which was now being reported as some kind of large reptile creature, had most of the scenesters shaking silently. It would take hours, maybe even up to a day or two to get this bloody incident taken care of. There weren't enough ambulances to take all the corpses at once, meaning a couple of runs in and out of here had to happen.

"What kind of shitshow...?" The town sheriff watched a headless body get placed into a body bag before looking over the destruction. "These eggheads and their little pets, I tell you."

Three firefighters were in charge of dousing what remained of the fire among the rubble, keeping their distance from a peculiar smell that made them want to gargle, only they had to keep their breath in.

"H-hey-" One firefighter squinted his eyes at what he thought was movement from the debris. "I think I saw something."

"Shut up and keep spraying, Doherty!"

Indeed, someone buried within the heavy debris struggled to move, but they were there, still alive.

"Wait, look!"

The jagged breaths of the girl slowed down, but her many scars didn't go away. Only, she had begun to feel itchy all over, and didn't notice her sudden peak in strength, or that she had gotten out of there with ease. The red liquid had made contact with her skin, and that had to be why she was irritated physically. Only, her entire skin had turned to a pale-red color, and she was plagued by some sort of unbearable burning sensation she could not shake off. Sam let out a rabid scream just as she gained the attention of all the people around her.

* * *

**AN: I will intentionally be misleading around the titles, but this one was a doozy on my end. Enjoy your very first look at Saluna/Suna in a different setting. I know it might be weird, considering the clear age difference, but I'm all about change, and looking for ways to shift up the regular designs people are used to, that way, it pays off and nothing can really be predicted. **

**And no, I'm not completely following the show's canon, just like that other time. More of Sam down the line... As well as Simon. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading. **


	4. Chapter 4

**May 24th, 2030**

The strange, super beast with torn hipster clothes had unleashed the captive freakshows and set them on the path to freedom and control of their lives, and two particular ones were about to embark on a journey together.

Lindsey Sweetwater, a thirteen-year-old redhead with curly long hair, was happy to be out and about. She gratefully took pleasure in seeing the incoming night skies, as well as being able to feel the cool air move in the gentle breeze it had been, all naturally organic for her. She took a deep breath, just as the guards of Vial had pulled in, and the other super-powered people went ahead and launched an attack against them.

Lyle Jefferson, the seventeen-year-old whom she had been stuck with by cell, held her hand and kept her close while making her look away from the grotesque carnage that was taking place in front of the facility. "Don't look, Lindsey."

"I-I'm not a little girl, Lyle." Lindsey insisted, not minding the bloodfest.

"Still," the older teen denied. "It's not like the movies."

Lyle was a stranger she disliked at first when he was thrown in the same cell she occupied. Back then, he was a short-haired, sandy-blonde brat who had an annoyingly weak type of personality; he was soft, but sincere and strict at the same time, which was a little scary. But that was then, when the dude had changed so much in between. Even his hair had grown out to be long, so long that it wasn't impossible for people to mistake him for a girl. And that was more or less due to his scrawny build, which he blamed the Vial Corp scientists for.

They had a bumpy relationship up until they had grown to sympathize with one another, and stories were shared about their past lives. Lyle had come to care for Lindsey a lot that he had appointed himself the young girl's caretaker, no matter where they'd go, and even if they would be separated.

Lindsey was 5'3, while Lyle was 5'8, which made the girl feel discouraged at times, but the upside to Lyle's height was that she could snuggle him as a pillow when she wanted to feel something, and that was on most days locked away. Lyle played that person who took away Lindsey's loneliness and fear, and it went both ways, as they had each other and nothing but the unknown to fear.

They were practically like siblings.

Some of the other supers broke away and scattered from the scene. Lindsey and Lyle were both prompted to follow along, but ran in a random direction while they slowly began to formulate ideas on where to go. The dark night was going to mkse it hard to see, but Lindsey hoped they came across a miracle down their way. All Lindsey could gather in thought was how to get home.

"Which way... Which way is Ohio?" Lindsey asked, pointing fingers around.

"I don't know, Lindsey," Lyle calmly replied. "First thing to do is to hide, make sure we're not going to be chased or found."

Their lucky break was just as long as the time they would take to get off-grid, just as he was sure the others would try to do. They were heading westbound via the thick forest. They didn't hear anyone else around them, even though he was sure some would have been scampering off their direction.

Lindsey wasn't much for running, so Lyle swooped her up and helped her out while he went all out with his speed, free to move without being slowed down. "Hang on tight!"

"D-don't you drop me, Lyle Jefferson!" Lindsey boomed with fear, arms locked around the neck of her white knight. "I can't believe you're insulting me."

"Oh, you know just as I do that I don't mean to tell you how slow you are," Lyle huffed.

"Yeah, yeah! Either way, you're a big meanie!" Lindsey childishly sassed before going quiet for the rest of the ride. She had begun to drift off, already worn out by that bit of running she did.

Lyle couldn't blame her, it wasn't like they were fed with sufficient nutrition over there. Lyle just had quite the stamina that came from the serum they'd forced into his body; Lyle had all the pro features to that of a canine. They never said which one, but it didn't matter, really. This made the growth in his hair and facial hair go twice as fast, with the additional newfound adapted senses. It was weird, but he had to adjust his sharpened ear senses, and was glad that his vision didn't degrade to black and white, from what he understood about a dog's eyesight. He also came out with the rapid ability to detect nearby strangers, which would always send him into a frenzy back in the facility. It was Lindsey who tamed him most of those times.

"Sweetwater dreams," Lyle joked as Lindsey had finally fallen asleep in his arms.

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter IV: Sweetwater**

* * *

**Later**

Lindsey yawned, stretching her arms out, right before remembering she was last in Lyle's grasp and freaked out when she thought she would be falling. "SHIT!"

Only, Lindsey wasn't in anyone's arms at all, but was rather resting against something. She took notice of her surrounding, still feeling the same temperature like it had been outside. She and Lyle were still outdoors, only stopping for Lyle who needed to unload. Lindsay heard the sound of his piss dripping onto the ground. What a bad time for her to wake up from her nap. "Hey, there's a girl present!"

Lyle was behind the tree Lindsey leaned against, happy to relieve himself. "Hey, that's not something I can control, Lindsey," Lyle threw back. "Don't like it? Cover your ears next time."

"Well, how about a little warning next time?!" Lindsey moved up from the ragged tree, brushing away at her back. "Say, where are we? How long was I out?"

Lyle returned to her, feeling quite pleased from relieving himself. "I don't know the answer to both questions, sorry. So, are you still sleepy?"

Lindsey crossed her arms and scoffed. "I- I can manage...! I'm not a little girl, you know?"

Lyle smiled, amused by the redhead. "I need to get some rest..."

"What? D-don't tell me we're crashing here for the night!" Lindsey was cold and scared, fearing that the forest would be crawling with the fuckers from Vial Corp, and catch them while downed. "I just want to go home..."

Lyle appealed to her, and took off his white shirt when he noticed her shivering. "Listen, you can take this to sleep comfortably-"

"You and your briberies..." Lindsey moaned, then taking the shirt and put it over her own. She wondered if Lyle would be cold, and made the mistake of being mesmerized by his stone-hard body, which was built with perfect abs and an impeccable six-pack. She had never taken quite a shrine to it up close, for he was almost never without his shirt back at their captive home. She found him strangely attractive, despite him having the prominent role of big brother for a few years. It was rather an oddity to her, but she couldn't help herself, with what being a girl and all.

Lyle went down next to her, leaning against the tree with his bare back. He didn't feel just as cold as she did, but the breezy air that contacted his skin was cold enough. He made sure not to be moving around to avoid nasty splinters, but then moved, having changed his mind. He settled for the ground, and rested down completely on the dirt, shirtless.

Lindsey was still awake, and hadn't kept her gorgeous blue eyes off of him. She moved closer to him in a curious attempt to poke away at his chest. Stuff like that had only been seen in those hot teen movies she watched, and having been curious, she wanted to know the feel of a hard male body.

Funny, she saw this selfless teenager as a big brother, and yet had these natural notions to want to embrace him at contact, as if they were nothing short of boyfriend and girlfriend. Actually, strangely enough, she wouldn't mind dating him, and especially now that they have been liberated back into society.

Lindsey hadn't forgotten where she lived, or the basic facts around her family. She was the youngest of two kids, having a brother by the name of Aaron, whom she wasn't close to. Lindsey was a girl all about the pageant life, had been a diva with many hobbies on her part, such as the occasional dancing, ballet, and even had organized a club consisting of knitters. Lindsey had a mediate spoiled personality, which only came from her parents who had raised them on the idea that they would hand their children what they had never in their own past childhood. It wasn't the best type of parenting in the world, but at the very least, Lindsey wasn't a bad girl. Or, maybe she hadn't gotten to that phase yet.

Being here, there had been errors she had made before, but had never the time to reminisce about it before those imprisoned days in human captivity. She hung with the popular crowd, shitting verbally and constantly harassing the lesser of kids. She had it easy, and she mocked those misfortunates, because she didn't know.

Lyle was not one of those types she hung out with. The teenager had shared his story before she was forced to warm up to him. It turned out that he had run away from home, leaving behind his older sister Liena, last being seventeen at the time, without him. The reason for his running away was due to a fight with their old man, but that he didn't go in depth with, and Lindsey didn't pry it out, despite her little need for the gossip and drama. Whatever the fight was for, it had to be of meaningful value that meant a great deal to him.

What other he did end up sharing was that he was a shy person, not a completely socially outgoing person, having no real friends, or even some degree of status. He was one such boy who was bullied, and due to his build, there was no way to fight back the bigger predators. He had to take the beatings almost regularly for looking like a sorry excuse of a boy.

With Lyle's new gift, it was sure to turn the tide against any bully he would face again, and maybe more worse people he could deal with. With Lindsey, he appointed himself her protector so that she didn't have to face worse scenarios around their kidnappers, whatever they were doing, and now beyond that.

She had him as much as he had her, and she was grateful for it, despite her not having told him. She wondered if he had known she valued him, for she didn't know what went on through the minds of boys, apart from the common desire to elope with girls. For the record, she hoped that Lyle had known, but never needed to say it. She felt embarrassed when having fallen from her natural personality protocol. Soon enough, she'd come to desire his company in the long run, and then...

Why was this bad to her? Why did she label it as something to hide? Was it the fact that she, Lindsey Sweetwater, a cute little thing with a bitchy characterization, had actually been falling in love with this older gentleman, a selfless white knight she would have to tiptoe for just to kiss if she wanted to?

Lyle spooked her when she got close enough, startling her with a high-pitched scream. He leaned forward and pulled her into his arms, placing the short girl right over his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, thinking it could maybe warm her up, not that he wanted to be too warm. "Better?"

Lindsey blushed as she rested her face on his cold chest, baffled and too embarrassed for her own good. At least she was able to get a nice feel of his hot body. "Y-yeah..."

Her mind wandered off after a few minutes of trying to calm down and lowering her high-octane heartbeat. The fact that he was likely feeling her beating heart had put some degree of pressure on her, but it all stabilized dramatically.

**May 25th, 2030**

Lyle had no problem carrying the girl on his back, up until he'd get tired overall, which wouldn't be for awhile. They had gotten up early during the bleak of sunlight, and scattered around for anything that led to civilization. They were damn close to returning and explaining what had happened to whoever would be interested to hear. Maybe this was being reported to the police, had to be. There were so many of them back there that it could not have gone unnoticed, and there was no way that they'd all be captured in a matter of hours, especially when many of those guys were killed, leaving the remaining staff unable to contain this mess.

The two teenagers were home free. And then what? Lyle knew he'd be saying goodbye now that he recalled it would be the case. His mission right this second was to get Lindsey safe and sound, and that was while he had the secondary objectives, which were to hide, move around with no attention, and to get some help and directions to Ohio, where Lindsey lived.

The thing was, she hadn't told him where exactly she lived just yet. She held out some key facts about herself, including how she had come to arrive at Vial, and personals she wouldn't disclose even when he had. She'd have to eventually, whether or not she wanted to.

That bridge was soon to be crossed.

The two fleeing juveniles found a road, with Lyle running alongside, hoping to come across amy passing cars to hail down like a taxi. They went at it for the next half hour, keeping an eye out before one red pick-up truck came from behind, to which Lyle raised his leg and shot it out to the road. "Please, come on...!"

It stopped just before passing them, and the driver of the truck flapped his hand out, morning for them to get in. This brought joy to Lindsey's face.

The driver was a middle-aged lumberjack, coming from a delivery run of oak wood. There had been only room for one in front, so Lindsey got in the front, while Lyle took to the back, arranging himself in the front corner, positioned right behind the driver so that he could keep gaze with Lindsey just in case. In seconds, the truck started moving again.

"Thank you, mister," Lindsey expressed, rubbing her shoulders for warmth. Surprisingly, she hadn't gotten too cold to develop the sniffles.

"And just what were you two doing out in the wild? Don't you know what animals live around these parts?" The man kept looking back and forth between her and the road, having seemingly taken interest in her.

"Uhhh..." Lindsey knew to lie, but hadn't come up with one this fast. "It... We were exploring... But-"

"Oh, were you lost?" He noticed her clothes, then her legs. "Young lady, where are your shoes?"

Lindsey giggled nervously, unsure of how to respond. "It's a long story-"

"You're not hippies, are you?" He pointed to the back with his thumb. "Your boyfriend here looks like one."

Lindsey blushed a hard red, fingers twitching in response to those words. "I... Uh, no, he's not. But he j-just needs a haircut."

"Mmmph," the man went. "I don't suppose you need me to drop you off at a certain place, right?"

"Anywhere in town is fine-" Her stomach growled heavily, telling her that she had been starving. "Errr..."

"Oh, sounds like you're hungry. I know a good place where you can fill up without spending too much-"

If only they had money. She moaned in disbelief and opened the window, dismayed and cross all the same. "The thing is, we're actually broke..." She revealed. "And... This is gonna sound funny but... Where are we?"

"You mean to tell me you've wandered too far from...?" The lumberjack was sorely confused, questioning how far they'd been wandering into the woods. "Well, we're coming up on Little Peak in a few miles, and Dadetown is way far behind, which went under lockdown or something. Did you two hear about these sudden stories about a large... Creature attacking this science institute or something?"

Lindsey found herself stuttering, turning to Lyle to give a discerning look, to which he shook his head to tell her no. She then turned back to the man and gave out a, "I don't know about that, sir."

"Well, I think it sounds like a case of some wild animal, like a bear or something, running around. After all, bear attacks are usually common around here."

Here. She still didn't know where here was, but asking of him would let him know that they were misplaced not by town, but by state. The only reason she knew she wasn't in Ohio was because two of the labcoats had mentioned it around her while they did her physical examinations.

Lindsey's body had been screaming to come out with it, to tell someone, anyone she could get her hands on. She had been looking at it from a child's perspective, only thinking to squeal the wrongdoings of the cruel and sadistic faculty dressed like doctors. They robbed her of enough time that she would have given up anything to get back into the life she had, however small and insignificant it was.

She never stopped to consider that her own family had deemed her dead, because in her eyes, she was kidnapped, and therefore it had to only be a missing girl who made it into the headlines and news reports. She could see it now; her face on missing posters, one of her pictures shared on social media to spread the word to friends and strangers alike, and on the Kron news.

Lindsey was back and could see her parents and brother again, and all those kids she'd been associated with. Only, they'd have grown older for sure, and maybe... Maybe...

She delved into the possibility that things would not be the same when returning back to what she knew, her stomach badly churning when maybe she'd come home to find with pieces missing. She was afraid of this which was unknown to her, and she was unready for it.

What would she expect to find in the world of tomorrow?

"Aw hell..." The lumberjack uttered. "You two look like good kids, so I suppose I can give you a handout, as long as you stay safe around these parts, you hear?"

Lindsey's eyes flared up to him, silently joyed at the man's good Samaritan act. "Y-you'll-?"

The truck pulled into a town, where Lyle began scrolling his green eyes around the buildings and people walking around. The boy himself was one such person who lived in a town in the state of Oklahoma, had been raised there all his life, and, like Lindsey, he was the younger of two, with his sister ahead by four years. This place was more like a part of his own hometown that he hadn't explored yet, which made him feel off, but soon he wouldn't be, for the blond teenager would soon be back in Oklahoma, eating a delicious apple pie that had Liena's mark all over it.

He could taste it now, and since more than enough time had passed, it was safe to say that the heat between him and his old man had died down. They had to have been glad to see him again, that was certain and sensible to him. First thing was first; his mission was to return Lindsey, and then be on his way. He signed up to be her guardian up until that point, never a permanent one at that. The fact that he had achieved it for the most part had kept him proud, not to mention sane, as he had to give himself that objective to not fail the girl, nor to lose a sense of order that he managed to keep intact.

Lindsey took off Lyle's own shirt and hung it around her neck, feeling that he should have it back by now. "I d-don't know what to say..."

"No thanks necessary, miss," the kind lumberjack assured, finally pulling up into the side of the street right next to a diner. "See that? The best bacon and eggs are made..."

Lindsey eagerly watched as the man pulled out his wallet and actually pulled out a full hundred, inatead of what she felt would be forty bucks. It definitely showed her surprise, extremely grateful of the kind gesture. She nodded and gave a smile, raising her hand to take the cash. She froze right before taking it, wondering why this was happening, when she herself had never did anyone this type of favor before. Sure, she was only an actual girl who had barely hit the double digits when kidnapped, but still, did she have earned the right to accept this? Was Lindsey worthy of the aid of someone she would have considered beneath her?

"I..." She bit her lip as it quivered, overpowered by her radiating guilt that she developed while in her isolation. She had it all wrong, or basically saw everything in a cleaner perspective, which pushed her away from who she was. And she settled for it when she finally understood that she had actually changed to a different Lindsey somewhere along the way. A better Lindsey at that.

"Please," the kind lumberjack insisted.

Lindsey locked her fingers onto the bill and tugged it gently out of his hand, setting her hand down on her lap. "Thank you... Thank you s-so much..."

Lyle had jumped out and opened the door on her side. "Yes, much obliged, good sir," he thanked as Lindsey handed him his shirt.

"Just take care, and protect each other," the lumberjack said once more.

"We will," Lindsey promised, getting out and closing the door. The red truck pulled back into the road, leaving the two to go on their merry way.

**Several Minutes Later**

Lindsey ordered a vanilla milkshake and French toast, depsite having been hungry. She figured she needed shoes, so she planned to save their money. Lyle was alright with himself being barefoot, so shoes were not necessarily a priority for him, so he ordered twice the food she had, including eggs and bacon over easy, a double cheeseburger with a side of tater tots, and orange juice. While they waited for their food, Lyle looked around and noticed a bulletin board on his left, where they had taken the seats on the end in the half-full diner. He got up and looked at it, while Lindsey herself eyed it from a better view.

The bulletin board consisted of mostly missing posters of people over the years, either of this town of other neighboring ones he didn't recognize. People ranging from kids around Lindsey's age, to elderly folk. Various people whom he knew were actually nabbed from the world. These same people, victimized just as they were. He'd be lying if he told her he didn't feel any hatred toward the demons in labcoats, but the drive to go out of his way to hurt them was not there. In fact, he didn't plan for some sort of bloody retribution. The same could not be said for these others who got away. There would be some update on the news, he knew it, and it was not a gut feeling that told him.

"All of those... Randoms," Lindsey whispered. "Do you think they'll...?"

She wanted to ask if he felt they could be integrated back into society, but the answer might have been a scary one at that.

Even so, he did have one. "I don't know, but I hope so."

"Oh..." Lindsey twirled her long red hair, looking out the window. The glass was dirty than the squeaky clean glass she was so used to seeing, for a change. "I still... I don't know where-"

Lyle had then pinpointed where they were. "Colorado," he answered, pointing to an article;

**Number Of Disappearances In Dadetown, Colorado Skyrocket**

"What? But that puts us at-?" Lindsey was cut off when their plates and drinks were served by two waitresses. Lyle smiled and thanked the women as Lindsey ravaged her toast down her throat. She forgot about their location problem until she finished.

As for Lyle, he went about eating slow, depsite having ordered more, which implied that he had been quite starved for awhile. The plate of eggs and bacon was pushed in the middle, once Lindsey had finished, an offering to appease her if it wasn't satisfactory. And she didn't even know it. "We can share if you want, or you can take it all."

"You're not-?"

"My burger meal will satisfy me until later," Lyle informed. "I hate to be the one to suggest this, but we should... Borrow a car."

She gasped, thinking she had misheard at first. "You mean...?"

"And fast," he went on. "Who knows when they'll come here to find us or those others? We need to get a map, find our way to Ohio and fast."

Lindsey nodded. "Yes, I know, Lyle. So, you got any ideas?"

**Later**

She had to ask. And for that, she was lying in the middle of the road, pretending to be a corpse, which would ultimately hail down any passing car that came into contact with her. "Damn it, Jefferson!"

One such car, a red Mustang GT of the 2006 model, had appeared and stopped before her. The minute the buff driver got out to inspect the body of the girl, Lindsey swung a hand to knock him off his feet, subduing him as he hit the hard ground. Worse case scenario was that she killed him, but that wasn't the case.

"I can't still hear him breathing, but take it easy with your hardcore strength," Lyle called from a hidden spot behind a tree.

Did I mention Lindsey Sweetwater had the ability to harden her skin to whatever surface she touched? It made her hands morph out of place, but would never physically match the surface of that which she touched. At most, it was as if rocks or metal were mushed together to make hands, followed by a layer of human skin. Lindsey had disliked this, because it looked gross and felt pressure-hard for her. "I don't try to hurt them, Lyle," she retorted, leaning down to the driver. "Mmm... Forgive me, mister."

"Lindsey, we have to go!" Lyle had rushed to the muscle car and got in the driver's seat. "Oh, I'm so thankful for my uncle teaching me how to drive when I was twelve."

''What?! You, at twelve?!"

"That's what I said, yes," Lyle confirmed. "And get his phone! We'll have more of a head start before he can report this!"

"Right!" Lindsey complied and dug her hands into the knocked-out driver's pockets, finding his phone. She took it and raced to the car, rapidly getting in. "DRIVE, MY MAN, DRIVE!"

Lyle sped away, reeling in the joys of grand auto theft. "Use his phone to get us to Ohio. I don't care how long the drive will be, as long as we don't get tails on us."

Lindsey didn't reply, making him turn his head. She had actually been on the verge of going through the phone, when the time and date has appeared before she swiped to the home screen. It was May 25th, only three years after. Not one, not two, but three long years... "It's... It's-"

"Lindsey?" Lyle didn't know what was going on with her. "What's going on?"

Her heart beat irregularly, broken by strain from the horrid update. She had missed three full years, and it hurt her just as bad. Lindsay had known that she had gotten older, but had no idea as the concept of time was rendered non-existent to them. Anything could have happened in those three long years, which put her in a frightening situation.

"Lindsey?"

"Three- I've been away for-" She covered her mouth, voice breaking from her calm tune.

"Don't think about it, you'll be back home," Lyle promised. "You'll be back home, I'll make sure of it."

The redhead sobbed and closed her eyes, going uninterrupted by Lyle, who let her shed those deep tears. Lindsey pulled herself back shortly after, becoming the navigator of the two. They had been going westbound it seemed, and Ohio was behind them, which only enraged Lyle. They'd have to go around the two towns behind them.

"We can't go back there, is there another route to take us northbound or southbound? We can head to another town and book it from there."

Lindsey began looking at the map when she found the app for it. "I'm looking."

**May 26th, 2030 **

Lyle didn't account for gas, but he filled up their ride, wasting the last of their money for. They had stopped just before entering Ohio, where they were in Indiana, only a few miles out of the state limit. They rested on the side of the road, sleeping in their seats they adjusted them down. It certainly beat being out in the cold, but Lindsey secretly wanted a pillow to make her more comfortable- or Lyle himself right underneath her.

They were damn close to the default setting of their lives, except that Lindsey had not had not expressed her gratitude to the force at work, not even some cheer or laugh that Lyle detected. He thought he knew why it was, but breaking the little girl down was not in his profile.

But he had a sense of what had been troubling her enough to suppress her voice, and decided to make her open up for her own good. He spoke out first. "Man, I'm gonna need to catch up on all that I've missed. Yeah, that's a few birthdays, world news, and... Well, too much, I'm sure."

Lindsey was closely listening.

"For all I know, my sister might be in college already, who knows? I just know that..." He faced her to see her reaction. "They'll be happy to see me again."

And Lindsey flinched, unaware she was being watched by him.

"What about you? What will the little old Lindsey Sweetwater come back to?" He asked fondly.

She opened her eyes and moved her head, unsure of how to respond. "I don't know..."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?" Lyle leaned up, pretending to have no idea what she meant, but he knew. "Why do you say that?"

"No, I... I just don't know if it's gonna be... You know, the same as I left..." She rubbed her eyes. "It felt like there... C-could be some new change, and..."

"You're afraid of coming back home to... A different setting?" Lyle hit it on so well in Lindsey's opinion. She was blown away by how quickly he was able to point it out. Maybe it was never that complicated to begin with. Who could possibly say what was and what isn't?

"Son of..." She muttered. "Yeah, okay, so maybe I do. Maybe I do!"

He smiled. "Can I tell you a secret?"

She raised her eyebrow and stopped before she could fly into a hysterical defense mode. "Why not, man?"

"I am also scared of coming back to my life completely changed, and to tell you the truth, I'm certain that there will be something new, and I'll have to get used to it. Maybe I'll end up hating it, yeah, but..." He sighed in between. "I've so much time to think back there, and what I know is that we all should value what we have, and to not take it for granted. I could have told my sister I loved her more times than I had. I could have said something-"

His stopping had gotten her attention. He started crying, but the gentle teenager did not want tp cut himself off. Lindsey was mined of her concealed feelings, thinking that Lyle had been hurt the same way she was. She was wrong.

"-And I'm grateful, Lindsey. I'm actually grateful for this... That it happened to me."

"What? I- I don't understand-"

He smiled at her. "Because I've been shown of my own flaws, Lindsey. And now that I'm free, I can change myself with the life I have left. I can be better than who I was before."

She figured out that his tears were of joy and gratitude of what came of this whole fucked up era of their young lives. His view of this was that this, a rare second chance, felt like a test he would not fail again. Thw way it had to end was for Lyle to reunite with his family, and live out the rest of their lives as it should have been. Maybe the other guinea pigs would go blabbing to the authorities, so he didn't have to do it himself, and neither did Lindsey.

"I can be better, and so can you," he concluded. "I may get scared down the line, but I know I won't be alone. I'll never be alone again."

Lindsey understood his message slowly; he told her that it was okay to be scared of change, for she didn't have to move forward on her own. She tried to speak, but her mouth was left agape, astonished by his lesson. "I... I'm..." She had to own up to what she feared. "I'm scared, yes... How can- How can I push past it?"

**Hours Later **

_"You just need the push."_

When they had arrived at her house, after everything they had endured together, Lindsey took her time, looking right at the house, wondering what was going to happen. The driveway was vacant, so no one had to be home apart from her mother.

Would her mother recognize her? What would be her reaction? How would Lindsey react to it? She had her hand on the handle, ready to pull and open the door, but the scared girl froze stiff in place, heart revving up to higher heartbeats. "What if-?"

"Lindsey, no," Lyle implored. "You don't know if you don't try, I know this."

"Yeah... But-" If she didn't try, she didn't have the expectation to be let down either. And she really didn't want to either. "I might need-"

Lyle got out and moved to her side, escorting her out gently. "Up you go," he said, leading her right up to the house, grabbing her hand. "Not alone, Lindsey. Remember that."

She looked up at him and gave a nod, still dreadfully nervous of what she'd find at the other side of the door. "Th-thank you..." Then, she hugged her caretaker tightly, we t on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek.

Lyle just smiled, thinking she was a sweetheart at most. This was the happy ending Lindsey deserved; damn be the devil who denied her a happy reunion.

Lindsey let go of Lyle and took her daring steps forward, coming at the wooden door. Then, she knocked, and looked back at him, smiling as widely as she could, with her eyes glittering in the sunlight.

Then, the door opened.

* * *

**AN: Of course, this chapter was shorter, for Lindsey Sweetwater's story arc won't be too long compared to that of the other ones, so yes, more Lyle and Lindsey dynamic will be down the road. Also, yes, this is the same Lyle you would recognize from the Sin Kid roster, which might have been obvious already. **

**While Lindsey has started her journey, I've placed the stepping stones for Lyle. His will be longer, and more of a solo arc, so the two won't always be around together, as you'll come to see. Fair to say I'm proud at where I'm going with this, and how I portray these two, whom I've never had the honor of fully fleshing out my way. **

**With that said, we're almost halfway with the entire first act, and since we're coming up on the anniversary of the show, I may just drop a tease of the next act. We'll see what happens. Goodnight and take care. **

**P.S. I'm not exactly firm in how I listed this act on the first chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

**May 2nd, 2030**

"You know..." Lana shared with her twin sister. "I don't get why we aren't... You know, going after those science guys, Lola. We know that they're doing bad, so what gives?"

Both her and Lola were looking over the great city of Manhattan, perched on a rooftop in the middle of the day. They only had a portable police scanner, eagerly waiting for some call to answer to. Usually, they would come about ten to fifteen minutes for them, but that was when they first began their heroine crusade. Nowadays, they'd take longer, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell them that they decreased the crime rate enough to have made a difference around.

The two women happened to be speedsters, a wish none of them asked for. This was all thanks to a Vial Corporation facility in Maine, which they had broken out of two years ago. Funny enough, none of those guys had done search parties or released info on the two runaways, and for that the twins were extremely lucky. Lola had figured that they would never be caught, no way they could be. But it was that they had been kidnapped that motivated Lola to be the crime fighter she was, and it was a package deal, which meant Lana had to throw in. And they had been at it for the past two years, establishing a reputation among the populace all around the New York area, ranging from New York City to down around Harlem.

"Because they're not a problem," Lola responded, not looking at her twin. "They know to back off, especially now that they know we're out here actively. Trust me, I am positive they know by now."

Lana moved her head down and scratched her head. In her mind, she felt she had an obligation to strike the heart of Vial Corporation facilities, to liberate all other poor souls trapped and damned. "But Lola-" Lana tried to appeal to her, but Lola was a different case.

"But nothing, Lana," she hissed. "I'm staying away from all of that, and so should you."

Lola had been hearing Lana try to persuade her time and time again to carry out, and in doing so, they'd save maybe up to hundreds. Instead, Lola chose to run around and punch and kick bank robbers and drug dealers and any other criminals to no end. The ones that got the real beatdowns were those who held people hostage, usually bank robbers, and Lola would be reminded of her own unbearable torture and lose control, which the police didn't take too kindly.

Even still, it seemed like they were loved by the community, who had come to know about them through captured footage of them, including photos, videos played at slower speeds, and the statements of witnesses around.

Lana and Lola, the two young blonde women in different colored attires. Lana was usually dressed in shorts and tank tops of a variety of colors, not to mention she also had a red cap she sported just like the old days. Today, she had a blue tank top and black shorts, while Lola, the diva of the two, had pink yoga pants and a pink sweater over a yellow shirt, on a steady day with light wind and low heat temperature. They never had issues running in their clothes, only that sometimes they'd overheat if the girls ran for an overextended amount of time, which Lola found out the hard way.

"I- I just wish..." Lana whimpered. Lola had explained that it could have proved to be dangerous to them should they have decided to break in. Lola had the fear that there was a counter to stop them that they'd get contained again, and there was no way Lola would allow it. All the power, maybe equal to that of a god, and still she had the fear of a broken little girl, and that she could not show to Lana, for the good of the speedster duo.

They had been given nicknames by the media, branded the moniker of Momentum and Velocity, which was weird for Lola. She didn't mind it, but it was overdoing it by a long shot, unlike Lana, who was quick to take Momentum for herself.

"Yeah," Lola agreed, knowing what Lana was trying to say. "I wish we could do more, and who knows? Maybe we will someday, Lana." She turned around and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I have to say, I do admire the fact that you care so much about it."

Lana smiled, feeling somewhat proud of herself. "I do, Lola. I always do."

"Never change, girl," Lola urged, right before the scanner came alive.

_"Dispatch, dispatch, we've got a two-eleven at the National Reserve Bank over on Fourth and Clarkson, over-"_

"Two-eleven, what was that again?" Lana asked, forgetting the many codes.

"It's a robbery, let's go!" Lola raced from the rooftop, leaving Lana behind in a bid to be the first to fet to the robbery in progress.

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter V: Velocity And Momentum**

* * *

The twins arrived before any traces of the police, having more than enough time to take care of the criminals inside the large bank. Lola looked to Lana and gave her a firm nod, giving her the cue that she was going in first, and for Lana to follow close behind.

Lola then sped her way inside and moved swiftly past both the hostages and the captors, relocating behind the teller booths and making her way up the staircase on the employees side of the bank. She shot her eyes around the area and made out the number of bad guys she had to take down. The thing was, she had no actual fighting experience, and neither did Lana. They depended solely on the force of their movements and attacks, and also hoped that they dealt with those below strong-arm types, and made sure they didn't go about it too hard.

Six guys in masks, body armor, and well armed had taken siege to it, three of them with duffel bags, already away the vault. Fourth and fifth guy kept a double watch on the hostages, and the sixth was at the entrance, only seeing the door magically go open without warning. "Hey, guys-"

Lana came in through the entrance and plowed right into the watch guard of the heist crew, sending both him and his tactical shotgun hurdling in the air, screaming wildly. He hit the bulletproof glass just as the two guys on the main lobby drew their carbine rifles to where Lana was at, and fired only seconds too late at her direction. The tomboy put her head down to not lose her comfy hat, running around the left side of the lobby, flanking the two.

Lola went to work on the vault, in which two of the looters had come out, expecting regular opposition. "What the fuck-?!"

Lola punched one and pushed the other right back into the vault, putting them out of commission in the meantime as Lana had taken care of her own. The final bank robber had been holding the manager, an elderly brunette, hostage to do their biding, and now he had the advantage by keeping his weapon at her head.

"Don't move, you-" The criminal beckoned menacingly, before he studied the diva in person. "Y-you're-"

"I get that alot," Lola casually shared before Lana intervened, shoving the rifle from the manager's head and easily subdued the last guy.

"You're safe now, ma'am," Lana assured the manager, escorting her back out.

"Th-th-thank you- Thank you for s-saving my life-" The shaken bank manager was bursting into tears as the twins exited the vault.

"Hey, sis, let's bolt it," Lola suggested, pointing a thumb to the exit behind her.

"Hey, it's them!" A rescued hostage pointed at the two heroines and identified them as the fast-paced crime fighters. "Velocity and Momentum!"

An uproar of cheers and claps followed after, with only a few of them actually crying away from them. Lana took notice and wished she had words to say that could pick up their rescued bunch of citizens. "I'm just glad that you are all-" Lana was pulled out of the bank by Lola, who carried her away just as cop cars and a few armored vans had pulled just outside the bank.

"We're not celebrities, Lana!" Lola yelled as she ran at full throttle, away from scene. She finally stopped right at a warehouse near a pier, leaning against it while letting go of Lana. "Dear God, I need some fuel..."

"I'm hungry, too," Lana admitted, gripping her hands to her stomach. "All this running leaves me too tired as well."

Lola merely crossed her arms and sighed. "At least... At least we're healthy, right?"

Lana made her way to the edge of the pier and sat down on it, having her feet hover just over the water she barely avoided making contact with. "Healthy?" The tomboy repeated, feeling challenged. "I don't think I can say that about myself."

Lola lifted her head back up, looking right at Lana who had her back to the diva. "Hm... Lana..."

"Is this really what you consider healthy?" Lana looked at the vast ocean in front of her. The sunlight glittered over the endless blue, making it sparkle in such a beautiful spectacle. The sound of the water flowing with the many waves made it peacefully tranquil, and not to mention some seagulls flying around, gawking away while they went about their business, uncaring for the two young women below. "As much as I do like this..."

Lola advanced slowly to her twin, feeling the same atmosphere they had never seemed to escape of these past few years. The world changed for the pair when they weren't asking for it, forcing them to adapt to survive. It was what they left behind that always proved to kill Lana, even as far as they had come, surviving together while further walking a long way from home. Far from their place of safety, and their comfort zone. It didn't take a therapist to know what it was that Lana missed heavily, and Lola only wished that she was able to do more for Lana, to heal her from her emotional scars, and to promise her that her dreams would one day come true.

All Lola had to offer were the same words in the same lines she told Lana on permanent repeat; these lines being pure consolation words on how it was going to get better for them, and how their dead loved ones were with them in heart and spirit, proud of the twins. It isn't what the fragile tomboy needed to hear, but it was also what she herself needed to believe by mentally telling herself as well. It had to get better, it just had to... Or Lola would be left with nothing, and their little crusade, what was it all for?

"I want to go home, Lola..." Lana broke, still facing the vast ocean.

Lana was the one who would drift back into the past and wished that there was a way to go back to how it was. Sitting there at the table, awaiting patiently for Aunt Rinn's famous apple pie that she made quite well. Lana, Lola, and their dear sister Lily, all three of them licking their lips at the ready, would exchange smiles at one another as upbeat music played on their aunt's portable radio.

Lana could still taste the filling of the pie in her mouth, the grand illusion her brain tricked of her, which made her feel empty when she remembered that Aunt Rinn Reagan was dead. Dead, and their home turned into a place of dreaded agony, such a place that they could never face coming back to. Whatever happened to Lily-

Lana started crying helplessly, injured in the heart greatly. For her, that was the reason she was quick to accept the path the ex-pageant participant walked down. With her speed, she had the power to make some sort of difference, regardless of the size. If she could save and spare innocents from falling into this type of emotional darkness or worse, the world would turn the right way one gear at a time, and she would be pleased with preventing what never must have been in the first place.

After all this time, the realization that it could have amounted to nothing in the end, due to the non-stop amount of crime that still spiked around the area. Was Lana wrong all this time? Did both of their noble actions mean nothing? Then... Why was she doing this? What was it that she was really doing, if not trying to prevent another case like their own.

"I know you do," Lola consoled the twin. "I do, too."

"I still have questions I need to know, Lola. I still have to know what-"

"Happened to Lily?" Lola cut off.

_Lily was the one of the three remaining Loud kids living at Aunt Rinn's place who had managed to escape the house while Rinn herself was doing her best to push away the intruders. The older blonde woman was screaming at Lola and Lana, telling them to escape from the window of their room right before one of the masked assailants pulled out a gun with a silencer and let Rinn have one onto her head. __And they freaked out, weakened and emotionally crippled, forgetting to flee from the scene. In a matter of seconds, they were surrounded by the scary bad men. _

"I still worry about her, sis," Lana gripped. "She's out there somewhere all alone, and we should have been l-looking for her-"

The mystery still lingered onto her mind, as did the worry and desperation to find answers in this big, strange world, which stuck into her soul, embedding slowly into it. It wasn't just Lily that Lana concern for, but several others of the large family. There was Luan, who went missing after a little accident sent her to the hospital. There was Luna, the only sister who was kicked out by their aunt for irresponsibility. Lori had dropped out of school to play a motherly figure, and was responsible... For a short time. Lisa and Lincoln were the same case of runaways, them being the longest ones who were out there in this horrid world. Lynn was the only one who had seemingly made it to the proper exit, transitioning to college, so there was no way she was suffering at all, even if the darkness plagued her just like it did the others.

And that was Lana under the assumption that they were still alive. For all she knew, some of them might have been dead, and that thought alone was one she had to avoid. No way they be dead. Not now. Not yet.

Lola sighed and let her feet kick around in the waters below, moving her hands around the crying Lana and embracing her with all the love that their bond kept intact. For all that it counted, the two had each other, and it had always been like that even before the fire. The tears of the young woman added to the sea as they felt each other's warmth through their embrace.

Even as Lola recycled her words yet again, she was always able to reach out to Lana and touch her feelings like this so that Lana could always maintain her stance in their shared life. And it worked as long as Lola appealed to Lana with positivity and sympathy. It would work as long as they were both reminded that not all was lost, and that gave them hope for a chance of a better tomorrow.

"I love you, Lana. Stay strong, okay? Stay strong for me."

And Lana had always been grateful for it. She cried harder, but had her reasons to cry in joy over the usual painful ones. She had her arms around Lola for the duo's finishing touch. "I love you too, Lola."

"Nothing, and I mean nothing-"

**Far From Now**

Lola screamed frantically, falling onto her knees in the empty grassy field, surrounded by friends and foes around. Lana moved closer to her, but a familiar face with white hair and a muscly build had stopped her short. "Wait."

"Lola...?" Lana hoped that she was okay after what she had just seen, and from the look of it, Lola seemed to be as strong as Lana had believed. Maybe it worked out. "Hey-"

Lola was hyperventilating drastically, still succumbing to the effects of the silver serum that flowed through her body. Her blue eyes moved up to both Lincoln and Lana, a few seconds before they turned light gray. "I- I did it, Lans... I have it now."

**Now**

"-Will ever break us apart, Lana. That's the promise I will keep until the end of time."

As they kept lock of each other, a man appeared behind them and called out for them. "If I may..."

**May 27th, 2030**

"I don't know about this," Lana complained, standing with Lola inside an upgraded trailer, set up with surveillance monitors and technology, manned by the stranger with long black hair and some sort of weird padded suit unlike they've ever seen before.

So far, the man, whose name was Alexander Elmont, had come out of the shadows and threw them the bone Lana wanted, and the one Lola was quick to turn down. Yet they were here for one reason and one reason only; it was Lisa Loud who was behind all of this, from Rinn's tragic death to Mama's troubling trauma. Of course Lola wanted some sort of payback for this, and now that it was clear there was an advantage on their side should they fight against those formidable forces of Vial...

"Hey, remember our words, Lana," Lola eased. "Plus, isn't this what you wanted?"

Lana was quick to nod, but it was the fact that they had to assemble a team with enough members to be able to make a difference. From the whole get-go, Elmont was in charge to establish an actual superhero team that would work and function under the so-called Patriot Division, a secret agency based on an underground facility around the Long Island area. The Division was formed to bring Vial Corporation to justice when it came to light that they were a big connection in league with various criminal sources, and that was before the human experimentation angle dropped at their feet.

Whether or not they were the first two to escape a Vial Corp facility, one thing was for sure; they were the first actual superheroines, and their MO made them qualified candidates to be a part of the Patriot Division's little freaky team, which was needed in case of the inevitable threat that would come in the form of any rogue science experiments. Better to be safe than sorry.

Elmont had picked up an interesting thing just now; surveillance had caught a woman falling out of the sky, and upon landing, she left something short of a crater while she was able to walk it off, and ran from the scene. The twins were to investigate this and see if this woman was one such super.

Lola took her sister by the hand, showing and promising her it would work out. "Come on, Lana. We have an advantage."

Lana grasped her twin's hand, and soon they were running on the streets, off to join the fight between Lynn and Lincoln, a very unexpected reunion soon to come.

* * *

**AN: I've kinda been on the fence about the size of the chapters, til I saw that it didn't matter how long they are as long as I do good with the characters this time, and more feels around them. So far it's been pretty cool to have redesigned mostly everything from the trilogy's lore, and what's more, elements and concepts from the other stories of mine will be incorporated here, the main source of all past ground work. **

**I hoped to have finished this on the anniversary, but better late than never I suppose. **

**Meanwhile, I'm already going the extra mile, having already hinted at a scene that has significance to the original trilogy, specifically the last and shortest one of the three. This is for feels, a rather dose of pain, merely a sample of what is to come, and make no mistake- it will come. **

**Last chapter, I did say I'd have a tease for the next act, and I can accommodate briefly and vaguely; **

**Linka, Liby, Lacy, Lupa, and the fifth clone, a completely new OC at that. The crazy project Link, but new characterizations for the lot, they won't be the same ones you've seen before. That, and the intro of another revised Sin Kid. That is all. **


	6. Chapter 6

**April 1st, 2030**

And the world was still insane as it had been for good old Luan Loud, once a prank-loving, joke-telling girl who had her sanity break into pieces the moment she collected the profound realization that she had been, and always will be, alone. Alone in the hospital of Royal Woods. No Luna to apologize, no Lynn to come get her, or anyone else for that matter. It hurt. It hurt so much to her that she needed to make it sane, therefore she made it the opposite.

The world was a mad place, hopelessly beyond saving. It lost its way, a tragic place where the jokes consisted of the suffering and the misery of others, whether it be some freak accident or an inevitable suicide. Only, her eyes were open and she felt she understood that it was all a joke. What more was there but to take the drugs and pretend it was all going to be okay for her in the end?

For the past few years, Luan had flourished a totally different way, having heightened her insanity ten-fold. All she did was laugh at the pain she ran from, and there was no denying that she did so. But the thing was, she had never acknowledged it, or maybe it never clicked on her, but she laughed quite a lot. And while she did so, Luan was also doing the insane.

Luan Loud was a murderous clown who went places and wielded knives and any stabby-stabby tools her frail, pale hands could grab wherever she can. She murdered, and went wherever the wind took her, and that meant she left a trail of corpses along the way. Her reasoning was that she followed the world's unpredictable directive of creating such insanity where people would never know why she killed those she did, or why she smeared paint on the toilets of every fast food bathroom she came across. Unpredictable. Luan Loud. One and the same.

Luan stole the clothes of all female victims as long as they were able to fit her. She left many slashed up corpses this way, which sometimes bafflwd the detectives in some of her cases. Currently, Luan waa sporting a yellow miniskirt with an adorable pink shirt, and some high heels, too. Her brown hair had been kept down, mostly straightened down with a hint of wavy. She happened to have some faint blood stains on her pink shirt, but the color had made it look darker than it should have been, almost like it was just water that decorated it unless anyone took a closer look at it.

Today was a special day, the annual perfect day where she would spent going around and pranking her family members to the extreme. Only, in the brand new days, she deviated from that and went for twice the bloodbath she was used to.

Luan had started her happy day with a slaughter-fest at a gas station early in the morning. An employee and three customers, all hapless the minute they came inside, had their lives taken from Luan and that cursed kitchen knife. It started first with the cashier behind the register, where she jumped over the counter and butchered him, an elderly man of clear Indian descent, severely. This made a pool of blood, and her shoes had made bloody footprints that alerted the incoming others.

She made a mess, and was giggling uncontrollably while shaking away at the blood-stained knife with her trembling hands. At one point, Luan ran her tongue across the knife, seductively licking the blood away, moaning with delight. And then, she was suddenly horny.

"Oh!" Luan was masturbating with the knife. No, she didn't have the sharp end inserted deep into her vagina, you sickos! She held it by the blade, inserting the knife's handle in and out of her womanhood as she moaned, keeping at it in the back room of the gas station. The cold flood below was stinging her legs until she leveled her skin with the temperature. "Ahhh! Ahhh, y-yeah!"

And she squirted out the pleasure fluid after a few minutes of tapping to the horrific bloodshed, sighing with great relief as she pulled out the knife. She remained on the floor, lying around her juices and near the pool of blood of the cashier, smiling like the psycho she waa.

Pity that none of her newfound victims were female, otherwise she would have gone to change herself now that she was born blood and cum stained. The crazy woman was not a professional in covering her own tracks, really. She had left pieces of herself in past murders, but the one thing she thought to do right was destroying the surveillance monitors. What she _did_ right was her quick move to leave the scene, and do so as far away as she was able to so that she could restart the madness again and leave the world a little more red, one location at a time.

She snatched the keys off one of the bodies, prancing majestically to the pumps as she figured out which car these belonged to; a red convertible at the far end of the gas pumps awaited her. Luan started it and took off, forgetting that the car hadn't been filled up.

"Oh, fuck me!" Luan left anyway, driving away from the barren gas station.

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter VI: The Comedienne**

* * *

She abandoned the car some fifteen miles later when it died on her, making her walk it the rest of the way. No cop cars had come running the opposite way in between, meaning they either arrived from behind, or it had gone unreported as of yet.

She was basically in the middle of nowhere of somewhere she didn't bother to care, surrounded by endless fields of corn. Wherever she went, it was all the same, wondering about in a pattern. There was a small town just up ahead, more smaller in contrast to Royal Woods. She wondered if she could call this a town when she saw only one street full of short buildings on either side of them. By then, she had grown quite weary and fell on the side of an auto shop at the right side upon entering. The knife in her pocket briefly poked her when she fell, prompting her to turn fully on her stomach.

"Yeeeeowwww... Why all this walking? G-give me another car, please..." She begged to the sky. "What's the plan for me?"

A wind kicked in and blew dirt into her-

"Hey! Don't-!" Luan jumped up, wiping away her eyes while she cursed the author of this possibly yet-to-be-convoluted fanfic. "Why do you hate me?"

Don't make me end this chapter here.

Luan's green eyes widened with shock. "Ehehehe... Never mind!"

She took her time to rest for awhile before starting again, watching the roads for any passing cars coming in or out. She saw only a handful, but not enough to get an idea how populated the town was. Right now, the plan was to get some food, and her dumbass had the regret of not taking from the gas station back there- another rookie mistake on her part. "Aw, I don't suppose you can give me a re-do?"

_"Laaaaaaaaaaaadies and gentleman of the morbidly silent crowd, give your decomposing hands up for the one and only murderous Luan Loud of Royal Woods, and her ventriloquist dummy Mister Coconuuuuuuts!" _

_The velvet curtains separated from each other to reveal Luan and her dummy, standing on the stage. In front of her, the audience- actually endless rows of dead bodies- made her gradually nervous, actually halting her planned acts. Legs shivered enough to make her feel like she'd fall off the face of the earth, teeth chattering intensely that she could have a job slicing carrots, and the back of her neck went dead cold, all of which had helped her go frozen. _

_The dummy came alive in her hand and moved its head. "Hey, dummy, hurry the fuck up and get on with the shitty jokes!" _

_Luna gulped nervously before advancing, moving in front of the microphone. She picked it off from its st and and greeted everybody. Literally everybody. "H-hello, m-my name is Luh-Luan Loud, and tonight I'm gah-gonna do-"_

_Her eyes scattered throughout the audience, and when she saw her family there, her heart sank. Her parents and Lucy were burnt corpses, and would have been unrecognizable if not for the clothes they've worn in the past era. For the rest of her siblings, they were just like they've had been before the fire, but the more she started, they all began to go transparent, up until all of them had gone invisible. _

_"I... I wanted-" The dummy began cackling fiendishly before she could continue to speak. _

_"Let me tell you what I want, toots! What I desire to be is a nice chunk of firewood, maybe like pieces put in a nice, blazing campfire! Ooh, I know! Why not add me to the fire that started back home?" The dummy laughed more disorderly and then broke away from Luan's grasp. "Everyone, being a lifeless dummy, I do have one but only one joke that I've carried with me since this girl has ever had the dishonor to hold me!" _

_Luan squealed painfully. "M-Mister Coconuts-"_

_"LUAN LOUD, EVERYBODY!" The dummy announced with pride, roaring away along with the audience who laughed back as a horde. It kept cackling, mocking Luan harshly until the inside of its mouth echoed out fire, with its eyes catching on fire, making for a haunting image for Luan. And then, the dummy was completely on fire, slumping over into a blazing mess as the corpses all sitting down suddenly rose up and began clapping fast in perfect unison. A couple of heads literally rolled off, some few limbs sliding right out of several bodies, and blood went and trickled from their skin, and Luan had not been able to handle the bloodshed properly. "Wait, wait, wait-!"_

_Then, the synchronized corpses all fell lifelessly as if they were ragdolls, and so had the three deep-fried family members. With that, the lights above her went out, as well as the burning dummy, submerging the entire theater into darkness. She stumbled backwards, making cresky footsteps while she had her arms around to feel something, anything she could. And her fingers did make contact with something fleshy. _

_"Oh- H-hello-" The lights came alive again, only for Luan to completely lose it when she was in direct contact with a zombified Luna, who held a broken beer in her left hand, greeted her with a deadly, stone-hearted look. "L-Luna-!" _

_She was right to be scared when Luna rammed the shattered end of the best bottle into her stomach. _

She blinked again and separated herself from the daydream, finding herself in a cornfield near a small house. "What-? How did-?"

It happened again. She sighed in defeat and sorrow as she moved toward the house and circled it. She reached the front porch and knocked, knife still intact on her, not loose or visible in any way. Hungry, and thirsty she was, calling it barely a miracle to have sufficient energy to have made it this far.

And when the house owner had come to answer, Luan had almost deemed it a fast kill to perform on her part, but things changed when the woman, a middle-aged brunette with long hair, just as tall as her, had greeted her warmly. "Hello! Can I help you?"

Luan took notice of her stomach, realizing it was fat for normal. The woman was pregnant, and Luan was no baby killer. "H-hi... I was wondering if-"

**Later**

She knocked the woman out, which was just as dangerous unbeknownst to her, but continued to not mind it and scavenge for food. She ate, drank, and used the toilet since... Fuck knows when. There was even toilet paper as well! It definitely pleased her nonetheless, serving as a friendly trip down memory lane. If only familiar faces helped to make her a hundred percent at home.

The table was left in a mess, spread with empty bowls of stew the woman made, along with two glasses of soy milk Luan had never had the decency to taste before, but she found it quite delicious to her taste buds, and was on the verge of going to the bedroom right after she had used the toilet.

This was the exact moment a man, presumably the husband, had come back. He, an aging man in his early forties, of a chubby build and short stature, only became alarmed at his downed wife, brushing around her to frantically wake her up. "Honey? Honey, hey-"

Luan popped out, dancing majestically to the living room. "Oh, hello, good sir! Your lovely wife here is only taking an unscheduled nap for the next... For awhile!"

The man bounced back from the ground and stood cautiously facing the insane young woman with the full stomach. "What have you done to my wife?!"

**Later**

And this never really happens in real life, or in enough movies or books, but Luan had somehow achieved to convince this husband and father of a beginning family to have sex with her. He was named on the bed, laying flat on his back while she, having removed only her stolen skirt, had sat onto the top of his huge manhood, moaning out when it penetrated her clit, entering the cave of warm flesh. Her womanhood proved to be tight, and they both felt it when she moved slow to take it all. Luan was facing away from the man, only having a desire to ride the hell out of him. The man, however, latched his arms with hers and started rubbing on them as soon as she began to fuck him well.

"Ohhhh..." She gasped sharply in a pattern, actually feeling a sort of rough sensation inside of her. This wasn't the first time she actually had sex, so there was no way her cherry would pop here. The older man ran his hands on her body when graduating from her arms, and then helped Luam out by thrusting his pelvis up and down, which brought about the sound of flesh smacking against itself within minutes. Someone had come home, hehe.

Luan moaned more aggressively and louder, already feeling that familiar sensation to ejaculate her love fluids from her body. And that she did, while hoping that her partner did not plant his own seed into her while she took the nice sizable cock all for herself. "F-faster!"

He tugged on her hands, pulling her body downwards as he kept banging her right side up while also enjoying the pretty brunette's sexy company.

When it stopped, and when Luan was raising herself off from the man's erect cock, she finally saw what really was; she had actually killed him before she went ahead and committed necrophilia with the corpse. Surprise. His throat had been slit when and after she forced him at knife-point to the bed.

Luan merely chuckled and laid next to the body, kissing it on the cheek. "You... You were fantabulous! I could fall in love with you, good man! Oh, but we'd have communication issues!"

She looked up at the ceiling just as the wife, up and about, shrieking to the top of her lungs. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MICHAEL?!"

"Uhhh... A happy time?' Luan raised her shoulders, unsure of how to answer.

**April 22nd, 2030**

And the world became even more gradually insane after that. She made a funky mistake later on; a lame attempt to break into a clothes store. The tiny, and entire police department had come and taken her in as easy as pie. They found the knife, got her prints, and later ID'd her as Luan Loud, the main suspect in the murder cases set in a trail.

Currently, she was in a cell, whistling the song Camptown Races while bashing her head along the concrete wall. The tubby sheriff, sitting in his crampy desk with his legs folded over it, rested firmly while he kept watch of her.

She didn't notice it at all, only receiving a bloody forehead along with a headache. The wiring in her head changed, imploring her to sing another song this time. "For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow..."

"Hey, girlie, keep it down!" The sheriff gasped out with a croaky voice. "Go to sleep or something, fuck's sake."

"Hey, hey!" Luan wiped the blood off of her forehead. "There is nothing to do! Why are you torturing me?! Clown!"

The sheriff groaned out, smacking his lips. "Fucking crazy wannabes... I've only dealt with blonde spider-huggers when I was an exterminator years ago..."

Just then, the precinct gained an unexpected visitor in the form of a man.

"Oh, goodie! It's time for me to be recruited into the team, right?"

The man, Elmont from the off-the-books division, approached the sheriff's desk, holding a folder which contained a few documents that relinquished Luan from the precinct's care. "I'll be taking your little slasher problem from here."

"And just in time, too!"

**May 13th, 2030**

The special concoctions in the infirmary of the Patriot Division had left her throwing up all over the floor, and on her personal handler, some eggheaded expert on the medical field. What the special medicine did for her was suppress her uncontrollable impulses and insanity. They did explain it to her only once, but Luan didn't understand their complex English to the point she snored halfway through the rundown of what the medicine did to her.

And to brief it up, Luan's dopamine and hyperactivity reversed back slowly as she took more of the medicine overtime within the agency, establishing the old Luan back on solid ground. The only thing, it wasn't a permanent thing, rather like a constant medication she had to take many times.

The only downside is that she felt more again, and delved into the memories of the time after the fire. She touched the side of her head where Luna had once struck with a beer bottle. That was the last thing she happened to remember, and with great pain as well. Luna, the roommate and her closest sister both physically and emotionally, had done her in, and had broken her for so long. How was it that she was able to get a grasp of reality now? What was different when she gave herself no agenda, and strayed from the path of the old world? How was she running blindly for an unknown number of years without being stopped, caught?

Maybe that was it. Maybe Luan was meant to be a killer with a knife, but did it matter that she'd lost her head in the process?

"That... Hey, this really makes my stomach turn... I might be allergic!" Luan coughed out the last of her vomit, feeling dreadfully queasy. "Can I get some water?"

"Miss Loud, I would strongly advise against it," her handler denied. "Water will counteract-"

"Ugh, okay, fine..." Luan wiped her mouth and left the infirmary, leaving the mess to the cleanup crew. "Talk later, my dude!"

"M-miss Loud-!" But she was gone.

She went to the bottom floor of the secret facility, going back to her own room. This floor, the last one of there, was the living quarters made for some of the agents in the ranks of the Patriot Division, and that applied to Luan now. Hers was the third on the right end of the long, brightly-lit white hall. There was a total of twenty four rooms, twelve on each side, and each room was able to cram two people in each one. The only problem was that all of them only came with two beds per room, and nothing more to offer. Luan had meant to decorate it in between her learning sessions, but hadn't the resources to give it the proper touch-up. At least not yet, anyway.

She was the first one to be of a different type of agent for them. The way her collector, Alexander Elmont, the head of this agency, had described it to her sounded as if this was some sort of superhero event, with the whole debriefing of this so-called Vial Corporation, and the role her younger sister Lisa played. Of course, Luan was skeptical, and hadn't bought into these claims just yet.

**May 27th, 2030**

And when she did, she found that there was more to what had been disclosed to her.

Lola and Lana had the privilege to reunite with both big brother Lincy and FBI agent Lynn after a little skirmish had been broken up between the latter two. Luan was put on the bench and wished the twins good luck when they had gone out to catch these two new so-called phemomenons, the new name that had been picked up around her speeding sisters, which she figured was another term for super freak or something of the sort.

Lynn and Lincoln both came back, with Lincoln himself being the only one in cuffs. Luan and Lynn had started at each other for a prolonged amount of time when they recognized each other, before it turned into a group hug with all the siblings. "Oh, my God!"

"Y-you?! Where- Where the fuck did you go after all these years?!" One second Lynn looked fine, and then she was actually crying, dropping tears before Luan, struck by the hell of a life-long mystery that was finally answered. "You're alive!"

The twins stood smiling away with pure joy, while Lincoln himself was just leaving around his handcuffs, before Elmont escorted both Lynn and Lincoln into the fortified interrogation room.

"Listen- We'll... We'll talk later, I hope-" Lynn promised Luan before disappearing with Lincoln.

Luan was inquiring about this event. "H-how-?! What the hell, is that really-?"

The twins were both just as happy as she was with the new development they've reached to, laughing away with happy tears in each of their eyes. "I know, right?! It's been so long, and-" Lana was too emotional for her own good, and broke down for Lola to take her in on her shoulder, giving her a nice rubbing and patting on her body.

"We've... We all have so much to catch up on, guys," Luan figured. "Maybe we can finally fill in the pieces, after all this time. I'm just dying to see Aunt Rinn again!"

Lana and Lola stopped smiling and gave each other sad looks as they entered the elevator, and Luan had pressed the bottom floor, not noticing them. "Y-yeah... Aunt Rinn..."

The short ride was silently awkward for the twins, but not for Luan, the girl they allowed to be happy until they would go on and break the news of Rinn Reagan's fate to her.

"Oh, right..." Luan had forgotten something about the past that might cause some sort of scuffle between Lynn and-

Luna stood leaning against the hall, near the elevator when the three women had come out. "Hey, dudes. Welcome back."

* * *

**AN: This Luan chapter finalizes the commencement for the main Louds being integrated into the Patriot Division that's just started out, as been revealed in a previous chapter. They'll be back in chapter ten, but while you wait, time for us to dive into never-before-seen dives into the ground territory of others. For sure this was just as short as the last pair of em, but Luan's story has just begun. More to tell with her just the same. **

**Next... Tackling a character I never have before.**


	7. Chapter 7

**November 3rd, 2029**

She was as young as they'd come, being one of twelve years old. So she wasn't exactly a full-blooded American, but mixed of both white and Hmong, born to an American and Hmong immigrant. It was her mother who came from Laos that settled down in the east coast, up until she met her father, and together they married and had only little Carly Evans-Nguyen. Carly was more like her mother in appearance, definitely a girl who would never bring anyone to question her ethnicity upon first glance, which she could pass herself as a full Hmong.

This day was the worst day she'd come to ever know and experience, from the understanding of it. First, it started out with a hate-crime, where someone had broken into their nice house in a dead end town in Missouri, which left both of her parents dead. She wasn't there to see it live and in person, for she had been out with friends.

The place was a crime scene when returning, proving to be as big a nightmare as any other. Only, it wasn't a nightmare. It happened, some disturbed soul decided to play killer and take their lives like that. And the world stopped turning in her favor.

She sat on the porch, broken in and alone while numerous cops, forensics and some detectives were moving about. It was a slow process, and maybe the slowest thing she'd ever had the dishonor to live through. It wasn't like a wait for recess or lunch in middle school, nor like the impatiently slow wait for the bell to ring to notify when school was over. No, this was more of a hellish variety, a grand example of torture she heavily wanted to end.

Poor little Carly wasn't allowed inside for her own good, and hell, not even for awhile for that matter, not that they had it taped off-limits, but Carly was not going to be able to actually stomach being around here, especially with no one to take care of her.

She broke and fled the scene when it broke inside of her after trying so hard to withstand the heartache from this, a most silently powerful blow to her character. She ran and left the units to do their work. Of course, she had been noticed by some of the cops, whom didn't do much to keep little Carly from fleeing.

She made no effort to face it just yet, or close around the now if any. Her breath was shaking, as if she had finished running a mile nonstop. Her blurry vision had made it nearly hard to see ahead of her- and had it so she actually bumped into a man. "Ahh!"

"Excuse me, miss...!" The man shrugged, helping Carly stabilize on her feet. The man, a clean-shaven young man around his twenties, looking like one of those handsome guys that belonged in clothes commercials, smiled at her once noticing her tears. "Hey, are you okay?"

Carly had no reason to talk to a random stranger, let alone answer a question this one had asked her just like this. She shook her head at first, deciding to continue running, but she had also begun to feel like she needed to vent, to get her self-contained fluctuated emotions out of her system. "M-my p-parents..."

"Your parents?" The man looked down past Carly, noticing some siren lights several blocks away. "Oh, I see..."

She didn't expect him to remotely understand what she was thinking, but it was that she was too emotionally distraught that straight thinking eluded her for now. She circled around him and continued to run away, further from her house, when the man called out for her. She glanced over her shoulder only to find the suave man gone. It slowed her down enough to shift her eyes around, trying to locate the man who just vanished without a trace. Spooky. She let it go certainly quickly, not giving too much of a damn for it- and saw the man right in front of her.

"Agh, jeez!" Carly jumped back, heart sinking immensely from being startled by this occurrence. "H-hey- Why are you f-following me?"

"Carly..." The man responded, voice growing quieter and serious.

It put Carly on an uneasy spectrum, which made her suspicious of the man. And that was also before she added the ominous fact that he knew her name. The statue form of the young girl had kept her unable to move this time, radiating an aura of overwhelming fear that paralyzed her. She had no words to say, and her brain, giving her all the red alerts to escape, was found conflicting with her body that dared not budge. "Uh... Um..." It was all she forced out from her lips.

"Do not be alarmed," the creepy yet handsome man soothed gently, stretching out a hand, waving it in front of Carly. He closed his palm and then opened it again to reveal a shiny diamond. He drew closer to her, holding her hands to place the diamond.

It was astonishing and bewildering for her own eyes. What had little Carly seen; an authentic work of some otherworldly magic, or a professional con trick that was meant to rope her into being gullible to buy what he was about to try and sell. The diamond in her hands felt real enough, yet somewhat sharp between her fingers. Rough, but was shining impeccably within the sunlight, glittering gracefully.

"How- How did you-?" Carly kept moving her head from the diamond to this strange man. "Are y-you a-?"

The diamond rose into the air, hovering in front of her shock-strickened face. She gasped, not taking her brown eyes off of it, but had raised a hand to poke at it.

The gentleman, whom she had now noticed was wearing a suit similar to that of a tuxedo, still had his hand out for the diamond to land back on his grasp. When he plucked it from the air, he closed his hand yet again and reopened it to Carly, showing her the disappearance of the gem. "I can take you away from here, miss. All you have to say is the magic word."

"M-magic..." Carly looked back at the scene that heavily obstructed the street. No way she could go back there to an empty place now, and the fact that she had no close relatives who would take her in was a shot through the roof.

The reason she wasn't close to her extended family was due to both of her parents' side of their own family trees had never blessed or accepted the interracial romance between them. For her mother, Ying, it had to do with the customs her family followed, groomed ideally to marry a male of her own race, which didn't exactly work out in the end.

Thomas Evans dealt with the same bullshit as well, only with his old man and siblings, berated heavily for not keeping the bloodline pure of their next of kin, when they'd figure he would settle with a child or two with the "Vietnam whore" as they had described her. That's where he broke away his contact with them, but not with his mother, the only person who blessed the marriage, but could not make it at all.

Even as Carly had aunts, uncles and cousins, she and her parents were the outcast of both sides, with the girl having only met close friends of her parents, and some of their kids as well. Even still...

She had never real close family not counting her parents.

An uncontrollable response, an unpredictable body movement, had her take the man's hand, all while still having that unshakeable feeling that she should not have. And by logic, she shouldn't have accepted whatever this was. But still, as creepy as this man appeared to be, he didn't seem hostile, or came with an aura of malicious intent. And for that one reason, which defeated her logic, she accepted his hand and took it.

Next thing she collected into her brain was him pulling her right into his chest for what she thought was a suffocation attack. "Hey-!" She cried out, before going muffled into his chest.

The man covered her entirely with his arms for just a second, setting his own chin on top of her head, closing his eyes while chanting in some weird, foreign language. She struggled to get out and escape his clutches for a few seconds before he had stopped chanting, and in turn, had let go of her.

"Whoa!" Carly fell back, smacking her back right into a tree. "Hey-!"

They weren't in her hometown anymore.

"Wait, what's going on?" The biome was a forest one, but Carly was at the start of the treeline tjat ran for miles on both sides. In front of her were some railroad tracks, set along the opening. The man had transported them both to this natural place, somewhere away from civilization, through some mysteriously supernatural means. No magic could ever accomplish such a thing. "Hey, what- What have you done?! Where have you taken me?!"

"Now, now," the man calmly spoke. "One question at a time. Come, Carly, we have much to discuss."

The man took initiative and started wandering off to one direction, moving swiftly among the train tracks. Carly took another look again, hoping to spot any other person around, which became more impossible by the second. She then thought to get help by contacting one of her friends from school in this emergency, but somehow her phone was not in the pocket of her skinny jeans for some reason, despite knowing she had them, was sure of it. Did the magician swipe it or...?

She chased after him.

**Night**

He created a campfire where they huddled around for warmth. Carly was getting cold from behind, despite having clothes to fight it off, having both the jeans and a pink fluffy sweater. Her hands stuck out closer to the fire, adding for some extra warmth. The fire called fiercely, maintaining its existing life as it laughed its fiery laugh, keeping the two strangers company in the shadow of the night. The magician, if that was what he actually was, was across from her, on the opposite side of the fire. He hadn't say anything about himself, only giving her commands on what to do under the promise that he would eventually explain himself. And he was about to fulfill.

"Carly..." The magician readied to address himself. "Before we start, I'd like to express my sincerest condolences to the loss of your parents."

She noted his harmless, kind nature, but had looked away at the mention of her loving parents. "Th-thank you..." She sadly whispered, still emotionally wounded by today's dastardly event that took a sharp turn in her life. "Now, tell me what it is you want with me, and also... Who, or what are you?"

The magician smiled, having the appreciation of Carly's eagerness to know it all. "For the record, this isn't a kidnapping-"

"I mean, my phone is missing," she cut in.

"-And I apologize for making it appear like that. Excuse my bumpy mannerisms, but my name is Ray Robertson, and... Well, as you can guess, I am affiliated with the arts of magic and sorcery."

Carly raised an eyebrow. "Magic and... Are you saying you're a wizard? You don't look like one."

Ray laughed, shaking his head. "No, no, I am not a wizard, just a practitioner of magic on an expert level, as you have seen back home."

It made sense to her, even as it didn't at the same time. "Huh... I never believed in magic before. I mean, I watched the Harry Potter movies but, wow. So... Where do I fit into this?"

"I am able to foresee any helpless individual in dire need of saving or serious help, and I answer the call, for any vision that I can get. In this case, and I don't mean to be weird, but I saw you before we met, and so it was by destiny's firm hand that I come to you."

"Wh-what?" She was confused. "What do you mean saving me? I... I didn't need saving, Mister Robertson! Not me, my parents! My parents!"

What he kept to himself was that he had seen Carly as part of a larger design that required her presence, and all he needed to do was give her the push to assure she would partake in this unconventional path which a spot all ready for her. This was his real job, and then he'd go find another person who needed to wander into their design with his help. Carly was only the second person he had seen with a greater purpose, over the usual people he'd been used to rescuing. To say that he saw the future she participated in was too simple, yet one way to look at it. Either way, he was here to set Carly on a different path.

"Yes, I am aware of that, and again, I am sorry."

Carly was struck with anger, only seeing that this practitioner of magic had proven his authenticity and yet failed to prove his word by not intervening in the tragedy. That was it! This man was mocking her! "How dare you?!"

"Carly-"

"All this speak of helping poor souls is crap! Why didn't you just-?!"

Ray swooshed his left hand into the air, which changed the setting as if they were in some virtual reality; the forest surrounding them had vanished, replaced by an empty stage made for operas and plays. The setting changed from the grim dark to a lowly lit tan that filled about the ceiling and stage in full. Carly was in the front row, seated in one of the seats next to Ray. She was just as confused as she was before, and was about to ask what was happening when they gained two unexpected guests.

A man and a beautiful young woman were on the stage, slowly dancing as a song in the background played, presumably from behind the curtain. As Carly listened on, she realized she was listening to a song that felt like it belonged of the past century. "Where are we?"

Ray only looked on towards the couple, and only faintly did Carly see a sort of twinkle in his eyes that she didn't know to label as an illusion cast from her eyes or the real thing, which begged the question of why he looked like he wanted to cry. And when Carly looked back at the slow-dancing couple who didn't take notice of their existence, she made the connection; the man had turned out to be him. Apart from that, but Ray- dancing Ray- looked to be the exact same one as he did now.

"Oh..." Carly then found herself interested in the girl she assumed was his wife or lover. The girl looked to be around the man's age, if not younger, smiling widely in her black dress with a red stripe circling around the waist. "Who... Who is that woman?"

"My fiance... Or, ex-fiance," he informed Carly, twirling his fingers afterwards at the dancers. She looked on to see both lovers, from this possible flashback or memory play, stop and stare at them. Then, the pale girl in the black dress disappeared, which made her partner drop to his knees, tilt his head downward and brood. Ray let out a defeated sigh. "Saving everyone is logically impossible, and I hope you would never have to understand that, which would mean that you'd never be part of situations were you're not given those dilemmas or ultimatums, but..." .

Carly swayed from the stage to him, beginning to connect the dots of his message. "You mean...?" And she pointed a finger, waving it around, summing up his harsh lesson; he believed that because if was true, had to be, and it was only true if- "You lost her, didn't you?"

Carly wasn't planning to be direct about it, but she had to know. She had to know what he was trying to sell her, and whether or not she believed it was on her. "Well? Is that how you know?"

He never responded, which ended up answering for her the question. Then, he meant what he said earlier and told the truth. He did... Didn't he? But it only enticed her to be angry again.

"No, that can't be it! Th-that was only once! Y-you can do anything, right? Right?!" She grew desperate, voice starting to break as the body quake severely, more able to move this time. "H-hey, you can revive them! You can, I know you can- What are you waiting for?!"

Ray only turned his head and met her teary eyes, having the look that said he could not promise her anything, a sort of confrontational stare that challenged Carly's state of thinking, set on her emotional preference. "I simply cannot. Forgive me, child."

"No... No, don't-" She gripped and folded her hands into fists, thomping the air as if a table was in front of her. "Don't give me that! You pulled put a perfectly rare gem from your hands! If you can do that-"

The setting returned to its original form at Ray's expense, bringing them back to the campfire. "My magic has limitations, little one. Resurrection of the dead is not impossible, but it must never be done. Do you know why?"

"No... Tell me!" She demanded. "What is it that will not make you do this for me?"

He controlled the fire and created two fiery spheres above the fire, where he stood up and began a lecture. "There is a balance between life and death, which that itself is a balance on the universal scale. Everything, and I mean everything, has a reason for being in some degree."

"No... No, I don't buy that! My parents dying- What was the reason for that?! To- To hurt me?! Well, it worked!" She stumbled about, legs shaking from both the combined anger and pain that it tossed her on her knees. Hitting the ground repeatedly with her hands, she heaved out some broken words barely comprehensible. "Give- give them back to me! I just- I need them! I need them, please!"

The girl meant it for all that it was worth to her. For all that they were worth to her, and it was clear as daylight she'd do anything for the exchange. Or, that's what she'd claim, until he'd counter it with an impossible task or journey that was out of her hands. Then, she'd understand the price to break the balance, which she didn't understand just yet. "I'm sorry, but I cannot."

They may have been jabs to her frail, small heart, but Carly needed it. Carly needed to learn this the hard way. They were never coming back, but her life didn't have to derail because of it, needed to be reminded by her. "Fraud magic man! Nothing but a fraud!"

"Please, I have more to offer you... I can help you-"

"No, no, I-" She cried too hard that her words had finally become inaudible weeping.

Ray pulled out tissues from the sleeves of his fancy attire, flicking them to her. "I don't think your parents would want you to be sad, little one."

Carly wiped her face lightly with the few tissues and looked up at him from below. The sleeves of her pink sweater had gottwn dirty, as did her jeans, but she gave no substantial damn for it, or for anything else for that matter.

"I certainly know my own wouldn't want me to be sad, and to tell you the truth, it has been so dreadfully long since I've seen them... And I know they've passed as well, so we have that in common."

So what he was saying was that he understood her.

"I have much to teach you, little one," he revealed. "And I will do so, under the role of your personal caretaker."

_Caretaker? _This shocked her in a neutral way.

"Yes," he replied, dropping the mind-reading card. "When you're ready..."

**February 17th, 2030**

"Okay, again!" Ray spawned some shadow figures in the barren grassy field, right in front of the growing girl. The drills were simple; Carly was to practice her newfound skills and techniques onto them as fast as she could. The exercise was more or less like a virtual simulation, only it was possible for the girl to get hurt in this training, just one of many things she had the liberty of learning while under Ray's wing.

They lived in a cabin away from civilization, where she had died only to be reborn as a new person. A new Carly who'd come a long way after the atrocious devastation of her family. Yes, she missed them every so often, and wondered what could have happened if that never happened. She never dwelled on it too long, seeing as how overthinking it would slow and shut her down.

In between, she learned much about him and threw her trust slowly. The facts were never too specific, but Ray Robertson happened to be immortal, a curse that was the result of his older brother, a practitioner of Haitian voodoo and dark sorcery. It wasn't just him who was affected by the hand of his brother, but the girl Ray loved, his old fiance, had suffered a cruel fate, and that was it. No names were given, nor an idea of when or where it happened. But it didn't matter, and plus, she wasn't too rude or demanding to venture down that lane.

Carly swung her hands to punch the shadow figures using the fighting techniques she'd learned from Ray. She performed some roundhouse kicks, but her height was somewhat of a disadvantage to her leg swings as of yet. She still had a long way to go.

The style was basically that of a martial arts style of fighting, and more. She questioned it, but was under the impression since day one that he proposed this so that she could defend herself properly, overkill for a precautionary measure. She always figured she'd be a pacifist, or at least never having the thought that she'd get into trouble to the levep it called for use of this particular violence. Carly, a mere girl with a soft heart, had an ideal makeover now, and while she was young as well. What then?

After defeating the shadowy figures, she stretched out her limbs and cracked her knuckles. Her physique had been healthy all of her life, but she gained some muscle overall, to the point she felt she could break anything she held easily. Other than that, nothing had really changed, apart from her hair growing out long enough to reach her shoulders, which she found herself okay with. In the before time, she was irritated by that and cut her black hair. The earrings were another thing, but she kept them for now.

"Excellent, little one!" Ray proudly complimented. "You can take a break if you please."

"Hm?" Carly had a desire to keep at it, for she had begun to enjoy the fighting exercises. "Hold on, give me a few more!"

"Oh?" Ray was mesmerized in a good way. "My, you really love this, don't you?" He spawned five more punching bags for her. "Last bunch, I mean that."

Carly smiled pleasantly and worked her way through them, performing all her moves.

**Later**

The sun was setting low, and she was alone again, leaning against a tree, looking up into the heavens. Somewhere high above, they were watching her, and she had that distinct feeling it might have been true when a breeze moved directly to her face, blowing her hair out of place. It spoke to her like the gentle touch of a mother's warmth when she applied her hand to little Carly's face.

And Carly was still able to remember those times when both of her parents tucked her in, after one or the other had read a fairy tale. While she had found it a repetitive agenda, she never minded it at all. Not when they were there, giving her all the right love and attention. All the right support and affection she loved of them. Their faces, full of content behind the silliness, always a sight to treasure.

So why did she miss that only now? They were gone, but Carly had grown out of that child phase long before death wrapped its cold fingers around them. It made no sense for her to be- Unless... She did miss them, and it only took for her parents to be dead to realize it. She gasped. Why was this?

The horizon was a gleaming orange now, sparkling away as the sun, presented now as a dome, kept moving downward while the clouds around the spectacle were scattered in lines horizontally. A perfect sunset she found rather peaceful and calm at this time of year. And she smiled, snuggled perfectly to the tree she leaned against. She reached out in an effort to pluck the clouds out of the air; maybe by being around Ray long enough, the essence of his magic might have rubbed off on her, giving her the same properties as him.

Nope, no puffy cotton candy-like material entered her grasp at all, but it would have been wonderful if it was possible. And for posterity, it was indeed possible by Ray's specialties.

He joined her, standing right beside the tree. "What are we looking at?"

"The sunset..." Carly jerked her head forward, directing to it. "It's beautiful."

"It truly is quite a marvel, isn't it?" He set his hands to his hips and whistled. "Oh, man..."

"What, you've never taken the time to look at one?" Carly teased jokingly, responded with a blank expression by him. "Wait, you're kidding me, right?"

"No, I have... It's just been awhile is all..." He faced the sunset again. "But I've seen the dawn before, which feels longer to arrive in the day, I feel."

"Explain... I've never seen one, but they're the same thing, aren't they?"

"On the surface level, they are, yes." Ray began kicking away at some rocks beneath his feet. "But a dawn is just seen less by people, which is because of not only the time, but the fact that there's that darkness just before it. Not enough are up and about to watch it, and for those who are... I think they simply do not care."

She blinked idly.

"On the other hand, the sunset marks the end of a day, and more people tend to flock to it because it has wholesome value. Families, friends, and even couples come together to enjoy it together, whether at a park, at a backyard, or anywhere else. It always has more meaning than what we've believed when growing up... And now that I told you-"

Carly was baffled by such an analogy. "Holy shit, dude!"

"Ahem!"

"Okay, but that- That was very... Spiritual and deep."

"Well, I gave it some thought, but not too much thought, mind you. I hope you can carry this with you for the rest of your life, little one. See the sunset with kids-" He stopped, realizing she was still young than need be to give her such advice. "Oh, disregard my words."

She chuckled, then frowned. "I've never looked at it that way, no. I never- I never had the time to really notice things to that level there, Ray. Nor have I seen one together with my mom and dad. If only... Still, that makes me rethink what I thought I knew."

"Oh, hey, I don't mean to make your head rattle lifelong with such stuff. They come to you in due time, little one. You'll learn as you'll live, I can promise you that."

Carly had a question. "So... You, what about you? Have you seen your fair amount of both?"

"Oh... Well," Ray coughed. "I've only ever seen a few of each, but nothing to label it memorable."

"Huh... Figured you would by your answer to my question. Okay, so you proved me wrong, but I was talking in terms of appearance."

Ray simply raised his shoulders and smiled like a goof. "I guess a simple 'I don't think so' would have sufficed, huh?"

"I guess so, yeah." Carly was done admiring the sunset and moved back to their cabin uphill.

"Wait, I must drop some news regarding your future," he insisted, stopping Carly from heading back.

"My future? You mean the fact that you basically took me in, like, not at all legally? I've gotta be missing back home after all this time, too. Speaking of... What am I supposed to say when I do go back? I can't exactly say a magician raised me like some secluded person, can I?"

"No, no you cannot," Ray chuckled lightly. "I wasn't planning on having you stay around too long, just enough time to train you."

"Wait, train me for what?" Carly had the funny idea that he was looking for the next person to take his place. Weird. "I am so confused... Wait, you can see into-?"

"It's complicated, but I can, yes. Now..." He shot a hand out at her direction and flicked it upwards. "You'll be needing that."

He changed her clothes, which surprised her yet again with the magic. Carly now sported a black suit similar to a shinobi shozoku, coming with a hood and a dual-blade holster occupied by a pair of katanas. "Wait, why am I dressed as a ninja? And what-?" The katanas proved to be somewhat heavy for her. "Are you going to make me a freaking assassin?! Are you kidding me?!"

"No, no, it's nothing of the sort. Here, take my hand." He held it out for her, and she took it, faster than their first time before. "There is a special place for you, I just needed you to get ready for it. From there, your new friends will take matters into their hands, and your life will get better. You will know no loneliness again."

"Wait, what? What new friends? Hold on-" Carly got no respective answers with Ray wrapping himself around her in an awkward hug, muttering that strange language again. And she had yet to ask what it was.

**Elsewhere**

"Remember, you're here to get a job," Ray instructed her, placing his soft hands on her tiny shoulders. "Specifically as a bodyguard."

They stood near a narrow dirt road, standing in the middle of nowhere. Behind them, a rectangular building stood out in the open grassy field around. They were alone very briefly until three vehicles drove down the opposite direction, no doubt returning to the building up ahead.

"This seems kinda fishy... Bodyguard for who? And... What for?"

"Worry not, little one, for you will be falling into greatness. And if you're thinking you'd be doing some evil work, I can safely say you will not be. Okay, time to move."

"Move-?" Carly was hurled into the air, hiding above in the trees. "Hey, what am I-?!"

"Middle car is your target! Don't worry, I'll drop you when it approaches! Talk to Lisa Loud, she'll be riding in the middle."

"I don't know who that is! Wait, are you gonna stay?" Her legs kicked around in the air, desperate to be at ground level. "Ray?"

She stayed floating, watching the three white armored trucks pass beneath her. And just as Ray said, she landed on the roof, sticking out on all fours. The armored truck had stopped abruptly, jerking her body an inch backwards. "Damn it!"

She attracted multiple armed men from all three vehicles, facing down the barrels of many rifles and shotguns. It nervously spooked her enough to piss herself until she remembered what she was doing, under the instructions of her caretaker. "I want to speak to Lisa Loud! I know she's underneath me!" Carly kicked at the roof when standing up, arms held out. It was almost a miracle she hadn't been shot to shit. Maybe that was Ray's doing, from where he had hidden.

The armed security for this Lisa Loud person looked at each other with eyebrows raised before all centered on the middle truck.

"Well, if you cannot handle the waiting time for a scheduled meeting like all of my appointments..." A young woman of the high school variety, quite possibly a graduate, had emerged from the back of the rear, looking up at Carly. She was a brunette with some short, messy hair, wearing huge black glasses, dressed in a green shirt underneath a white coat and tan pants that spoke out simply but sophisticated at the same time. Her face was darkly unreadable, but it was like Lisa was doing the analyzing on the girl. "And who might you be, child?"

Carly was about to say her name, but she figured she needed something intimidating, yet interesting that it could sink hooks into others when it was spoken. Something, something that also had meaning the way Ray had presented conceptually to her.

Her parents, lives snatched by an angel of death in one of her better days, only for it to be the reverse thereafter. An... Angel of death... Took them-

"Well?" Lisa was rather impatient. "What is the meaning of intruding on such short notice?"

"My friends call me Cici," Carly revealed. "But for you, it's-"

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter VII: Death Angel**

* * *

**March 3rd, 2030**

Carly hadn't seen Ray since then, and wondered how he was doing. How intriguing had it been for her to actually meet someone affiliated with a world straight out of a fantasy movie. If that was real, then who was to say supernatural realms weren't either? Boy, that was a little unnerving and creepy to think about. Safe to say she wasn't part of it, meaning no residual danger from that.

Still, she had been curious about Ray's whole origin, and that woman from that live scenery he pulled out of his head. He showed it to appeal to her, and she knew that already. But... Was it actually real? Or did she get fooled?

She was cut off when the buzzing kicked off, letting her know the simulation was starting.

Lisa Loud took complete advantage of the minor martial artist, accepting her as her second private bodyguard, a weird decision thus far, and Carly had yet to be introduced to the first one. It was the potential that Carly had which pushed the decision, and now, here she was, the mixed girl of two different races, submitted and integrated into Vial Corporation and its endless cruelty which she had not known as of yet.

But here, it was different than that she knew. Here, she had been given more power, higher than the average security around the facility. But still, she was the girl who still needed a life, and Lisa herself saw to it that Carly received a few private tutors. Meanwhile, the Missing Persons case for Carly had been closed and taken care of by Lisa's influence, and it would be practically impossible for someone to figure out that Carly was not actually missing.

Her fighting skills were put to the test, closely watched and recorded to spot any weaknesses and places to focus and improvise by the combat instructor of this Vial Corp facility. Carly began to enjoy the blades, being a beginner as of yet with them.

_"Initiating combat simulation!"_

The beeping stopped, and Carly, staring down at the end of the round room, was now facing multiple holographic hostiles at once. Still dressed in her black suit and armed with her katanas, Carly reached her hands out behind and gripped the handles, sliding them out. "Let's go!"

**May 29th, 2030**

_"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" _

Not a drill, but an actual lockdown. It occurred to her that one, or maybe more hostiles, were barging in for an attack. She had been alerted of an attack that happened in the Dadetown facility, which sent this one to be more wary and cautious of any suspicious activity. Today was that day, it seemed. She strapped up to her katana holster, and came running right behind some of the guards passing by her personal room. "What's the consensus, doc?"

_"Intruders at the main hall! Do not let them infiltrate the data room! Stop them at all costs!"_

She followed the armed security to the staircase when two figures had already appeared at the second floor, stopping them shortly. "Hey, what's going on? Why did you guys-?" She broke through the circle, coming face-to-face with two blonde women in white, armored suits. "Who-?"

She blinked once- and upon opening her eyes, they were gone. This followed by a sudden gust of air that blew her hair fluttering backwards. Not only that, but somehow the weight of her katana pack had become light. She touched her back and felt nothing there. "What the-?"

Lana had disarmed her while Lola took care of the opposition, knocking them out with gut punches. "Hey, what's with this little girl, Lola?"

Carly put her hood on and lunged at Lana, but the speedster got out of the way. "Holy-" She fell, coming right in contact with Lola's feet.

"This isn't a pheno, Lana. She's trying to fight us." Lola picked Carly up and performed a sleeping hold. "Goodnight, girly."

And Carly lost that fight, proceeding to drift off into sleep.

* * *

**AN: Cici, ladies and gentlemen! More scenes with her are around the corner, as well as her befriending some certain Louds down the road. I've got big plans for her, so just wait for them to unveil. Cici, taking on the role that Lucy had in the 2026 series, which in complex terms is, she was the original Lucy, in the whole "ninja" department, which I know isn't exactly fitted for Lucy, hence a corrected mistake on my part. **

**Ray Robertson, an original creation made by me since... Fuck knows. Same origin intact, and I'm glad I found a spot to place and establish him this time. Quite a role he plays for not one, not two but three characters in total, directly that is. It's the look that I decided to change... Just imagine him as a Ben Barnes lookalike, I guess. I'm not good with these things xD. More of Ray down the line, for like a few more chapters. Don't worry, his backstory is all set. **

**I'm going the supernatural route here, more than with magic. Next chapter is a dive into it; Demon Hunter. Does thou want to miss it?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter VIII: Demon Hunter**

* * *

**January 16th, 2030**

The female stranger came into the old, rundown asylum once known as the Dark Bay Asylum, around a small South Carolina town. The place was as she expected it to be; a littered mess, with blood smears on both the walls and floor, along with dirt, dust and some degree of moss that came from the shattered, flirty windows. If that weren't all, there were also vermin crawling about, in the form of rats, cockroaches, and even spiders. It was a beautiful safe haven for a foul creature not set in a normal human's lifestyle. A perfect place for a Tiramakkuri monster. Maybe a perfect place where Mister Madness was hiding in.

The female stranger had come here for a fight; packed with an utility belt that held a wooden stake, a silver fork, and some other defensive material, the demon hunter expected a demon of some sort. She used to have bangs before, but she grew out of them, keeping her hair short at the front, but long enough for it to be called attractive. Her current style of clothes hadn't really changed, but rather than the common black, she had come with a dark blue sweater, and dark blue jeans, which had proved to help her stand out in the darkness when other demons were nearby, lurking about. They could tell black from shadow, but not this blue tone. Not yet at least, and hopefully never.

Apart from that, Lucy had given in to boots, and holsters for both a handgun and a survival knife. For that, she had two of each, knives placed right above her boots, and guns set on her curvy hips. She was more than qualified for the job.

Lucy Loud was a demon hunter, but not like Ed and Lorraine Warren- No, she was more like the fictional Winchester type of hunter, chasing monsters left and right and killing them, nothing less than that. Killing them through the bizarre and sometimes ridiculous means, and through it all, through all the scars she received, all the infections, and the blood shed in the aftermath of her fights, Lucy would never be one such girl to give up...

She had never anything to lose, therefore nothing slowed her down.

It started for her long ago, when she wandered through the streets of Royal Woods, scared and alone. Up until a man had shown up and took her under his wing, promising her a role of great importance thereafter. This man had come to be known as Ray Robertson, a young man not even in his early thirties, smooth-skinned and suave. So much better than that one British tutor Lincoln had. But it was weird for her to address it to herself.

Ray was the one person who brought her into the supernatural world, teaching her about such entities that roamed when the sun came down, and such entities that crawled out of the closet and under the beds. Shadow Demons, the Tiramakkuri, Hellves, witches, and other odd creatures that preyed on people, either influencing or killing them, for the endless spread of evil. Ray himself was some sort of wizard in her eyes, one such person who had taken to this battlefield, fighting and defeating the wretches of the supernatural world.

But the thing with that was, he was just one person who kept at it for an unknown number of years. Lucy had been informed by him that he was an immortal being, living in an undying loop to see tomorrow. The real reason why Ray was bothering with this crusade was because he went chasing after the one person he had to thank for the change in his life and the apparent death of the girl of his dreams. His search for clues and leads had not taken him anywhere yet, but Lucy had agreed to help him when the time came that they should meet again.

It turned out that this person was Ray's older brother, Ryan Robertson, a mastermind of dark magic, who had taken the moniker of Mister Madness, making it a personal affair for him, more than she had initially thought. Having no clues at all, Ray had suggested they split up to cover more track, hence her being in the asylum on her own tonight, the sixteenth week or so pursuing demons on her own.

A lifetime ago, little Lucy Loud would think of this deadly journey as wickedly cool, approved by her gothic nature. That girl she had been, gone, destroyed completely and replaced with this darker version of the gloomy goth. If not for that... If not for the fire, where would she be? What would have been her destiny if it all went well for her?

Lucy woke up into a harsher reality where her sense of safety and comfort was compromised, stripped away from those she loved as well. Why, it made her feel naked, but with that, she had been truly alone with her thoughts, coming to terms that her goth persona was not her true self. And this... This demon hunter she was now... Was that the real Lucy?

She pushed past a few stretchers and tables, leaping over fallen chairs while being illuminated by the ruby amulet she kept active as a light source. The specialty that came with the amulet was the ability to halt certain demons dead in their tracks, and in some degree, were able to be controlled by the holder of the amulet. This applied to the Shadow Demons alike, beings of a dark essence formed of the sin of man, with their atrocious nature varying on how inhumane the source was.

Her footsteps were soft to the core, a stealth operation until she made contact, and if she was lucky, she'd not have any to deal with. If she were really lucky, she'd find a bunch of demons, but in the weaker range, and if she was kissed upon by Lady Luck, there could be a definite clue that led to Mister Madness so that she could report back to Ray.

She moved through the second floor, gracefully and cautiously advancing to the next floor. Nothing was spotted on the main floor, and she hadn't encountered anything yet, and she was more than halfway through. Ahead of her was a large hole that connected to the third floor above, halting her dead in her tracks. She held the amulet high, shining the red glowing light above her face.

Being a black-haired woman of 5'5, she wished she was taller, and maybe she'd grow taller in the future, but until then, she'd remain at this height for now. She went on her tiptoes to get the light as high as she can, trying to look past the hole. Her ears picked up a faint rustling above, directing her to place one of her hands on the gun on her left hip.

For a brief moment, silence came into play, strong enough to make the earth freeze from rotating. She inhaled through her nose calmly, still drawn in a readied pose, expecting a ghoul to appear.

And one such creature had; a furry head poked out and screeched with hostility, showing off sharp teeth, pointy ears, and reflective, tiny white eyes. At most, the creature didn't look all too far from a bat, only overgrown, and fiercely deadly, but not enough to intimidate Lucy right off the bat. Heh.

"Tiramakkuri!" Lucy pulled out both guns as the bat creature entered the lower floor, revealing itself as a monster of six feet, lean mass, and a body of pure horror. It opened and flapped its wings at her, trying to cut her down to size. The firing had begun, and Lucy went aiming for the head to slow the creature down.

From the verbal lessons, and two past experiences, the best way to kill Tiramakkuri demons was to strike the vital parts like their living animal descendants were structured with vulnerability. Head, heart, and any vital organs. The only challenge was, these types had thick skin, nearly impossible for her to penetrate through, but not out of her hands.

The demon blocked the last of her bullets, but Lucy had gotten three or four headshots in, damaging it already. She jumped back when the huge bat-thing swung again, but lower to sweep her off her feet, missing entirely. Too bad the amulet was useless tonight.

"Damn!" Lucy pulled two backup mags from behind, tucked in her custom utility belt.

"TERRETHIAAAAAAN!"

She barely had a window to reload before shooting again, firing a burst of three shots before moving backwards at the hallway. It kept blocking away her shots, leaving her to strategize rather than run out of ammo. Then, she found a way through its feet, composed of talons, firing at each leg to hurt it. They had to be unprotected- and she guessed right when her foe slumped over, screeching maniacally. Lucy immobilized the creature, but was left with one fourth of the ammo she had brought to the party.

"NOOOO, NO! TERRETHIAN SCUM!" The bat Tiramakkuri desperately clawed its hands away on the dirty floor, hissing with warranted hatred and ravenous desire to kill the demon hunter. "TERRETHIAN LUCILLE!"

Lucy moved forward again, only with no disregard nor with the assumption that it wasn't alone. Guns totes at the ready, Lucy centered the sights at the open head and let her lead fly away at the target, managing to vanquish the beast. It was only after it had died when Lucy was reminded of Fangs, an actual pet bat she owned back in her goth days. Fangs, the pet she lost to...

And then it all came rushing back all at once, distracting her from the present. The fire, the black smoke, and then her younger self having enough bad luck to be knocked out by the falling debris as she ran out the back. That, all of that was over a decade ago, and her family had been dead since then. Her, the sole survivor, as told by Ray Robertson, but was told a lie.

The blood that leaked from the bat Tiramakkuri was blue, but the glow of the amulet made it appear red. The blood formed a small lake of blood, mixing with the mess of the ground. Lucy checked her ammo, counting the remainder of her rounds. There was so much to consider with her weapons, and at half of the time during missions, she'd never have the exact kill device for the proper hostile. Thank God she had chosen the guns, thinking she'd come across a werewolf again, which had happened last week. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

She had been fixated on killing it that she forgot about the torture sequence she had to play out. Silly her! Needless to say, Lucy was in a sulky mood, berating herself for failing her mystical master. She had to report back to him every seven days, and tomorrow was that seventh day since they split up. What joy to inform him she had killed the Bat Tiramakkuri, which did nothing for them really. "Aw, fuck."

"What's wrong, Lucy?" Ray had dropped by unannounced, a bit too early than she expected. "Oh, is this-?"

"Animal demon, yeah," Lucy informed. "I got nothing out of him, I'm sorry."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Ray was in his familiar tuxedo suit, looking rather spiffy, due for a party of some sort. "I would safely say that there was no chance it would talk. But remember, Tiramakkuri are truly the worst of the worst, but avoid what they call us as... What was it, Terrethians? We're like aliens to them."

Lucy opened her mouth briefly and nodded slowly, trying to juggle all the facts. There was almost too much to remember from all of this. Too much... And yet there was so little in between the fighting, and nothing but breaks in between, carrying a near empty life lacking the essentials. At this point in her life, the young woman in her twenties needed to get out more, maybe meet a nice man, date the man and have some great first-time sex. Yes, Lucy was a pure virgin, and one who would not be easy to force down. That was one such beauty of knowing how to fight, akin to a warrior, or close.

Not that she gave it enough thought, but maybe once she'd get back into civilization and try out living. Hmmm... Funny. To think that would admit to knowing that she was dead the whole time. Dead in the sense of being trapped in some endless cycle of supernatural violence and death, and on the surface, it was to help both the mortal world and Ray's own crusade. But why? Why was it that Lucy accepted a role in it, rather than run from it? Why didn't she walk away before? Why... Why was now the time that told her she was being worn out?

"Ray..." Lucy had been at it for years, and not once had she the notion to drop her weapons and leave. No... But maybe something inside of her was telling her what for, building up ever so slowly that it might have taken this long to finally make her understand that she was a mortal not impervious to death. Ray himself knew that Lucy was one such sidekick who could die at any moment while fighting demons, and the fact that she still breathed to this day proved them both to be equally fortunate. But down the line, just one day of the future, one fatal mistake could change all that for her. One thing.

Her grip on reality had clenched even more tighter, and the twenty-two-year-old expanded her mind past the usual agenda.

Only, there was no need to say anything; Ray came with the mind-reading ability, already scanning her head for the next few words. He would never invade her privacy at any given time, but sensed that something troubled her, hence the exception. "Ah, is that how you feel?"

"What- Oh, right... That again." Lucy rubbed the back of her neck. "Forgot you could do that."

"Not to be forgettable, really... So, you wish to settle down long enough to get feels of a normal life, right?"

Lucy held a thumbs up and smiled, but not an authentic one. She didn't know exactly what to feel or say, considering that it dropped out of nowhere for her. The inner conflict was rather strange, but not an irrational one for her. It confused her, petrified her, slipping her into the deep sea of thought to bring her into question what she was doing, and what she should have been doing.

"I mean, I don't know. I could use a break, but... There's also the matter of this secret war. Like, how long will I be at it? Will it take for me to die so the journey ends for me? What happens when you find Mister Madness? Its all you've been doing this for, and when it comes to an end..."

"Lucy, we'll cross that bridge when it gets there. And additionally, I believe you know that you have a purpose-"

"Which you haven't explained to me as of yet, magic man!" Lucy reminded. "It's all cryptic crap with you, man! Couldn't you tell me what this so-called purpose is?"

"I simply cannot, Lucy. That is something you must figure out for yourself, and you will come to realize it not long ahead, I guarantee-"

"Hmph..." The babble aggravated Lucy greatly. She crossed her arms, and then yelped in dire pain. "What the-?"

Ray inspected her right arm, seeing a red slash running across her elbow, made by a clawed attack. "It seems you are injured. May I?" He didn't wait for her to give an answer; Ray brought a tissue out of thin air, using it to wipe her wound. Not only did he wipe the leaking blood away, but the wound itself was gone.

"Is that enchanted, too?" Lucy pointed at the tissue, wiggling her finger. "Now why can't I have some of that magic? You can transfer it, can't you?"

Ray shook his head. "That is not how it works, Lucy."

"Oh, but you can apparently take a look into the future and see what mines is? Is that right?"

"Lucy..." He was not about to explain it again. "I do not hold you to this, I never have. Should you choose to leave..."

Lucy squinted.

"You may live out the rest of your life among the populace."

She gasped, letting the news sink in. The choice was there, hers for the taking. A simple yes to say, a yes that would soon place her in-

Her mind backtracked all of a sudden. Where would she be? What was her true future if the fire had not happened? It confused and terrified her, primarily because of the simple fact and reason that, when she got right down to it...

Lucy had no life experience, or anyone to teach her. Ray was only just as good to have trained her to be a demon hunter, merely assistance to him, and nothing more. Also, the man was not one for social outgoings from what Lucy can tell. If not him, then there would be no one else. Nowhere else. Nowhere else to go, and therefore-

"No," she answered with a shaky voice. "No... I can't, n-not just yet..."

"Oh?"

"S-so... Tell me, when will-? When will I figure myself out? I..." Lucy ran her fingers down on her guns, rubbing on the grips mindlessly while her head went elsewhere, into a mental projection of what she assumed her own future was; Lucy, standing over a pile of demon corpses she had collected as trophies, all from her endless blood quest that wasn't even hers to begin with. It was here that, the odd, uncommon life she led, she knew it was more of her second nature... Or maybe even her first st this point. "I don't know... I don't know if I can do this forever."

"And you won't, Lucy. You won't." That was his promise he could keep, but there was nothing more attached to satisfy her curiosity or fill that particular emptiness and strange gut feelings she had. "I know it..."

The amulet had died out on her, leaving them in a state of darkness. "Dang it."

**Far From Now**

The figure in the black, wavy cloak and the white mask with painted set of red eyes and a red smile, a creepy facial expression at that, kept pursuing the running Lucy, laughing and cackling. This was Mister Madness closing in on her through the sewers right underneath the city of Los Angeles. Lucy could barely contain her nose from the awful odors around her. A grand mistake had been made on her part, and she was caught with her pants down, facing such a resilient, tactical foe unfazed by her party tricks she figured would assist her in this battle.

They found each other, and Ray was not around to jump into this personal affair.

"Running won't do you any good, girlie! I will eviscerate you!"

Only being human, Lucy found that her stamina was running out, slowing her down even before she could manage to escape the dreaded man in black. _Where the hell is Ray?!_

She tripped on a puddle of some unknown liquid in front of her, falling on her back while sliding forward a few feet, with her black sweater propping up, getting her back scathed heavily. "YEARGH!"

She was quick to step back up, but only on a normal level; the bloodthirsty enemy had gotten his grop on her, leaping at her, covering her like a shadow of endless darkness, laughing his diabolical laugh yet. He had caught her, and now, Lucy was sure to die.

* * *

**AN: Returning to the angle of supernatural, explored already in the Demon fic with Lupa. All of that supernatural mythology is canon here, with an additional expansion of it in time. places where I've limited before. More of that in a bigger world, too, I might add. Oh, it's gloriously amazing, but a tough thing as well. And just like in 2026, the sci-fi and supernatural realms will not be colliding with each other. Trust me, I've made enough of a design without the corssing of both worlds. Lucy's role won't be set or placed in the main world along with her sisters, but she will be meeting a few again, as well as learn the truth that not all of them have lied... You might just hate me on how she'll figure it out.**

**Just one more chapter before the big one of this first act. Yeesh. Until next time, peeps.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter IX: Grey**

* * *

**June 11th, 2028**

Her semester, a long one with endless studies and homework, was over at long last. The nights she'd spend awake until 3 AM for an essay or a packet due had proved to kick her ass time and time again. Coffee was her best friend those days she slept for a short period of time, despite her not ever really liking the cup of joe to begin with.

But for a break, Caroline Pingrey would not have to brew it or buy the McDonald's brand until the next time she had a date with a killer assignment.

Caroline Anne Pingrey was your average college girl infatuated in her studies, married to it in a sort of sense. She was a twenty-three-year-old blonde of 5'6, body type and measurements being in the regular range as her female peers. Her hair was perfectly straight on all mornings, even in those coffee-induced ones, reaching out past her shoulders. The skin tone she had was the common pinkish-white recognizable among most of the white folk, but she had considered a tan once before.

The thing about Caroline was that, while mommy and daddy dearest Cynthia and John Pingrey were aiming to groom her into the politics game, the daughter of the two wanted to have a career in something else that did not open the gates into political arguments. Caroline denied it believing there could be some sort of a fuck up down the line should she go that line, and not to mention that she, being a girl, felt at a tight disadvantage. Fuck all that, she believed.

With that, she settled for something a little more her, and the career she chose was with the legal system. Truth, justice, and the American way.

A bit more to accomplish before she was certified to enter that particular field, and she'd then be proud. Anything that followed after would follow through her career, or bust!

The girl moved gracefully from the campus, dressed in a Cardigan over a plain white button-up shirt with half-sleeves untucked over a plaid skirt, an Alice band, knee socks and simple brown pumps, with an additional set of black earrings, all of which made her look cute and maybe sexy to the guys in her class, and those randoms who walked by her, showering their hungry, thirsty eyes at her.

Plot twist; Caroline was a lesbian, but wasn't ready to come out of the closet just yet. Her eyes did settle on a close friend she made from a past project, Marianne Winchester, a curvy redhead with a cheek full of freckles, candy-green eyes, and wavy hair that was almost one breeze away from a full curly style. It was merely a minor crush, but even with that, it scared her to be honest with her feelings, choosing to contain them.

Caroline had only had one boyfriend in high school. Some sweaty jock of the football team named Roy Mint. It only took one sexual encounter with him to tell her that she wasn't into it, and understood her sexuality slowly afterwards. Honestly, she had no idea whether to come out in the future or forever keep it locked away like some sin. And a sin that would disgust her parents, no doubt, knowing full well they took no kindly to the LGBT community.

Her car was a 2004 pink Jeep Liberty, a gift from one of her aunts on father's side of the family. The Jeep had been in her possession since she was seventeen, and showed the accurate responsibility in owning it, while daddy taught her the old grease monkey advice she needed to remember. The car was awaited her in the parking lot.

_Party and sleeping in, here I come!_

She showed her excitement through her content smiley that didn't fade away. When she got in and turned on the ignition, the stereo played out a Carly Rae Jepsen song to which she began to sing with heart, followed by the rhythmic movements of her shoulders. For one, the college girl had quite a melodious voice that would get her into a Hollywood deal, but that was a talent she didn't vastly explore. The passenger door opened without warning, making her cease her antics. "Hey!"

"Relax, 'Lina, it's just me," a familiar voice told the driver. Samantha Sharp had intruded with no explanation. "Hey, 'Lina."

"It's Caroline, not Carolina," she corrected. "What brings you by?"

"Where are you going?" Sam wondered while laughing. "We live in the dorms."

"Oh, yeah, but I just thought I'd go celebrate the break by stopping at a Starbucks. I love those strawberry... Ackas? Acai? Weird name, but you know!"

"Ooooh, I know which one you mean," she nodded with a wide smile. "Cool, cool... So, um, I know you are relieved to be on break but, well, I was trying to find a study group to go the extra mile, and-"

Caroline knew where Sam was going with this, and had her mind made up even before Sam could finish. "Ugh, listen, I admire your spunk, I really do... But, I want to relax and kick back until the next school year starts."

The frown on Sam's face, followed by her look of sheer disappointment, was like a needle inserted into Caroline's heart to poke her for letting the hard-working Sam down. The latter blonde simply nodded. "I get it, Caroline. No issue, heh..."

"Hey, d-do you want a-?" But Sam took off faster before Caroline could process it, door closing back again. "-Drink?"

**Later**

She went a steady forty miles when coming back to the college campus, taking a narrow road of a shortcut back. The music volume had been turned up, but her need to sing had died before she pulled out from the college. At least she had the nice Trenta-size drink on the cup holder.

Passing a stop sign, Caroline was distracted by the sudden ringing of her phone. When she looked down, she landed in a dangerous situation when a black SUV came ramming into the side of her car, spinning her out of the land in the intersection. Her drink had come spilling up high, phone smacking against the back window when the damaging impact broke away some of the other windows, sending glass hurtling around her face. Poor Caroline had struck against the window, leaving her disoriented and dazed.

"M-m-m-" She had a struggling fight to keep her eyes open, while the occupants of the other vehicle simultaneously exited the SUV unharmed and unscathed. There were four men in total, and three of them were armed, carrying a loaded weapon on them. She centered her blue eyes on them, thinking authority, then terrorist. This was wrong. This was all wrong. She had no thought but the intensity of fear rising to keep her company.

The air bag didn't go off for some reason, but it didn't matter. Her motor skills were still intact, able to help her unbuckle from her seat. The stereo still played like nothing had happened, having no care in the world. The men grew closer, close enough for her to notice the fourth guy, a tubby man in a white, long coat, holding an opened briefcase.

"H-help..." She assumed they were hostile, but the trick she believed was to appear as a victim, not someone they'd have a reason to shoot at. She moved out of her wrecked Jeep Liberty carefully, stumbling about. What a crazy world... "I'm- I'm bleeding."

"Get her up," the labcoat ordered. "Town-wide blackout active for one minute!"

The walkie-talkie dangling on the labcoat's waist buzzed out. _"All roads are blocked successfully!"_

One of the armed men face his weapon to another to pick Caroline up by her hands. "Sir."

The labcoat took out a syringe with a purple liquid moving around, planning it for the freshly-plucked victim for Vial Corp. He gave her the shot, a special concoction that slowed the heart rate down by over three quarters, which would reduce her need for oxygen. A second syringe held a reddish-orange substance, with this one paralyzing her in five seconds after it entered her bloodstream.

The labcoat closed the metal briefcase before contacting someone on the other end of the comms. "Deploy the truck!"

Twenty seconds later, an armored white truck rolled into view, with three occupants dressed in casual clothing hopped out, moving towards the SUV. Caroline could only watch, up until the guard holding her set her down near her Jeep. She fought the paralysis as hard as she could, trying her best to reactivate the feeling in her legs, but failed miserably. While she was subjected to her infernal immobility, the labcoat and his backing guards jumped into the back of the truck, which then drove away. As for the three civilian-type persons, two of them sat down, taking shrapnel and cutting each other up while the third readied their phone, counting down the time until the blackout was over.

**Later **

The cleanup crew came and collected Caroline thinking she was a corpse, calling her time of death at 3:48 PM, which played right into Vial's hands in securing another test subject. The "driver" of the SUV was not faced with charges of vehicular manslaughter, therefore getting off spic and span. From there, they handled it for themselves, while Corpse Caroline, placed in a black body bag, took such slow breaths that it was basically impossible to detect. She wound up at a hospital, where the autopsy would be taking place, and it was there that she'd have to be kidnapped and hightailed out of there before it could happen.

Not that she knew what was happening, but Caroline, eyes open the whole way, and having gone red from not being able to blink, wished she was really dead and not whatever this was. In what seemed like an eternity being picked up, dropped, and free from her body bag, she had finally the honor to stay out of one, with the downside being that labcoats were strapping her down to a stretcher, in some sort of lab. Her motor functions returned too late, way past beyond the point of trying to move about freely. Her eyes had gone through numerous sights, last few being whom she thought were doctors analyzing her physically, laying their hands on her which violated her uncomfortably.

Caroline had no idea where she was, who these pokey people were, or what that crash at the start was all about. All she hoped for was that she was fixed up and sent on her way back. In that instance, she knew fear yet again, shedding a literal couple of years while her legs wiggled slowly.

She, along with her forced company of labcoats, lay imperfectly on the facility's surgical room, the place where freakshows were born, if they were revealed to be compatible to hold down their own formula they'd receive. For Caroline, they were doing something different.

Two labcoats on her side placed large, metal cuffs high on her arms, closing them with a clicking lock. The procedure began when they applied the third serum Caroline had gotten today to her arms, followed by the activation of the cuff devices that felt cold like no other. Nothing happened for some extended seconds, until the cuff devices started to tighten their grasp on her. The pain was excruciatingly unbearable, driving her to move her feet and eyes all around in emergency response.

"Is it working?"

"Run a diagnostic scan on her arms! The chances heighten with-" The labcoat fest zipped up when Caroline's soft hands bubbled about grotesquely, skin popping away to reveal the inner flesh. "Raise compression levels to max! It must not reach past the arms!"

The cuffs closed in around her flesh even harder, making her body scream a high-pitched silent cry she could not emit, serving to block the serum from flowing away from her hands. On the plus side, her hands went numb as they disintegrated like cotton candy, spewing blood and chunks of flesh around herself and the labcoats. The screaming hadn't kicked in yet, but it would be soon, and only after she felt it again.

"Let the serum do its course! Have it compress until they regenerate!"

"Probability of regeneration is at eighty percent, stabilizing!" The labcoat holding a tablet-like device told her peers.

The outer layer of her arms were gone, reduced to fleshy branches at that point. Miraculously, her fingers were still connected, not having dropped off like melted ice cream yet. The meat on her boned had also followed protocol until there was a sudden stop, and her meaty arms turned into a frozen state, ascending to a dark red color.

"What's happening?!" She heard one say.

"I- I don't know, this is a new development-" They withdrew their voices when a liquid filled around her arms, changing the color from red to the original skin color of white. "Healing process has begun!"

"R-run diagnostics again!"

The female labcoat applied the tablet and hovered it again over Caroline's regenerating arms. "It's... IIt's now at ninety-six! It will not fail!"

"Now what of the compatibility-?"

Caroline imagined a knife or scissors to use to escape from her straps, and regarding these metal things that hurt her... "NO!" The college girl flung her arms high in the air, able to see them now. Only, she wasn't looking at arms any more, but rather long, skin-colored blades that she didn't believe to be hers at first. Hand-blades, with no reflection to show her what a nightmare she was now. For a second, it was almost unreal, a profound act made up of well spent visual effects for a prank that went too far. The new form of her hands was too mesmerizing that she didn't think of escaping now that she broke her hands free. "What-?"

"Get a guard in here-! Hey, she's breaking out!"

Caroline swayed her body from the sides, still aching from her whole arms. She had no chance to really run around loose, but had figured out that, right before being shocked into submission by one of the guards, this place was some sort of hell never seen before, definitely not a clinic or hospital, despite the layout being similar to that of one.

**June 15th, 2028**

They had her arms wrapped around in a special type of fabric blanket, impossible for her to break free with her artificially-mutated pair of hands, a precaution in case she had some funny thoughts. Apart from that, she had her speech rights kept due to her never having outbursts of her own. She kept quiet, thinking and wondering how long this journey was going to last. It had already hit her that she was a lab monkey of some sort, a kidnapped person from society to "help" in the name of science. It was such a violation of a person's rights, angering her enough to wish she could do something.

A woman. She was but one single woman, undermined by society. And maybe even here, too. That woman she had seen the first time, that labcoat girl- Did she possibly feel the same way? Why did Caroline care? That one was here of her own free will, her choosing...

She was visited by a trio of them, and none of them were that woman, gathering into her cozy, little cell. Again, she had no words.

"Good afternoon..." The speaker, a man of six feet of a chubby build and balding hair, greeted her as if he was a professor of hers back at the college. "Miss Pin... Grey? How do you pronounce that? Pin-gree? Pin-gray? Pin-gry? Oh, such unorthodox surnames... We don't normally come have a personal chat with our... Live-ins, but to those we pull from a great future..." He stopped to sigh.

The blonde girl caught some info based off that; they were doing this to others, not just the bright and healthy. She had pieced it that she wasn't the only one there, but nothing apart from that yet. Weird... She expressed no sudden fear, keen only on listening to this man telling her what was.

"If it were up to me, I'd not have bothered taking you in... Now, to the world outside, Caroline is dead, gone. A total ghost and nothing short of a memory now."

Her head bobbed via a reactionary twitch, arousing her curiosity... And the heat underneath. "How so?" Her bothering to ask opened the floodgates to fury.

The labcoat explained that Caroline had died in that car crash, sent to the coronary's and later swapped out for a fake model decoy in Caroline's image. This was the body that was to be buried at the funeral while the real Pingrey girl served a piss-poor purpose. It was genius, and no one had any reason to think otherwise. Plus, the surveillance around the vicinity had gone offline for anyone to really know what happened. And that was it for her life. Caroline Pingrey was dead.

She wasn't dead yet.

"All of this technology..." She assessed. "What about me?"

"What about you, miss?"

Caroline shook her locked hands at him, not moving from the back of the cell. "This. What is this? And what have you done to me?"

"Oh, we've given you a new purpose and hands," the labcoat further explained. "You are able to morph your hands to other shapes, which deviates it from ever staying in one form. With enough practice and mental focus, you would be, by our understanding, able to master it in little to no time. You may be trapped here, but if you comply with us willingly, we will have no trouble to accommodate you here. Maybe we can make you a VIP figure or something, just an idea."

_Trade in my ideals and feelings for... Compliance and the VIP treatment? _Carol narrowed her eyes at them, thinking about it. If she could fake her way up to top of this contained food chain, then there was a chance to escape. Her, with these arms. And what was more, she had no rebellious phase that would make them suspect she'd turn against them. "Yes, I'll comply. Just tell me what to do."

**August 19th, 2028**

The day came to try when they tested her in her cell. No guards this time, meaning they had trusted her enough to lower their defenses. Her current exam was to form certain shapes with her arms; the basic ones from circles to squares to triangles, a staggering process that hurt her bones when sinking her fingers back into her. That still had to be properly clarified on that, but with the less times she transformed them, the less it hurt. It was only in her arms, and no other body part.

She did let them know about her minor cramps, not letting up for them to find a way to help her there. Had it been past a few weeks already, she felt, which could only mean that college had started already. Marianne and Sam, sitting in their respective homerooms, writing notes and doing assignments. Have they gone to her fake funeral? Did they cry and mourn her like she wanted her close friends to? And what of her parents, her whole family tree? How did they handle it? Even as little as it was, there was that off chance where they might have been mad that she went off and "died" therefore ruining their foot on the door with her being around controversial figures. Quite a persistent pair of parents if I do say so myself.

She wasn't eager to see them again the more she thought of it, fearing their responses and thoughts on this. And that was before considering that the truth of what this place was would out eventually. She was a witness to her entrapment here, and not just her.

"Well done!" The labcoat leader complimented, looking over his affiliates as they finished writing up her progress. "Thank you kindly, miss."

Caroline reset her hands back to their original setting, grinning a perfectly white smirk. It was when they circled around each other that she saw a chance, another bigger one than she'd see up close. Flicking her arms once to the one form she learned, the blade-like design that she mentally compared to a mantis' own set of hands, Caroline rushed the labcoats, stabbing one unlucky geek right out of the cell. Her bones underneath her skin were reinforced, durable to carry what she would never even imagine bring able to handle. It was the only trick she could play and never repeat again.

She brought the world of harm to another labcoat, landing her jabbed arms onto their legs. The others got away, screaming orders with high voices. Caroline, uncomfortably barefoot in her white attire, ran one side of the long hall. It went her way until the floor became ground zero for multiple guards from the end of the hall, pouring out from the staircase at the end. Behind her, she met another large group of them, and that's where she hit the roadblock.

**Later**

You'd think they have some sort of maximum lockup, a confinement heavily under watch for the fighters, but no, they didn't. They had to trust that they were good as is, for the additional upgrading would rally up questions from outside. So far, nothing.

The blonde with brass balls was put back in her cell, this time having her arms locked up to refrain her from being a free-thinker. All perks were revoked, and the treatment had went from a formal to shit like a switch being flicked without warning. And she failed.

That was it for her. Life was over... So why was she still calm and rational up to here? Why didn't she have a full resolve and mindset to do what it took? What made her slow down when she needed to maintain a head thick enough to break through?

Maybe... Maybe it was because she was trapped- trapped not meaning in this place, but in the sense of who she was, and what she was supposed to behave like in for the conformity of society. Hide her sexuality, hide her opinions, keep it balanced and clean so that nothing could come knocking at her door for the sake of ruining her life. She didn't ever ask for it, but that's how it was and had been since before being born. She had a voice, but what did it mean if she never used it? Why was she afraid to speak if she had not once spoken? Was it right to apply the outcome of experiences and views told by others unto herself? Was it too much or right for her to do so?

Trapped. Maybe this place was just a living metaphor for her untamed fear, low-esteem, and lack of belief in herself, therefore escape was futile. She let herself leave it up to fate, unsure of what the future held. In any case... She had all the time in the world to think.

**May 24th, 2030**

She did nothing again, sitting against the wall, waiting for sleep. Funny. She could sleep forever and it would never be comfortable here. The day had come where fate broke a different path for her to take from the main. Her cell opened when there was no living soul on the other end, letting her out of the cage. Not only her, but the multiple cellmates, her neighbors, were also liberated. Something was surely happening.

"Hey, someone get me out of these!" Caroline begged to her fellow freaks. Her white knight, a powder-pale white fellow with cold yellow eyes ran a black fingernail down her lock, breaking it in half. She sighed with relief, rubbing her wrists. "Thanks."

She followed the crowd upwards, flocking to the main floor. Gunfire had rung out, meaning someone was defiantly fighting the guards of this place. It was only outside when she witnessed Luna in her reptilian form let out a roar to all around her. "RUN! RUN AWAY AND HIDE, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS! VIAL CORPORATION BURNS TONIGHT!"

Vial. Vial Corporation. Was this... That? She tapped into her reserved rage, bringing it out to the party. "EVERY FREAK FOR THEMSELVES!"

Vial Corp. The name of the long-running metaphor. Life dead. Caroline dead. Dead and buried. Dead, but no longer trapped here. And if she wasn't trapped here... Could things change? Did she have a voice now? Confidence back? Yes, had to be.

She ran, running among these other hope-given human guinea pigs. And as she did so, it hit her. These guys would not make her be alone anymore. There could be a movement she could lead from this mess, and work these forces against Vial Corporation. A voice. She had the idea of being a strong voice now. Not through her ideal career, but from this. An experience of this, an atrocity against humanity. She could raise and spread awareness with them if she could gather enough. Soon. Soon for Carol.

* * *

**AN: Rebooting the skin warping fiend of Liberty's cabal into a different setting, with much more development, so much that it's not the same Carol as 2026's! Oh, wait. That's cause it's not, really. Her being a lesbian is my own HC, with the additional one of her not being a girl who fancies make-up. That one time she had make-up when going to the Loud House was to make herself presentable for Lori, let's not kid ourselves. The infatuation is so, and will be realized. Mad Max: Yuri Road up in this site, I tell ya.**

**Next up, the awkward reunion of six family members! And Cici meeting Lincoln for the first time. Who's the middle man there, I wonder? Yay for fanonity. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Lyrics to It's The Right Time by Daichi Miura**

* * *

**May 27th, 2030 **

"Freaks with Vial-?" Lynn could barely see the figure under the rays of the sun. "Hold on, I-!"

Lincoln centered the crosshairs on Lynn's forehead, having the patience of a rock. He fired a kill shot, waiting for the superhuman tango to fall. First the Freights, now some more physically-powered people were coming out of the woodwork. Mutated freaks who could abuse what they've been given from that Vial Corp shit. First this, and then them, worth investigating for obvious reasons. He loved this job.

Lynn slowed time when the sniper bullet moved rather slowly at her, a strange occurrence for her. "Holy shit..." She plucked it out of the air, then dropped it before looking up. "You wanna play big boy, huh?"

Still in league with lawful order, Lynn raced out of the alley, moving at an alarming rate, it seemed, shown to her when passers-by moved at some scary, synchronized level of slow-motion, but it didn't stop her once. She entered the building the shooter was dug in, running up the stairs, coming with the resistance of the air that felt like she was pushing through a cold force that almost acted to repel her. She went a little too fast, trying to stop at the door of the rooftop, but only crashed through it, feeling like it was a breakable surface.

Lincoln was startled in shock and awe, looking at the noise before he processed what happened. "Fuck-" He picked up the sniper rifle and spun it her way.

Lynn was more visible and clear up close; the brunette was sweaty, covered in blood that he didn't know if it was here or not. He didn't stop to hold the rifle high and aim at the frozen speedster. And his finger met the trigger again, until the freaky woman said one word that stopped him long enough to subdue him. "Lincoln?"

His blue eyes twitched, blinking. The next second, Lynn grabbed the sniper rifle, yanking Lincoln over her head for a swing. She didn't let up, sending him smashing right into the ground which broke from his impact. She dropped the gun, unbelieving of the fact that this was Lincoln. Couldn't have been... Lincoln was a Freight, and she had seen for herself what and who he and Lori Loud were in the bigger world; monsters.

White hair and freckles, just like that old Lincoln. She studied his face, while he, stunned yet angry, growled menacingly at her. "You have my attention."

Lynn raised an eyebrow, which confirmed his identity by that comment. "Is... Is it really you?" Lynn did see a woman with white hair, and the trademark color scheme of his, in a way. That had to mean she'd be bumping into Lincoln eventually. But not this fucking fast. "Are you done trying to kill me-"

Lynn moved away from his sight, turning her back to him. He rebounded and punched up again for another kill attempt.

"-Your dear sister Lynn?" Lynn moved to the side, hearing him approach her, and tripped him hard on his stomach and chin.

"L-Lynn?" Couldn't be right. Lynn was in Royal Woods the last time he'd seen her. But Lincoln faced the freak brunette again, feeling bested but eager to show his worth to the world, the atonement for his role in the Freights. This Lynn was taller, had the freckles, but it was her hair that was different. She cut it sometime along the later years. Well, the ponytail was gone, leaving most of her hair looking the same, actually. "No, I don't buy that, fuck you."

Lynn scoffed, crossing her arms. "Hey, I'm not accepting of you and Lori either!" Lynn yelled back. "You two are... Y-you're..." Lynn wandered into deep territory again.

Lincoln was no fool to overlook it, having felt a struggle in her. "Hm?" Maybe this really was Lynn after all... And then, at the same time, was she his Lynn? Did he have a Lynn? "If this is about the Freights-"

"You're..." She had no words to express, and ended it there with a hurtful sigh. He and Lori, of the opposite side Lynn had ever tried to be. If only... If only they didn't run away, then they wouldn't have fallen. This family wouldn't have fallen if they stuck together the one time they truly needed each other. But it was only Lincoln and Lori who sided with the devil and worked for him. "You... You are under arrest-"

"What the fuck?"

"It just so happens that I'm an FBI agent, little brother," Lynn calmly explained, albeit hurt. "And you just tried to kill me-"

"Yeah, and I would have succeeded if you didn't use your... What is it, speed powers?"

Lana and Lola had entered the reunion unbeknownst to the two siblings.

"You're one of those escapees I've seen on the news-"

"Don't know what you're talking about! And, you can't prove anything, Lincoln. Who's gonna believe a murderer like you?" Lincoln got up and sensed the twins' presence as Lynn, oblivious to them, kept talking over him. "I've been hoping I'd run into you, but I heard that you died while Lori and her group went into hiding. Stupid of them to have made a deal with her in exchange for freedom! Nothing but a disgrace for our family! And to think... To think I share that blood with you..."

Lynn sniffed, tending to a personal tear, not hearing a peep out of Lincoln behind her. "You have no idea how much some of us were worried sick-" She turned around to face him again, seeing the twins sticking to both his sides.

"Lynn? Lynn!" Lana sprang forward and hugged big sister Lynn, finding that they were almost the same in height. "Wouldja lookit that?"

"L-Lana?" Lynn was less expecting to bump into the twins like this today. "Twins! Oh, my God, look- Look how big you are!"

"Look how short you remained!" Lola sassed savagely, making Lincoln laugh mentally.

"H-hey," Lynn defensively cried. "I can't help it if my body growth stunted! So, what are you doing here?"

Lola grabbed Lincoln by his arms and sped away with him downstairs to the Division-manned truck away from here.

"You guys can do that, too?!" Lynn could see stars forming around the twin in the white suit.

"Yeah! Wait, too?! You mean-?!" Lana became excited by the sound of that.

"Lead the way!" Lynn cheered, challenging herself to learn her newfound ability as fast as she can, and at all presentable opportunities. Of course, there were many questions that were raised on her. How did the twins know to come? How did they get the powers? What was Lincoln doing before she got there? And... Was this all set by the people of the future?

As she ran after Lana, she placed a small one to the must-know category; the red, bright blur that stopped that Lizy person the albino girl had called her, was that... Future Lynn herself?

_Get captured by this Division, _she instructed herself, the order from the albino girl. The order that would seal the fate of Lynn and some of her siblings. That mean Lincoln. Lincoln, the ex-Freight, a cold-blooded inhuman who should be in a supermax somewhere in hell. What part did he have to play in this Patriots thing? Still, he might be useful, but it didn't change that he was a deadly one.

Lana came slowing down into another alley, past the parked truck the twins had come in, where she stopped Lynn when the latter failed to successfully come to a halt. "You need more practice!" Lana suggested. "Lola and I've been doing it for two years!"

By then, Lynn pieced it together. "Y-you! You two are those heroines I hear about!" She went a pale white which made Lana giggle.

"Darn tootin'!" Lana bowed. "I'm honored that you've heard of us! And since you have super speed like us, you can join us if you want!"

Lynn nodded in agreement. "That'd be nice-"

The trailer of the truck swung open, revealing Lola and a sophisticated control panel on one side of the trailer. "Save the talk for later! Boss wants us rolling out with our catch, so get in already!"

Lynn jumped in after Lana, moving deep inside as Lola submerged them into darkness. The complete inside of it was like a step way into the future; such technology eluded Lynn's knowledge and sight, arousing her enough to wonder if she could get ahold of such tech for herself. Above her head, there were loose handles dangling around for standers inside, when the only two seats in front of the systems were taken. At the end of the trailer was a cell smaller than that of those Vial Corp facilities installed, currently occupied by a handcuffed Lincoln, stared with hostility by Elmont.

"Lincoln fucking Loud, as I live and breathe..." Elmont croaked out through the titanium bars.

"What do you want, a haircut or an autograph?" Lincoln insulted with pleasure. "So nice to have me a fan."

"I've got many friends in many places wishing they've met you before your death, Freight."

Lynn stood idly by, watching the heated showdown between law and destruction forces clash through them.

Lola was quick to notice Lynn didn't seem all too surprised nor confused about this, but maybe it meant nothing. "Hey, Lynn?" Lola grabbed onto a handle above.

"Yes?" Lynn and Lana both hooked up to handles as well, swaying randomly around.

"How've you been?!" Lana filled in for Lola. "It's- It's been so long, Lynn!"

The last the twins had seen of the jock was eight years ago, when she left to continue her education, the only one Loud sibling who advanced beyond high school with great success. And not, did Lynn look older today, as did the twins to her. "I can say the same for you both! And, I've been alright for the most part."

Lana flashed a thumbs up. "I'd hope so."

"What about you guys? What's, uhhh... Well, what happened?" Lynn pointed at them with a wobbly finger. "How did...?"

Lana's ecstatic smile faded away, head bobbing down in pure guilt and shame. Lola pulled her away before Lana could struggle to out with the horror they lived through when everyone had gone, leaving them and little Lily alone with Aunt Rinn.

"You know, I've tried to call Aunt Rinn a few times but she'd never pick up. So, you guys know why that is?"

Lola forced a fake smile but shrugged her shoulders. "I... I don't-"

Lincoln noticed the act from the distance. "No use lying, girl. I can see it in both of you guys' eyes."

Elmont pulled himself away, moving to the surveillance station, setting himself comfortable as the truck continued to drive back to base. "Be out with your little secrets now or forever hold them in," Elmont professionally suggested. "This field of work is not suited for emotions, and you of all people understand that, don't you, Lynn?"

"Know who I am, do you? File on me?"

Elmont shook his head. "No, your disappearance made headlines, actually! Yours and the other three team members on your watch have as well."

And it made no sense when he put it like that. She had only been gone for awhile, not anything longer than that. Not the length he implied it to be. "What do you mean disappearance? I didn't vanish, I-" She noticed the monitored screens, seeing a date on the corner of one such monitor. Today was not the 5th of May, but the 27th. The... Actual... 27th of May... Her lips quivered in shock.

She had been missing for twenty-two days, not a few hours. Twenty-two days, when she was told otherwise by Lincoln's... Daughter? Had Lynn really been lied to? Or was this intended on their part?

"Oh, God..." Lynn shuddered to think what happened in between. Four FBI agents going missing one afterbbob inexplicably, who could ever answer what really happened? How could Lynn return and explain what dark and twisted fates Paula, Polly and Margo met in the future? Paula, the only she believed was still alive, away from Lynn... Alone with that Lulu monster. But where? And when?

Did everyone she know think her dead? Was Lynn Loud Jr dead to the world?

"Lynn?" The life drained from her face, noticed by Lola. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I've b-been gone f-for-" Lynn spoke out loud with a stutter.

"It appears she has not been aware of her absence," Elmont gathered, telling the twins. "What happened, Lynn? Are you able to remember?"

It wasn't what she could recall, but rather what she could say... Or not, in this truly strange case. Time travel, encounters with aliens and mutated folk, the deaths of her unit's members, and all the madness she experienced... Nothing like that should have been possible outside fiction, but what did she know? Lana and Lola, the beings known as Velocity and Momentum, were a clear indication of insane science mumbo jumbo in real life. And that meant it all happened like she remembered it.

Lynn shook her head, unsure of how to lie about it. Sure, maybe it wasn't impossible, and there was no reason to keep it inside, but that she saw, and those women she met- it all looked truly important, a perilous outcome of a deadly future at work. What was she here to do, in actuality? Apart from being told to come across the Division? The Patriot Division, which she was sure this man and the twins were part of. "I don't... I don't remember..."

"My guess is it would be Lisa's doing," Lola thought. "She's gotten her grip on them all, it's the only explanation I can see, although I can't explain her amnesia."

Lynn's body had gone haywire with stress, calming only by portions when Lola did the wetwork for her. There was more Lynn needed to know, and, while juggling that with what she did know, it'd make more sense while leave her head spinning non-stop. Someone had to pay for her team, that much was certain. "Sorry..."

Lincoln sat down on the floor, rattling about. "Hey, big man, where are you taking us? You don't look like any authority official I've ever seen."

Elmont spun to Lincoln's direction in his seat, wiping away at his moustache. "That's classified intel, Loud, so I'm afraid the ski masks are not optional."

"Ski masks?" Lincoln watched the mysterious man in lightly plated armor pull out two black ski masks from a secret rack underneath the surveillance control panel, giving one to Lynn. "Oh, joy."

"You'll both be putting these on until we step foot in the base, as part of our security measures," Elmont announced. "Will not compromise the base location around a criminal."

"Look at Boy Scout over here," Lincoln scoffed. "He preaches white like a lapdog. Sad man."

"Not sad like you, mass murderer," the Division leader hissed with quiet rage. "Tell me, how does it feel to have harmed and killed countless innocents? You and your little fuckwits terrorists have gotten leniency from the law, and if it were up to me..."

Lincoln cocked a smirk. "You believe in that, do you?" He lifted his arms to show the handcuffs. "Why are you wasting your time to capture me when you could have a chance to kill me?"

"Don't get me wrong, I may just be inclined to do so!" Elmont pulled out the handgun hanging on the holster on his right, aiming the sights at Lincoln. "Just so you know, I had a cousin. Married, two great kids and a husband, one district attorney of over ten years. Met him, good qualities. Her name..."

Lynn and the twins looked on with gleaming nervousness.

"A late night shopping spree during the winter holiday. She was there... And so were the Freights."

Lincoln narrowed his eyes, reaching into his memories. "Was this at a mall in Delaware?"

"For the record, her name was Cassie," Elmont finished, pulling the trigger just once.

Lana yelped, looking away to avoid seeing a bloody mess of her brother. Lola shut her eyes, gently comforting Lana, shushing her calmly. Lynn, however, didn't look away. She expected a bloody corpse rolled on its side, with the wall of the cell painted with the gruesome red of his insides, already accustomed to some bodies here and there. But that wasn't what happened; Lincoln was alive and well, and the bullet had been stopped by his superhuman skull, although it stung him.

"H-how-?" Lynn let her thoughts loose, computing this phenomenon.

The twins looked back at Lincoln again, astonished to see nothing had happened.

Lincoln shook it off. "Did you think you would kill me? Or did you know all this time?"

"Report of a break-in at a Vial Corp facility some years ago which people still wonder about. The two suspects were supposed members of Five, but I know it was really you and another Freight who got in. Question is, what was it that you took?" Elmont put his gun away. "Or, what did you do to yourself to become invincible beyond basic human levels? And what did you see?"

"It's been four years since I broke into that one," Lincoln barely replied. "Is that what this is about?"

"Vial Corp is nothing but pure evil," Lana croaked while being consoled by Lola. "They kidnapped us and placed us in cells, giving us shots, making us run for their tests!"

"I'm down for payback time!" Lola enthusiastically roared. "It's been a long time coming from us, but we were only two women versus..." She tried to do the math. "Many, I guess."

"Well, that makes three of a kind!" Lana joyously chimmed in, shaking Lynn's hand. "Welcome to the club! We need a nickname for you!"

"Hey, Lincy, you one of those...?" Lola eyed Elmont to help her out.

"Phenos."

"...Phenos?" Lola completed.

"Is that the official name for the powered freaks? Phenos?" Lincoln clanked the crushed bullet against the floor. "I guess that's a logical inference, yes. I am."

"Um, excuse me," Lynn called to Elmont. "But I still don't know what's going on. And I don't think you've introduced yourself to me."

"Oh, good gracious, where are my manners?" His handshake was firmly gripping, strong enough to crush little Lynn's finger hones. "My name is Alexander Elmont, leader of government-sanctioned off-grid agency known as the Patriot Division."

_This! This is those I've heard about! _Lynn realized alarmingly, hiding her exploding revelation from forming face.

"Lynn Loud Jr," she introduced back with a blank expression. "Don't even say it, I know I'm a girl. And no, I'm not a transgender, I've been female all my life."

Elmont chuckled, humored by the FBI agent. "I didn't accuse you of being one, Lynn."

"Good," Lynn flirtatiously teased.

Lana coughed at that, and Lola whistled in another direction. Lincoln just flat-out said, "Disgusting."

"Don't worry, you'll get the proper debrief back at HQ. I trust that I don't have to place handcuffs on you?"

"Not at all..." Lynn went back to mind her own business when she remembered she was in the midst of catching up with the twins. "Where were we?"

"Listen, c-can we call a rain check?" Lola hoped. "At least for now, but we'll tell you later, okay?"

Lynn sensed something was off about the sound of Lola's voice, and further suspected wrong when picturing the change in Lana's face. Maybe something happened while she was gone, which also explained unanswered calls. It made her gradually nervous, if she were to be honest. "Yeah, sure..."

Lynn wasn't the only sibling the twins kept in the dark. Luna and Luan were already back at the base, having been there long enough to learn the ropes of the Patriot Division.

With the six, a team had been assembled, one that would soon have a huge hand in helping to take down Lisa Loud and her illegal monopoly of Vial Corporation and the many connections it had; Five and Scythe domestic terrorist organizations, which paved the way to small-time gangs and other criminal associations. They made the goods, and the blood money that came back went through various transfers before finally being at Vial Corp's disposal.

As of yet, Elmont suspected a connection between Lisa Loud and a middle-aged state denaotr named Peter McMahon. McMahon was a controversially important figure within and beyond the states, having been there of over twenty years in bed with them. If you'd have to ask a description of him, he'd be compared by many people to someone like Nick Offerman but shorter and lighter hair color, or, as one person had said before, Commissioner Jim Gordon pulled out from a Batman comic book. Elmont had bet someone out there had used Ned Flanders as one silly description, even. You'd never really know.

He still had to confirm whether or not McMahon was partnered up with Vial's nefarious schemes, and the only way to verify that, as well as get any information, was through an infiltration operation. That called for these guys, and not any soldier he could use, for it had to look like it was a pheno-based operation; on the likely chance any of them were killed or captured, they'd be seen as escapees from Vial Corp. Luna, the twins, and now Lynn; these four could be captured and never raise red flags within the system. Lincoln and Luan were another thing to organize for.

Lincoln... Would he comply?

**Later**

The twins escorted Lynn while Elmont handled Lincoln as the group walked casually to the base; the Division HQ ran underneath a nice strip of land that stretched out and ended at the sea, around Long Island. The ground trembled heavily as a concrete tunnel, concealed with the green grass, came rotating up. The three girls entered first, wandering down the cement corridor. Fifteen feet in from the entrance, white lights flashed on, showing them the way to a titanium blast door ten feet later.

"Why did we stop? And what's with the lights?" Lynn couldn't fully tell what was happening. "Twins?"

"Hold on..." Lola addressed, waiting for the blast doors to open. "This takes like a minute."

"I'll say," Lana agreed.

"I'm feeling hot under this," Lynn complained. "Can I take this off now?"

"Not until we're in," Elmont denied. "Best behavior, unless Lincoln here wants to make me look good for the cameras."

"No, thank you," the strong albino revved out, maintaining calm order.

He considered it quite good luck when being detained by this Elmont figure to possibly be of help for some sort of mission, gathered when he, and his sisters, were rallied under the same reason of fighting against Vial Corporation, the collective mastermind behind these pheno beings, including those three, and even himself. He used to call himself super every now and then, but now being an official pheno, it validated his idea outside his mind, but also pitted countless others on his level. For all he knew, and as far as he did, maybe he had never been alone. Bah... What difference did it make?

He asked of fate to give him a sign, and it answered, directing him to fight these types of beings. The Freights, a part of his life that ended in bloodshed and harmed innocents, had come to show him who he was, what he was, and why he was. With this chance, he would be able to right the wrong of his past sins, and redeem himself.

He had a purpose once more, so no blowing it.

The Patriot Division HQ's top floor was the only odd one, constructed like the bridge of a ship. On entry, they came to a blue-lit level, meeting men and women walking around the floor. Te middle of the floor had a flat, oval table, with a holographic image of the planet hovering over it. On the other end was a large white screen, just over some monitors that were in use by people. At either side of the screen were passages that led over the obstruct. Beyond that lied a simulation room, the medical bay, the armory, the debriefing room, the interrogation room, and his private office, with the elevator leading to two more floors. The middle one housed the technicians lab, where the creation of advanced technology happened, as well as the maintenance room and bathroom being there, and that included built-in showers as well. The bottom one was the living quarters, with the lunch room at the far end of it. I missed that the first time.

Elmont slipped off the ski mask and left it on the oval table, pushing him down towards one of the passages, leading the twins to do the same to Lynn.

"Whoo! Thanks, I was really sweaty!" Lynn giggled humbly, exaggerating over the top.

"With me," Elmont instructed the twins.

Walking into the hall, a familiar clown girl had come out of the medical bay after taking her special stabilizing medicine. It didn't take Lynn long to recognize older sister Luan who still had a ponytail and her classic widow's peak intact. Luan turned to them and met Lynn once more. "Oh, my God!"

Lynn pushed past the twins and jumped fot a hug. "Y-you?! Where- Where the fuck did you go after all these years?!" She broke into tears, being so broken up by this sister who went missing from the Royal Woods hospital a lifetime ago. Luan, in the living flesh, not dead, but- "You're alive!"

Luan was happy more than ever to be reunited with both Lynn and Lincoln, but before she could reach Lincoln, Elmont took them both into the interrogation room.

"Listen- We'll... We'll talk later, I hope-" Lynn vowed before she, Lincoln and Elmont went into the middle room on the left.

The interrogation room was of a high-end, updated design. The steel table came with two handcuffs strapped to it, designed for bad guys, while the table itself was reinforced into the ground. Four cameras on all corners maintained visuals of it, including the audio feed sourced from the equipment built underneath the table.

Lynn and Lincoln sat with their backs to the hall. Elmont took to the other end and sat down in his tough armor. "This doesn't happen like the movies, but I don't mind dirtying my hands if need be."

Lincoln kept his sour face. "Just tell us what you want already."

"Patience is a virtue," Elmont stated. "Now, what I'd like is to know more about what experiences the both of you had at Vial. Lincoln, you've seen the layout of one, I need some description, an idea of what I'm looking at."

"Planning something, huh? Well, the infrastructure from inside, I don't fondly remember, so this is a waste of time."

"Talk about waste of time when you can simply bust out of here like nothing? Tell me why you're still bothering playing weak man with the cuffs?"

Lincoln smiled, ripping them apart right after. "I was just humoring you, big man."

Lynn nearly had a heart attack, jerking in her chair.

"Then you understand what it is I am looking for," Elmont declared.

"You want leverage-" Lincoln guessed. "All the information you can get your hands on. The master data to steal under their noses, and... I can also surmise that you'd want to put some of that to good use if it's not incriminating enough to pass along. This is a government body after all, and knowledge is all the difference in wars."

Lynn's lips spread apart, herself being astounded by Lincoln's thinking.

"Under the surface, yes," Elmont admitted. "But my current goal is to find evidence that Vial Corporation is conducting illegal crimes in utter secrecy. Of any such person I could have used, whether it be soldiers, mercenaries, or better phenos, I specifically wanted people in the same family tree as the true head of Vial Cop's brilliance."

Lynn knew who he meant.

"The mastermind Lisa Marie Loud, one of your many relatives!"

Lincoln thought he misheard. "Lisa? That can't be, I've read it belongs to-"

"James Shepherd is just a puppet, acting for Lisa. Lisa isn't even twenty, of course she could not publicize herself as the brains of the science firm." Elmont coughed. "Emails were intercepted from Shepherd. Encrypted ones, but not hard to decipher, and it painted a new image for us when we believed Shepherd was who we were after."

"If it is Lisa behind all of this as you say, there won't be anything that will fully connect her to Vial. You're lucky to have caught emails through the traffic, but none of that will help you, will it?"

"I believe it can."

Lincoln pointed out something. "Why not just hack Lisa to begin with? It can't be that complicated, right?"

"Ooooh," Elmont tisked, shaking his head. "Logically speaking, yes, but that would draw attention, and would make them move by the time we have confirmation. You'd have to also be really dumb to not notice your assets getting backdoored."

Lynn was there with a poker face expression. "Uh-huh..."

"I'm confused..." Lincoln addressed. "You went out of your way to form a little team of, phenos, was it? So that we can do what you can't and won't to cover your assets and avoid being liabilities? But you're telling me that we're here because we're related to her? What, you think we can make her cry with memories and bring her out in the open to you?"

Elmont raised his hands. "I find that emotional attachment can always be leveraged. Good thing that you six are not normal siblings."

"Yeah? Well, talk about-" Lincoln paused and then backed up. "Wait, six?"

Elmont pointed downward. "The one you know as Luna Loud is at the lowest level."

This made Lynn curl her hands into fists and bang them on the table. "Luna... Is here?"

"Of course. Would there be a problem with that?"

"We didn't leave off on good terms," Lynn admitted.

"Oh?" Lincoln paid attention to her. "What drama went on when I left, I wonder?"

"Hush up," Lynn recommended. "You abandoned ship after Lisa, you aren't even a Loud anymore."

"I'd need for you to resolve your little family debacles post haste," Elmont cleared up. "Simply don't do, now-"

Lynn figured it would be time to ask a question she had been wondering about. "Am I dead? I... I wish to go back to my department."

Below, Luan and the twins met Luna who greeted them. "Hey, dudes. Welcome back."

"Luna, oh my God!" Luan rushed the rocker to tell her the good news. "You'll never guess who's here!"

"What? Who?" Luna let her hopes get high with joy, grinning from cheek to cheek.

"Lynn and Lincoln, sis! They're up-" Luna's smile flipped upside down, a look that washed the atmospheric tone to a gray, depressing one. "L-Luna?"

The twins knew why this was when having a pensive moment. "Oh, no..." They blurted in unison.

"Wait-" And the last one to be hit by the painful memory was Luan. "No, wait... L-Luna..."

The rocker formed red eyes and backed away from Luan, retreating to her room, unable to face the music.

"Luna..." The poor comedienne had yet to tell her sister that she had forgiven her. Forgiven her by letting go. Forgiven her for the accident she caused that placed Luan in the hospital. But Luna herself clearly didn't... "Wait, don't leave- Don't..."

Lana and Lola came to her aid, each holding a hand of the heartbroken comedienne.

"I don't understand..." Luan cried. "I- I- I thought she'd be happy that Lynn and Lincy-"

"Hey, don't think about it, Luan! The bright side is that we're all here!" Lola tried her best.

"And it's wonderful, too! I no longer get to feel alone with Lola all the time!" Lana joked.

"What?! How dare you, woman?!" Lola felt insulted.

Luan laughed as Lana wiped away her tears.

"I know Luna must be happy to see you again too! You guys shared the same room, you know? You had to have been close..." Lana pointed to Luna's own room. "I think you guys need to talk is all."

"I..." Luan had concern and fear that Luna would close up on her. "I don't know-"

"I think it's worth trying..." Lola agreed. "Come back to us if it goes nowhere."

The twins put on strong smiles and returned to their room, the first one on the left. They had decorated the place to make it feel right at home, even adding two dressers at the end of the room, connecting to their beds on the sides of the walls. They'd have it no other way.

"Lola... Seeing that... You know, the Luna thing, I hope that Luna knows-" Lola pressed a finger to Luna's lips.

"Hush, dear sister!" Lola said as if she were in a drama play. "Let the girl find her voice again!"

Luan entered the quiet, empty room of Luna Loud. There in the middle of the room was a being of green skin, bigger than normal Luna, all curled up with its head buried onto her knees, arms around it. Luna had blossomed into her ugly form out of anger at herself, succumbing to heartache.

"Hey..." Luan had met this side of Luna once, but wasn't too scared of it, although she thought it freaky the first time she saw this form of her. It didn't get any less freaky, but she grew accustomed into it. "C-can we talk?"

The beast's tail wiggled randomly, not acting on her behalf. The younger sister Luna had potentially fucked up didn't seem to be bound by the past, unlike her. The curse of Luna's descent came alive again when hearing Lynn's name uttered by the ex-prankster, proving that personal demons had yet to be defeated once and for all.

She was more than sorry for playing the big role in Luan's injury and running away. Forgiveness, what she wanted to ask of Luan... But what would it do for her? It still happened, and the scars would not fade, she believed. They couldn't yet.

"Luna, it... It happened so long ago..."

The guilt-ridden Loud brought her tail upwards only to drop it down hard, growling softly. "And yet," she groaned in her monstrous voice. "And yet, I still..."

Luan grew closer. "Sis, I can't ever imagine what you've went through, but-"

"Luan?" Luna brought her huge face pointed upwards. "D-do you blame me?"

"No. No, of course not!" The comedienne went on her knees just short of Luna, hugging her. It was almost like hugging a tree, and she would know, having done that a few times before. "It happened, but- But-"

If she let Luna know who was responsible for Luan's path in life...- She blinked. No way she could ever say it to avoid devastating Luna's emotional state of being.

"No, I don't, Luna," Luan confessed from her heart. "I could never do that to you. I forgive you!"

Luna slowly reverted back to her regular form, still being held on by Luan. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again! The twins told me you went missing, s-so I went looking for you! Me, Chunk, Tabby and Terry spend months trying to-" Luna pulled herself back, shaking Luan. "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU ACTUALLY GO?!"

Luan sniffed her breath, caught in the range of it. "Oh, God, d-don't you use toothpaste?" She laughed, covering her nose from the stench.

"I'll do it later!" Luna promised. "Now tell me..."

"I... Left Royal Woods, just wandering wherever the wind took me."

"That..." Luna sniffed. "That sounds too simple... I know they said they caught you murdering, but I don't know, I refuse to believe you could do such a thing. You don't look like a psychopath."

Luan sighed harshly, looking down at her hands. "There is some truth to that... L-Luna, I lost control of myself... The grasp, it-"

"You broke, I can see that. You simply broke, and-" This was where she panned the blame onto herself. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I-"

Luan stuck a firm hand on her shoulder, giving a smile. "But I've gotten better, Luna! And I still am, but what's more is that I get to see you again! And..." She let out joyful tears. "That makes me so happy."

"Y-you are? B-but-" Luna stammered.

"No buts, Luna," chuckled the old clown. "Just remember something from me."

"Y-yeah, what's that?" Luna wondered.

"Remember that I love you, alright? No matter what you do, or whatever you have done, it won't ever change my perspective of you." Luan kissed the latter's forehead before standing up. "I don't want you to be hurt ever again."

Luna nodded, following her cue. "R-right... You're right, Luan. I love you too."

Exiting the room, Luan escorted Luna by her hand, moving to the twins' room when the elevator pinged, opening up its sliding doors to reveal Lynn and Lincoln inside. The second Lynn identified Luna, she lost control and sped right into her, grabbing her by her shirt. Luan was blown away by the violent rush of air, hair frizzling out of place, fully bewildered by Lynn's power.

The FBI agent acted on her negative impulses after being told she could not return to the FBI, with what being legally declared missing but thought dead, killed by Five when only after being caught. The headlines made it out to tell that four agents went missing, but it was code for death in the end. Death for Lynn, replaced by a speedster pheno in her place. The glowing rage from that, mixed with the sight of Luna, fueled Lynn past a full hundred percent with hot-red rage.

"YOU HAVE SOME NERVE!" Lynn repeatedly threw her punches onto Luna's stomach after backing her into the wall of an empty room. "I WOULDN'T HAVE STAYED IF I WERE YOU, FOR LUAN'S SAKE!"

Luna took over thirty punches that burned into her body. She let out a harsh cry as Lynn continued hurting her, not letting up. Luna tried to bolt, but the opposing force kept her at bay, right where Lynn wanted her. "Stop!"

"NO!" Lynn had missed her chance to deliver a punishment long overdue for the rocker the first time, but here was different. No Rinn Reagan to kick her off the premises this time, just a nice beat down to pound the sense back into her.

Luna pulled out her tail again without fully turning, wrapping it around the unsuspecting Lynn's legs. She yanked the speedster back in one jerking move, sending her falling down on her face. This broke Lynn's nose, spurting blood on the white tile floor.

"YEOW!" Lynn's elbows, chin, and knees stung with dear agony, halting her long enough for Luna to continue her advantage. One second, Lynn was moaning on the ground, and the next transcended to her being picked up by her neck, tail of Lizard Luna tightly gripping it. "Hrrrck! Grah!"

Luna returned the favor, punching Lynn away in the same place she received physical pain. "Giving it back, you little shit!"

Luan and the twins stood at the doorway, peeking into the room.

"Hey!" Luan shot a hand out, shaking it for Luna to see. "Stop fighting, please! Let her go!"

Lynn swung a kick right in Luna's private area, the move that retracted her tail to separate them. "Fuck you! You owe us all a grave apology for all of your bullshit!"

"Maybe, but not to you!" Luna retorted.

Lincoln moved past Luan and the twins, getting in the middle of the girls' little skirmish. He spun Lynn and punched her in the gut, and then in the face, sending her down onto the floor again. "Enough of this. Either make up or shut the fuck up."

"L-Lincy-" Luna gave herself a few seconds to mentally update his face and appearance, as well ad recall the last time she had seen. "She started it-"

"I don't care," Lincoln coldly snorted. "Use your fucking words, not fists... Or whatever that shit is." He pointed to her tail, not fully fazed or surprised by it.

"Y-you are one to talk!" Lynn spat, sitting upright with a bloody, runny nose. "You've done worse than us, you inhuman! Don't you think you can talk down to us, Lincoln Loud! You may have destroyed the Freights, but you're just as bad, and so is Lori! When I get my hands on-"

"I don't know where you've been at when you went missing, but I've already taken care of Lori and the final four Freights just days ago," the albino man revealed, cracking his knuckles.

"You...?" Lynn called it a bluff. "Bullshit, you're lying-"

"Bomb went off three days ago on a commuter rail line. I can guarantee three Freights-"

Lana and Lola both gasped, having been there at the scene after it happened. "Y-you mean that was you?! You were behind that?!" Lola was digusted to the max.

"Lincy..." Lana's heart sank with disappointment, shaking her head in pure disbelief. "So, its true... You _are_ evil."

Lola found reason to cross her arms. "I don't know why Elmont wants you here, but with us three..." She exhaled sharply. "You're a sick human being, Lincy."

"So, they talked about me, huh?"

"We knew of the Freights, but what fun should it be for them to tell us you and Lori were part of that," Lola continued. "That and the death of them in Twenty-Six, as well as your supposed death."

"Imagine it, Lincy," Lynn added in. "The desecration of our family name, soiled away by the likes of you and Lori, and you know something funny?"

He raised an eyebrow. "No, what?"

"You were the mature one, and Lori was the most responsible of us-"

"You're talking about our past selves," Lincoln pointed out. "Before the fire, and before our lives went to absolute shit. All of that means nothing to me."

"Lincy..." Luan gulped. "No..."

"Maybe not to you, Lincoln, but to us it holds sentimental value, and it always will."

Luna joined Lincoln's side, challenging Lynn via eye contact. The three speedsters have settled that Lincoln, actually alive to everyone's surprise, was really the bad person Elmont and the rest of the Division had painted him as. Lynn knew she'd bump into him, but had no thought to formulate around him. Back then, when Lynn had found out Lori's role in it, she looked into the mess and was greatly appalled by it. That put her in jeopardy of losing her job if or when her superiors made the connection. Maybe they had, but Lynn was a good woman, only pushing herself harder to remain with the department.

Luan came in and went over to Lincoln and Luna. "Why?" Her scarred heart did the talking for her. "Why is it that we're the monsters?"

Luan went unstable, Luna went ravenous, and Lincoln, the worst of them all, went berserk longer than them, embarking on a selflessly fueled crusade, motivated by rage he held against the world. They were on the other side of the sharpest line, parallel from Lynn and the twins, the three who acted in the name of good and justice through less violent means. Luna had potential to be with them, but a malice form of vengeance consumed and controlled her, and not to mention she had maimed some Vial Corp staff with the intent to kill, making her more qualified to be under Lincoln's side.

Lincoln, Luna, and Luan, the three Louds with fractured mortality and state of minds remolded from a chain of events made possible by one house fire. At the moment, it seemed balanced almost like fate at work. Three saviors, and three fallen- for now.

"We're not," Lincoln believed. "It is them three who have yet to suffer enough to break." He pointed a finger at them, making an assumption. "You three, what did you do in the world?"

"Lana and I stop crime," Lola confirmed. "We've been known for sometime, and New York became a popular stop for tourists who want to see us."

Luan smiled with pride behind Lincoln.

"Lynn?" Lincoln switched.

"With the Feds," Lynn revealed to them.

"What? As in the FBI?" Luan looked to Luna with shock. "Does that mean you-?"

"I walked out with a degree that got me in there," Lynn explained. "It was hard, and I thought I'd never get there, but I did and I will never stop being proud of myself..."

"C-congratulations, sis!" Luan cheered. "You went... Further than-" Her dreams were killed and she knew that, but Luna reached out to her with loving arms.

"None of that, sis," Luna eased. "So, how's Aunt Rinn? Haven't seen her since... Well, you know."

Lincoln crossed his arms. "I don't. Someone fill me in."

The twins both broke away from Lynn and moved to the bed on the right, figuring it was the right time to tell them, but only after they all caught up with each other.

"Right, you were the first to leave, Lincy," Luna uttered. "You missed a lot."

"You really did," Lola added. "Who wants to go first?"

"I know," Lana planned out. "From oldest to youngest!"

This way they'd be the last to tell them the news of Rinn's death. This put Luna as the starter. She looked around, gasping when it turned out she was first. "Oh, fuck..." She sighed. "Fine."

Everyone moved to a seating position. Lynn placed herself next to Lana, and the other three arranged themselves on the other bed, all focused on Luna.

"For context," she told Lincoln. "Lynn and I had a fight... And, it put Luan in the hospital. I don't- C-can't remember, but Aunt Rinn punished me and kicked me out, so... Me and my band, we went on gigs and stuff to help the family. You know Aunt Rinn was single, she couldn't-"

"Yeah, too big a family for her to raise..." Lincoln nodded.

"Luan was gone one day, as Lola told me, and I went all over town to look for her. The guilt..." Luna's breath shook with her words. "I couldn't ever live with myself if something bad happened to her."

The rest of the girls' had their heads bob down, touched by Luna's count of desperation to find her sister. Lincoln listened on, not moving a muscle.

"And then... You know about Vial Corp, right? What they've been doing?"

"I've gathered the connection," Lincoln replied. "Saw some attack in Dadetown, too. A live broadcast."

Luna sniffed. "D-Dadetown... I was there, I was the one who broke out the other phenos."

"Dadetown?" Lynn hadn't the foggiest.

"It's the town a Vial Corp facility is in. The place I was kidnapped to, experimented and tortured... And even raped."

"Are you serious?!" Lola exclaimed.

"No way!" Lana screeched.

"Oh, God... L-Luna, I'm so sorry..." Words were the limit of expressing such a distasteful human act like this. "J-Jesus."

"B-but I... I got away, I had to," Luna went on through broken panting. "I had to get away, and so I did. They wanted me, and only me, dudes. Chunk, Tabby and Terry are dead- They weren't taken. J-just me... Just me."

"So, what's the deal with that tail?" Lincoln's eyes centered on the green, scaly thing behind Luna. "What the fuck did they do to you?"

"Show them, Luna," Luan suggested for show.

Lynn's lips twitched to say something, but she had no idea what words would come out. "Mmmm."

Luna got up, showing off the carnivore locked inside. The white clothes on her did not rip out on her this time, modified to sustain the expanding size of her transformation. Only, her tail pushed her white pants down a little when it popped up, a minor nuisance for her.

Lynn nearly gagged at the sight of her, turning away and coughing violently. Lincoln raised his eyebrows, blinking like he didn't believe it. "Holy shit," Lincoln let out.

"This is what they've done to me, and I don't want this. I don't know what this even is, but... I can hear everything, I can smell everything, and I can see from afar. All of my senses raised, and... I can't stop feeling-"

When she took her pause, it was only twenty seconds later when they decided Luna was finished, unable to continue her talk.

"Luan?" Lynn urged. "Your turn."

"Right..." Luan cleared her throat. "Nothing happened before that, really. Just know that Lori went out-"

"I know all about Lori," Lincoln interrupted.

"Uh... I guess you do, don't you?" Luan went on with her tale. "I woke up alone, and I thought there would be someone to wake up to. I wasn't at home, but in the hospital. And..."

Lynn closed her eyes.

"Turns out I've been there longer than it felt. The damage-" Luan squealed a high pitch whimper and shed her skin with tears. "Oh God, I remember feeling so alone-"

Luna leaned herself right into Luan, both of them comforting each other. "You're not alone anymore! And you won't be again!"

Lana locked her hand with Lola's strengthening their bond with smiles to each other. Lynn stared at her brother, and he returned the favor, sparking different forms of hatred with one another.

"I don't think you need to share if it's too much, Luan," Luna informed. "It's in the past now."

Lincoln's turn. "Well, you know my story, I guess. Lori came to me and found me, and we've done some messed up things-" Lynn narrowed her eyes with more anger at him. "-But I had a change of heart, knowing well that all I've done to everyone I've hurt was not methodical or morally correct."

Only Lola, Lynn and Luna could hold their stomachs enough to look at him while he revealed his stuff.

"You can hang me for being one of them to begin with, but I'm here to make right for my sins, and you will not stop me from having my own atonement."

Lynn was prepared to fight with him on the matter. In her mind, Lincoln was undeserving of a second chance, especially since he'd done committed despicable and vile crimes around the states. Little girls and boys, teenagers and family members of the dead, victimized and broken. Did he do it just to get them to feel his pain? The Freight ideals were selfish ones carried out by literal grown babies who cried unfair in her opinion. "I know enough about them, and I've gotta say they're all a bunch of idiots with guns and weapons, as are you."

Lincoln grumbled, but had no mind to fight Lynn. "I wanted out when my eyes were opened to understand what we really were, and I wanted Lori to come with me. I made it a choice, a choice she turned down. Them over me, and this was when I decided she wasn't worth saving."

Luan and Lana had the most trouble accepting what he and Lori were involved with at first, and now it turned out there was more that happened with them.

"I got myself in a bit of a pickle and wound up in a coma after bombing their hideout. Woke up literally recently, learned who made it out alive, and killed them."

"You did it with extreme force, Lincy..." Lola snorted. "Do you know that? A bomb, in a train-"

"That was them, Lola," Lincoln raised his voice. "That was Lori, and I had no idea they'd be packing due to their off-leash privilege."

Lynn laughed. "I'm almost convinced you're a good guy, brother. I really am, but you've got so much to answer for, now that they know you're alive. And I'm going to enjoy your sentencing."

The white-haired sibling did not say anything else, only keeping his stone-faced look around them.

Luan was rubbing her forehead, processing the news. "Sweet Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with all of us? Seriously."

Luna wiped her eyes, sniffing. "I didn't want to resort to harming anyone, but for me, they just pushed it and pushed it to no end."

"I snapped too," Luan confessed. "Lynn, I lost my mind for a long period of time, and here they fixed me... Well, they're reconfiguring my messed up head, but it's a second chance I didn't think I've earned. If you had to ask me, no, no I won't ever believe I earned it. All those killing sprees and bodies I left behind was because of something in me understood a new concept..." And that concept happened to be that the conformities of life was but an illusion that made everyone believe they were saved. It pushed Luan to defy that idea by killing, which proved no man was immortal or saved for a natural death. This would also come to strike the hearts of their loved ones, waking them up from their own heaven. It was for this reason that she could compare herself to Lincoln and agree she was similar to a Freight. "If you're gonna keep doing that to Lincoln, I'm deserving of it as well, Lynn."

"But he-" Lynn tried to reason.

"All I see is that you're being unfair. He's being given the second chance, the same one I did, and you are just being petty." Luan had some truth to her words. "I trust Lincoln, as should you, even if I don't approve of what he has done."

"And those days have been long over," Lincoln reminded them again. "Freights are over, and I'm done with tossing my shit into the world."

"Hmph!" Lynn looked the other way, arms crossed. "Whatever."

"Twins?" Lincoln eyed the blondes in white suits, implying for their turn.

Lola coughed, looking downwards before starting. "We've been left alone in the end," she disclosed. "Most of you were gone, either ran away or moved on with your lives, and Lynn was the last one to leave Aunt Rinn's, and it was the hardest goodbye I've- I mean, we've had to say to her. The house was really quiet with us and little Lily-"

Lincoln squirmed at her name, which Lola caught and mentally noted. "-But we handled it well when we were on our own... Until Vial happened." She shook her head, folding her hands into fists, banging them against her knees. "Damn it, damn it!"

"What happened?" Luan stood up, feeling the storm coming.

Little Lana's lips quivered, a few words away from feeling the downpour of rain.

"They- They came in... We all fought them off long enough for Lily to run away, b-but Aunt Rinn-"

"THEY KILLED AUNT RINN!" Lana exploded at long last, falling right on her back, hopelessly weeping and screaming. "THEY SHOT HER, AND LILY- WE LOST HER! WE LOST LILY!"

Luna cupped her mouth with horror, shaking her head with denial, eyes refilling with tears again. "No, no... Not them... Please, no-"

Luan dropped to her knees, unable to cope with this tragic update. She soaked the floor beneath her wet with her fresh tears, and then started maniacally laughing. "Why duh-duh-does this have to happen to us? Why did Aunt Rinn die? I don't understand-"

_Lily... _Lincoln was the only one of them all who knew where Lily went, and yet- He decided to keep it to himself as to not further make them suffer. He didn't really react to Rinn's death, but did rub his arm in a guilty fashion. "Oh, fuck."

Only Lynn and Lincoln were the only ones not crying, but Lynn had reason to mourn. "Man... I really liked Aunt Rinn..." The pieces came fitting for her now. All those missed calls were because no one could actually answer. She had also fault for not looking into it with the resources in her hands. This was all Lisa's doing, and that alone gave her all the motivation to fight against Vial Corporation and its backed powers and connections. And with her special zoom power, it was possible. No more Lynn Loud Jr bound by human limitations. "We'll make Lisa pay for this."

"Yes, yes we will," Lola sobbed. "I've never been more thankful for a chance like this."

"Lily could still be out there," Lynn believed. "We've got more help at our disposal, so we'll do whatever it takes."

"We'll do it," Luna triumphed. "We'll get Lily back and be the family we once were, at long last."

Lincoln only had just two more questions they didn't answer, much to his surprise; where was Leni? And what happened to Pop-Pop? For the latter, he made a safe guess and assumed the grandfather had been deceased for an unknown number of years now. But Leni was another thing, maybe a story for another time. Meanwhile... He didn't what to expect when they came to know that Lily had died under his watch. Bad enough that the three speedsters, which he labeled them cookers, were opposed to him, seeing him as a clear hostile. It would be fine, if they didn't instigate war against him.

"Can't wait for the mission," Lynn stated, eager to get back on the field with her special gift. She got up and moved out of the room to practice her running on the hall. She needed to burn out her anger after today's grave news. Rinn dead, and she didn't ever manage to say a proper goodbye to her under the assumption they'd be meeting up again later in life. Rinn, her surrogate mother who pushed the kids with words Rita would never unleash for the sake of making them better. Rinn, a woman who truly cared for them all, giving them a roof and food even as crowded as it was going to be.

Why? Why did she, a best damn woman to label a mother, have to die? Be killed like that? Why couldn't Rinn be one of those Vial Corp guinea pigs and be here with them?

Lynn zoomed back and forth, going fast enough that only the twins would see her crying. The twins who were in the same area as her, allowed to see Lynn mourn for Rinn. She wouldn't hold it against them for being quiet up to here, knowing how terribly hurt they must have been, and maybe even scarred to see it go down. But they were a strong set of girl's, dependant on each other, and maybe that was why they never fell into their own fractured hell like the others. And by that logic...

...Lynn had also fallen into her own hell. Did she know what it was?

Luna and Luan assembled on the twins' behalf, all of them grieving for their fallen motherly figure. Bad enough they lost one mother.

Lincoln sank back into the bed, curling himself up for rest. The long day so far had left him tired, and badly beaten by Lynn, the sooner who had seemingly only gotten her powers today, if not activated them. What perfect timing that an operation had come as a blessing. He sought to join in to get every bit of info he could on Lisa's operations and systems.

Lisa and the army and connections she helmed with power, those were the ones to cut off via the funding and supplies, the effective way to take on and dismantle even a terrorist cell. He was thinking that phenos were the enemy until now, where it was already known at this point that the biggest fish to fry was those responsible for them. An actual conspiracy happening right under the nation's nose, and only the truth was known within the Patriot Division.

The man was stretched out his arms and legs, ready for an assignment not of his own choosing, but indeed of his interest. By now, he hoped the sisters all gathered where his allegiance was and the grasp of an idea of his strength.

**Later**

They all gathered at the debriefing room under Elmont's request. The man with the long, wavy brown hair awaited his crew of phenos patiently, nodding to each of them before going over the mission's objectives and planning. He stood in front of an oval table, just like the one in the front of the base, letting the Louds assemble around it.

"Now, since Lynn Loud Jr is the only one with real experience under her belt, I'm appointing her to the team leader, and you will be following all orders and objectives, is that understood?"

No one peeped a word.

"Okay, so-" Elmont touched the table and began sliding his fingers across it, revealing a holographic version of a Vial Corp facility. "This one is upstate in Maine, the one we believe Lisa Loud is currently visiting. If you guys haven't been keeping up with the news, but it seems some phenos have taken vigilante roles and going around attacking other facilities. It simply cannot be contained much further, but they're doing the best they can to deny the existence of phenos."

Lola and Lana had no idea other phenos revolted in retaliation.

"It all started with Luna here," Elmont valiantly complimented. "You are the one who's given everyone back their freedom, and us a chance to end Lisa's reign. You are a hero, Luna."

Luna curved a smile, to which Luan flashed a thumbs up to, radiating pride of accomplishment. The twins also joined in, tossing their smiles, showing off the pair of teeth they were missing.

"Now, that's where you six come in. Being phenos, you can get in and attack this base and free the captured ones. That's gonna be one objective, but not the main one. At the crime scenes of past incidents, we've recovered a couple of unforms for you to use. This goes for Lincoln and Luan here."

Elmont touched the hologram of the facility and stretched it out, revealing a flat rectangular shape, the layout of the first floor. "They never have security on the outside, which my guess would be because it would look too suspicious. Why would they beef up security on the outside if it were an ordinary place? They want to steer clear of suspicious conspirators, but that is just one flaw in their security. It's the inside that's going to be tricky. You've got people who know each other well, cameras and metal detectors making sure you aren't trying anything funny, so you know what that means."

"Great..." Lincoln moaned. "No fucking weapons."

"Correct, but not on you, so much as actually with you. Lincoln and Luan, all you have to do is make it inside the lobby. And don't worry about being caught, we'll have fake passes to get you clearance at all levels." Elmont fiddled with the hologram again, splitting the entire infrastructure into four rectangles. "This one has four floors, and the top one is where all the data is stored. Depending on how much data exists, there will be one or multiple hard drives in the databanks. You're looking for a room that looks like its full of black-"

"I got it." Lincoln knew what he was looking for.

"As for the four of you ladies," Elmont referred to Luna and the zoomers. "Shortly after Lincoln and Luan enter level three, you all barge in and start a riot. Subdue all guards as fast as you can, and leave some bodies around if you can. This has to look like a pheno attack, nothing to give off the idea that someone else is behind this."

"We're going to have to blow up the facility if that's the case," Lincoln strategized. "They'll know their stuff would be gone, right? That's also accounting for the surveillance capturing it all. Unless you have an EMP-" He stopped as Elmont snapped his fingers and pointed at him.

"An airborne drop carrying an EMP will be made and set off when the show starts. Luna, I don't know what to expect in the lower level apart from knowing one exists. You're on liberation duty. Lynn covers the main floor, and the twins are on the second floor. Drives must be captured before the phenos are let out time the getaway right. After that, the second airdrop will be a bomb strong enough to wipe out the whole area up to a mile."

"Well, that sounds simple enough," Lincoln thought. "Lynn?"

"I'm against this idea of k-killing just to steer suspicion away, I don't know-"

"Haven't you been thrown in those situations where you had to kill to survive? You know, when a wound shot wouldn't cut it?" The albino struck.

Lynn circled back to her last assignment from the Bureau. "Yeah, once so far! But that was necessary, and this-"

"Lynn, this _is_ necessary," Elmont dropped. "I appreciate your good intentions and morality, but this is not a casualty-free operation, so it's not optional. However you do it, does not matter. Whoever does it, does not matter. Maybe if you are fast enough, the phenos will be doing the work for you."

It wasn't that Lynn didn't want to get their hands dirty by committing a massacre, but she kept resorting to the rules by the book she still believed in. No one had to die because of one's own personal vendetta, for there was a functioning system. Lisa, her staff, and all else under the pyramid, they could still be arrested and sentenced. It had to work, it just had to.

She was visibly upset, sighing. "Yeah..." Whether or not the others were on board, she knew it had to be done.

Lola and Luna had the dirty thoughts cloud their minds, thinking only of themselves and what they've done to Rinn. Of course they weren't going to hold back their fighting, but the clearance to kill was a certified bonus. Lola had yet to know if its consequences however, while Luna, with blood-stained hands and a thirst for vengeance, could tap into her anger and let the beast do what she could not.

"Make sure you get out of there on time, there will be no delay for any of you, so you make everything count. Is that understood?"

"Yeah," the twins agreed.

"Simple enough," Lincoln stated.

Luna and Luan gave some unsure nods, and Lynn just looked on wordlessly.

"And one more thing," Elmont added in last minute. "Do not make an effort to capture Lisa if she is spotted, no matter how bad you want to. Priority is the intel, nothing more and nothing else. Do I need to repeat myself?"

"I think we're all okay," Lincoln hoped.

"I'd heavily suggest that some of you learn proper fighting techniques. Lana, Lola, while your powers are at a great advantage, would you be able to fare an enemy of the same ability? We know it's possible now, meaning there might be more..." He thought of a name to give them.

"Zoomers," Lincoln suggested. "Calling them that."

"Hm, not a bad name," Elmont paused. "Alright then, as I was saying, it is imperative you sharpen your skills. You just might never know when you'll find yourself in a grave situation such. Better to be safe and sorry, right?"

Lana looked at her own two hands. "You do have a point... We've always been running around, dodging attacks and bullets."

"I guess we do need some of that..." Lola confessed with some shame. "We need to get better."

"And I need to master this shit." Lynn swung her legs around in the air.

"I trust you all can handle it from here. However, we are kicking the operation off in two days, so get to it right away."

**May 28th, 2030**

"I know how it feels like those first times where it feels like something is pushing you as you run," Lola described. "The trick is to not push against the force with all your might, it's like some illusion. You can move with no problem, it's just the air being very still and hard, but nothing we can't handle."

She and Lynn were down the hall of the living quarters floor, going over the basics of a zoomer.

"So, it's just the same as normal movement in all senses?"

"Yes, exactly! Don't be tricked into pressing yourself. And another thing is to slow down-" Lola's hair blew back from the windy after-force of Lynn's super sprint. When she came back, the poor field agent plowed right into the elevator and hit her nose again, breaking it. "Hey, you okay?"

Lynn covered her nose as she bled again, letting the pain burn out through her sniffer. "Ungh."

Luna came out into the hall, detecting a tasty odor. "What smells so good?"

"Uh-" Lola directed her hands on her hips. "There's nothing-"

Luna referred to Lynn's blood, but Lola didn't realize this yet. Lynn's zoomer healing repaired her nose in a matter of seconds, which also explained how she was good as new after Luna had fought her yesterday. Lynn wiped the blood off her new white clothes, a generic choice she wish she could customize.

Lynn held off in figuring out her own problems, which were quite a few but impossible ones she needed help with. There was her grew and returning them to the past. Time travel was possible as she found out in the deadliest way possible. Not only that, but she also believed that she could have her status set back to the living side. Lynn still had her mind fixated on returning to her old life... And when she was thinking about it, she found herself in a pickle. This was more of a powerful agency that went after the big game, while her own department only answered to terror cells and big street gangs. Here, she stepped into a world where things were not as they seemed, and where truths were lying down in the unexpected of places. She would have never found out about Vial if not for the blue portal that sucked her in.

Luna came up to her and opened her hands, thinking she had a treat. "Share what you've got-"

Lynn pulled back her hands. "What are you doing? Weirdo!"

Luna didn't expect to see the blood, but her nostrils identified its smell as something wonderful, like a pastry. "Oh."

"D-did you seriously smell my blood?"

"S-sorry, dude... It's my other self." Luna then noticed Lynn's different hairstyle for the first time. "I see that you've cut your front hair, but the ponytail's still there."

"Mmm, sometimes I bring it out for show, but it's more usually all down."

Luna found a chance to get some closure with her. "If you're done here..."

Lynn was still holding onto the grudge, but allowed Luna to talk. "Lola, give us a minute?"

The blonde went away for an unscheduled break. "Five minutes only."

"Thanks," Luna expressed, walking into a room with Lynn. "I know you hate me, and you have every reason to, but I just want to say that I'm sorry."

Lynn exhaled through her nose, hands hanging on her sides. "Luan seems to appreciate your presence, so I guess I can't really be a bitch now, can I?"

Luna viewed it as good words, humbly pleasing her. "I'm gonna try hard for you guys, you know? So much I've gotta-"

Lynn levitate her hands up high. "Save the talking, sis. I understand, just don't hurt Luan again." She didn't believe she said that at first, then pressed a hand on her temple. "Ooooh, I'm going soft."

"I won't, alright?"

"Keep in mind I hate that you've done that to her, but I don't hate you," Lynn reminded. "Just stay on our good side. Anyways-" The zoomer returned to her practicing, not having a desire to talk to Luna, leaving the latter having hope for the incoming days.

**May 29th, 2030**

They rolled out, riding away in the trailer. Elmont and Lynn were seated at the surveillance control board, looking through the four angled monitors up on the screen. The other four Louds were moving about while they clinged to the handles above, either one-armed or using both to keep from rumbling. Lincoln and Luan were dressed in the same labcoat attired Luna and the twins recognized and hated with passion. All of them had earpiece communicators placed on their left ears, connecting them to each other and to Elmont.

The facility in Maine was far enough to make this a long ride for them. Lana and Luan were the most nervous of the faction, worrying about any potential screw-up should it to sideways. And since there was no guarantee it would be in their favor-

"No pausing or thinking if any of you get scared! Just believe in yourselves, you've survived through worse conditions!"

Luna felt a little queasy, picturing the labcoats who had their way with her. Dirty sons of bitches had to have been among this one, too. It churned her stomach just as bad as she felt the last time. If it went well, she'd save helpless girls from being violated within Vial Corp walls. With the whole data, the little empire disguised as science firms would fall. All phenos would return to society, and that meant her and the other siblings. Back into whatever life they could start anew.

"Don't worry, Luan," Lincoln squeaked into her ear. "I'll protect you."

"You know, I don't think I'm just as qualified as the rest of you. Uh, Mister Elmont, sir, I'm only a scrawny woman-"

Lincoln grabbed her hand and stroked at it gently, rubbing to drive away her fear. "It's okay to be scared, Luan. It's okay, I promise."

"L-Lincy- I-" Luan didn't let go of his strong hand, trembling and sweating with no end. "I don't want to lose any of you again."

"We won't lose!" Lynn hurled out. "We're phenos!"

"Nothing to fear, dude," Luna brushed off.

"Guys, I've been thinking..." Lana pondered whether they take codenames for themselves. It was only fair when the twins had already accepted some they'd been given. "Hero names!"

"Oh-" Luan laughed uncontrollably. "Oh, God! I'm sorry, I don't think I could-"

"Oh, that's easy! I'd have to pick... Adrenaline! Or... Adrena-Lynn?" Lynn gave it some thought and decided shortly after. "Nah, Adrenaline sounds fine, I guess."

Luna sighed, shaking her. "What makes you think we'll be full-time heroes? Or heroines? It's just one mission, right?"

Elmont raised his shoulders and turned his head to say he didn't know, which meant something else entirely.

"Can I pick it for you?" Lana begged. "Pretty please?"

"Sure, Lans. I don't see why not!"

"Drum roll, please!"

Lola raised a knee and one-handedly tapped at it with her zooming ability.

"The carnivorous! The ultimate! Theeeee... Supreme beast of Royal Woods!"

"Supreme- Hmmm... I've got one better," Luna suggested, modifying Lana's name. "How about just... Superbeast?"

"Superbeast?" Lana put a finger on her chin. "Well, it's shorter, I guess. Okay! But I want a piggyback ride on you in beast form. I've always wanted to ride a big lizard."

"Erm..." Luna winced.

"She's not lying," Lola revealed. "Her bucket list has never changed."

"Fine, if it'll make you happy."

Lana grinned widely, which made Luna feel great inside. "Thanks, Lunes."

"Luan?" Lana was selective. "Hmmm... What can yours be?"

"Clownie!" Luna teased. "You still love jokes, right?"

"I've always... Wanted to be a comedienne," Luan admitted. "Maybe that. The Comedienne."

"Five down, now it's-"

"No nicknames, ever," Lincoln finalized.

"...Oh," Lana went.

"Ladies and man, we have arrived at our stop."

The truck pulled into a siding behind some trees, stopping slowly. Lincoln let go of Luan's hand and moved to the exit, opening the trailer. "We know the drill."

"Ten minutes do get it done, understood?" Elmont looked over his pheno team, and set a hand to Lynn's shoulder. "Counting on you."

"Roger that, keep us posted on our time."

"Luan, with me," Lincoln commanded, jumping off the trailer. He moved to the facility, jogging fast towards the road that led to the parking lot in view. Looking behind him, he failed to spot the trailer, but are Luan appearing from nowhere which then told his brain that the entire truck was cloaked with an invisible shield.

"Damn it, Lincoln!" Luan cupped her mouth, forgetting that they had different identities today. The day was a beautiful one, set in the afternoon. Maybe if it knew shit was going to go down, it might have been raining. She caught up to him just in time for them to enter the facility, climbing up past a small set of stairs.

"Swallow your fear," Lincoln hissed from in front.

They entered, seeing many other labcoats walking around, not taking notice of the two strangers. Luna gulped as she followed Lincoln to the check-in point in front of them, a metal detector followed by a facial recognition scanner he identified when another labcoat was going through the same process.

"Elmont, you fool," Lincoln growled into the earpiece. "They've got biometric scanners."

_"Inconceivable! Stall or improvise! The EMP and the phenos are inbound!"_

Lincoln was motioned into the metal detector by one of the guards stationed beside it. "Move it along, sir!"

The albino extended his hands and walked through, passing it with flying colors. "Done?"

"Yes! Towards the scanner, please!" He guided Lincoln before switching to Luan. "Ma'am, pass through, please."

Luan followed, getting nervous as she struggled to watch Lincoln come up with a viable response to the scanner. "We need them, now..." She whispered into the earpiece.

Lincoln was just about to step foot into the cylinder scanner right before the action started. A force of nature plowed through the few guards around the lobby by the trio of zoomers. Luna had come carried by Lana, dropped off at the stairs. She transformed just as the multiple labcoats started their scaredy screams of terror, running around like teens in an 80s horror movie. The alarm was activated, blaring away as a voice on the intercom alerted the faculty of intruders.

Through the commotion, Lincoln and Luan ran to the staircase after the other four went to their posts. Lynn remained on the main level to handle reinforcements, the twins took to the second floor, and Luna went to break out her pheno brethren after nabbing herself one poor labcoat.

Lincoln encountered four armed guards at top level coming down to tango with his sisters, but he was having none of it. The man picked one guard up and threw him down to the bottom of the stairwell. The other three were stunned and fixated their shotguns at him. He kicked one shotgun, making it go off into one's waist, which opened a gory wound.

Luan stepped away as the body rolled down near her. "Oh, my God!"

Lincoln fought the other two, hands grabbing their weapons, raising them up as he kicked them away to make them let go. One of them fell easy than the other, making Lincoln let go of the tough cookie with a forceful push of the shotgun he had to let go. "TAKE IT!"

"LINC-!" Luan looked away as Lincoln fired a shell at the other guard before he could fire at them. His head exploded, painting the wall red with brains, and the fleshy sound of death made Luan squirm disturbingly. Lincoln did the downed one in before moving.

_"Guys, we've got this girl in black on the second floor. She's- She's dressed like, I don't know, a dang ninja? Swords and everything."_

"Lisa employing murderous children? I'll see to that, bring her along," Lincoln answered to Lana. "You take the guards down?"

_"We're clear down here-"_

_"EMP in fifteen seconds!" _Elmont notified. _"And you are now under six minutes, make the most of it!"_

"Hey, are these comms made to withstand the grid-fryer?" Lincoln wondered.

_"Yes, indeed. Ten seconds before total darkness. Stay wary."_

Lincoln ran down the hall with the shotgun, not caring about being caught by the camera that he blew his cover officially. "Good idea, Luan! Keep me covered!"

Luan concealed her face from looking at the bodies, scarred from that which she had done.

At the sub-level, Luna had her hostage open up the cells like the first time. This one, a redhead younglings who looked innocent to even be here under orders of an evil woman, was spared with a measured punch that knocked him out. She carried him, having no intention to kill this one, and made an effort to save him.

_Not a killer... Not a beast..._

She took him while running to the freed phenos wandering about cluelessly. "I AM YOUR SAVIOR! BE FREE!" Right on cue, the lights went out, meaning the EMP had hit and done its purpose. She called to the crowd, leading them to the stairs. "AFTER ME, MY PHENOS!"

The twins, with Lola carrying the unconscious Carly, and Lana with the girl's weapons, advanced back down when they saw the stampede of trapped phenos coming out behind Luna, all of them making a united commotion that echoed right to Luan's location. "Are those-?"

"FREEDOM, LOVE! FREEDOM!" Luna pushed through the doors, bumping into Lynn. "OUT THE WAY, ZOOMY!"

"Watch where-!" Lynn then screamed and slipped on her back, startled by the angry battalion. "Oh, okay then!"

"RAGE, MY PHENOS! SCREAM, MY PHENOS! FIGHT, MY PHENOS!" Luna hollered into the lobby, pointing to the exit.

"THAT SHOW ENDED YEARS AGO, GODDAMNIT!"

_"That's the last time we listen to Lincoln's anime suggestions!"_

_"Three minutes left until the bomb is dropped!"_

Lincoln found the data room and took off his uniform, setting it on the floor. He dug around for two hard drives from two different databanks, and found them, quickly placing them down on the uniform and closed it by the corners. "Package received, we're coming out!"

Luan took slow steps down, trying to avoid the nasty bloodshed Lincoln left in his wake, when a brunette woman with a green shirt underneath a lab coat came running by downstairs. "Ma'am, pleashe evacuate the premishes," the young woman said with a clear lisp.

_A lisp! Is- Is this Lisa?!_

Lisa thought she went unheard, and turned to Luan, thinking she was traumatized by the bodies. "Ma'am-"

Luan made the mistake of freezing up, letting herself be identified by Lisa. And the sadistic super-intellect sought to make a problem go away when she pulled out a concealed revolver on Luan, aiming right at her face.

"What ish the meaning of thish?!"

Lincoln came back out, saw Luan standing there at the halfway point like a statue. "Hey, Luan, what the-?"

Lisa looked right up and recognized the voice. "Lincoln Loud, ish that you?!"

Lincoln gasped and then set down the drives, jumping down as Lisa fired. She panicked, missing Luan by three inches from the left. Lisa dropped her gun and ran into the second floor, while Lincoln fired but missed. He reloaded, and was just about to fire when Lisa looked behind and ducked into a room. A blue flash of light followed immediately after, urging Lincoln to pursue her. "We're compromised! Lisa spotted both of us! Requesting permission to kill on sight!"

_"L-Lisa-?"_

_"Saw you?!"_

_"Negatory! The drives will suffice! Pull back for extraction, leave this to the phenos! Less than two minutes, hurry!"_

Lincoln didn't listen, crashing into the room with one goal. He came across what appeared to be an infirmary room, finding only cabinets and drawers filled with medicine, a hospital bed, but no Lisa. He could have sworn she jumped in here. "Oh, shit..."

Below, Luna had led the many Vial Corp slaves to freedom, watching them escape after being thanked by some of them. Lola and Lana, carrying the ninja girl and her weapons, had come out following the stampede.

"Is that the ninja you mentioned?" Lynn inquired. "She doesn't look older than fifteen!"

"Wait till Elmont sees this," Luna laughed.

"Forget this one, who the fuck is that? And where did the rest of the staff go? It's like they disappeared."

"Saw them all escape to the stairs, but..." Luna began pondering it as well. "Did we seriously not notice it? And oh, I knocked this one out. He's lucky to be alive."

The misfortune of Lucky was soon realized when Lincoln fired a shell into his head, which also hit Luna's shoulder. Lana and Lola were redecorated with the young man's blood on their faces and suits, horribly shaken up by it. Luan had fallen even more sick when Lincoln had killed another one. Luna had fallen on her good side, yelping away. "NO, NO, NO! L-LINCOLN, WHY?!"

Lynn was dismayed and angered, forming fists.

"LINCOLN, HE WAS JUST A CHILD!" Luna pushed the body off of her, while her body tossed out the slug fragments and healed. She turned back to her regular self, very upset at her brother's nature. "No... No, I wanted to save-"

Luan went down and comforted her. "You did good... You did good, Luna. You tried..." Luan looked at her younger brother, a monster worse than even Lisa, with a different look in her eyes. "Unlike you."

"Give me a break, the brat signed on to be one of our enemies. Everyone a part of Vial is evil."

"No, no, I don't buy that," Luan defied. "They can't be... Can they?"

Luna snuggled her sister closely. "I want it to stop... Why can't it stop?"

"Lana, Lola, take the girl and those back to Elmont, now!" Lynn boomed, driving the twins away.

Lincoln dropped the weapon, holding the drives. "I don't see why you're all broken up. People die every fucking day, you don't bat an eye, but you see me kill this one boy younger than me and you cry."

"What's your point, Lincoln?"

"I just think you're being hypocritical and completely uncaring. It makes you just as bad as-"

Lynn rushed in and threw a punch after snagging the drives from Lincoln, right into his chest. But he caught it and tossed her back. "-How you say I am."

Lynn shook her head. "The difference is, we can stop you from this. You didn't need to, and you knew that. You had to have known that. We had him and he would have faced legal action! Legal, Lincoln, and a guaranteed one, too!"

He maintained his silence.

"I can't... I can't do this with you, Linc."

Luna and Luan moved up and joined Lynn's side, leaving Lincoln all alone this time.

_"We_ can't do this with you..."

"Is that your final thought?" He raised a finger. "Because... It isn't up to you, it's all up to Elmont. After all, I did what none of you did. I left bodies." The bomb had finally dropped behind Lincoln as he extended his arms out wide. Lynn gave Luan the drives before picking her up and running away from the blast range, leaving Lincoln and Luna to take the full force of the blast. The facility exploded in a fiery inferno just as Lincoln had stated his last piece at the height of the grand finale. "And I am the-"

The debris flew around and over their heads as the intensity of the blast blew away at them, messing with their hair. Luna blocked out the rushing airs with her hands as Lincoln remained put like nothing had happened. They withstood the full force of the blast but were left with an incinerated mess where the facility had been.

Lincoln walked away, clothes torn apart messily. If anything, he helped block Luna from the explosion, as well, but didn't care. "Come on, let's go."

Luna looked to the body of the dead redhead boy, touching him gently and apologized before leaving. It was here that she had learned again what life really meant, and what privilege it was to feel alive. And she wanted it again more than anything. Again, with her family.

Lynn had delivered the drives to Elmont, sitting down on the chair next to his, awaiting Lincoln and Luna. Luan closed her eyes, still haunted by the image of Lisa holding a gun to her face, and if not for Lincoln- She threw up at long last, pouring out green slime all over Lola's shoes.

"Oh, ewwwwww!" Lola cried out. "LUAN!"

"Luan? Are you okay?" Lynn rubbed around her back, then sniffed the atmosphere. "Aw, who's got gum or something?"

Luan shook her head. "S-sorry..."

"Damn it," Elmont evaluated the situation again. "Are you positive that Lisa has identified you and Lincoln?"

Luan nodded. "Y-yes, she- She pointed a gun at me-"

Lincoln and Luna had returned by then. "You're kidding me, right?"

"N-no. L-Lincoln jumped in and-" Luan vomited again. "Oh, G-God, I thought I was gonna die-"

"Hey, take her out of the team," Lincoln decided. "She is now unfit to serve in her state of mind."

Elmont brushed away at his long, mane-like hair and then came to an agreement. "Very well. Luan, you are relieved of the team, but all of our resources shall be open to you as long as your siblings continue to serve."

"I guess it's just five now," Lynn figured clearly. "Worry no more, Luan, you're out of the battlefield."

"Th-thank you..." Luan wiped her mouth fresh from any saliva around her lips, taking slow breaths now. "S-sorry for the mess..."

"Just take it easy, Luan. You can sit in the front if you'd like."

"Will the driver be okay with m-my smelly breath?"

Elmont laughed. "I don't think so, our driver is an A.I."

Lincoln blinked with shock. "An... An A.I.? Are you fucking kidding me? Th-that's a thing?"

Lynn rolled up a hand and coughed into it. "Nerd."

Luna and the twins laughed.

"You want in, too? Go on ahead!" Elmont allowed.

Lincoln carried Luan like a precious baby and took her to the front cab of the truck, where they were greeted by a female voice. _"Welcome to Model 76! My programming has been preset to serve the Patriot Division, so my functions are limited."_

"Hello, um, yes, we're done with our mission here!" Luan notified the A.I. "You mind taking us... Home?"

_"Calculating route."_

"Hold on, if it responds to orders, then who was giving the orders?" Lincoln asked Luan.

"Did you get all that?" Luan asked the A.I.

_"Elmont, of course. Orders are usually preset for all missions."_

Luan laughed. "So, we're _not_ in control of you?"

_"Affirmative. Would you like some music playing in the background?"_

"By all means," Lincoln offered.

"Play something upbeat yet mellow, please."

_"Locating music choices, standby."_

The truck turned on by itself, and the A.I., taking control of the truck, began pulling off as a song began to play, and the atmosphere went from a dark to light one as Luan let herself sink with the tone of the music. And before long, she was vast asleep, sleeping with her head resting against his shoulder. Not once did he move, and would not, until she woke up eventually.

* * *

**Act I: Enter The Dawn, Chapter X: The Patriots**

* * *

_Every word that you say_

_Echo on in my head_

_It's the only hope I got_

_Drowning out, open seas_

_My own words make me sink_

_But you keep me afloat_

_But sometimes I lose my mind_

_One answer is all I need_

_Say you're still here with me_

_I whispered will you let me hear?_

_But now, I really need to see_

_To know you're a part of me_

_Now is the right time_

_To take step forward_

_Now is the right time_

_You don't have to be afraid_

_I know over that hill there's something waiting for me_

_But I cannot get there alone_

* * *

**AN: Act I officially ends here, and with many themes packed into this, I open the door for future debacles, dynamics and some more family drama. Things are still being hidden on purpose, like, Leni's whereabouts, the truth about Lily, and what Lynn has seen. Meanwhile, there's also the matter of where Carol, Lyle, Lindsey and Lucy are. They're out there still, wandering about, as well as Sam, who's coming back in the next Act. There's lore aplenty in this fic.**

**The Louds may have won their ticket to dismantle Vial Corporation, but it won't be that simple. It never really is.**

**Act II: Blood Ties, coming in July. Enter, the clones.**

* * *

"Your brother and sister, you said?" The middle aged man in a business casual suit entered the room Lisa Loud was in, joining her. "Does that mean they're digging into this?"

"I am unshure, but my shource shayshhh there ish an agenshee after me. Bad for me, unleshhh..." Lisa stared at five golden chambers. Four were assembled in a perfect square, and the fifth one was oddly out of place, standing in the middle of the four.

"You can drop the stutter, I know how you really sound like."

Lisa coughed. "I suppose you do. Well, in any case, I may just be inclined to release them, starting with A."


	11. Chapter 11

**Dark Before Dawn, Act I Special: Camp Flagg**

* * *

**2028 **

If there was any place in time that Paula Ward could have ended up, it was in a very lonely place in the world, and additionally, it just so happened to be two years in the past from where she had been plucked from. The greatest of luck eluded her side when the blue portal had dropped her in a calm woodland settung somewhere in the world, daylight at play, and with Lulu the Vine Monster keeping her company. Paula hit the ground hard on her back, which hurt like fuck, and not to mention that she had been bleeding out from her neck courtesy of the parasitic baby-looking alien.

The young FBI agent of Lynn Loud's all-female unit would ultimately spend her final moments just half a mile away from Camp Flagg, a summer camp heavily in the state of being shutdown. And after today, it would forever come to be closed forever.

Lulu, in her human toddler form, crawled her way to the dying Paula, cooing innocently until her tentacles formed and wiggled around Paula's body when reaching her. It was the large gaping hole on poor Paula's neck that drew the hungry alien in. "No- No, stop-" Paula rotated her body, hopelessly aiming to shake the carnivorous extraterrestrial away. "M-Margo... Polly-"

Lulu opened her mouth, revealing her sharp teeth laced around in a circular shape. The nasty, flipping tongue tangled around the dying agent's neck, taking another gargantuan bite away, this one being deeper than her first bite which most of Paula's throat now being missing.

Paula choked and gagged, grasping nothing but blood like there was no tomorrow. Her inevitable corpse of a body withdrew into a frantic spasm. Her eyes blinked lifelessly away, zigzagging all around until a source of glowing light. Her body movements grinded to a halt after a minute or so of struggling to fight pain and death.

_Why like this? Why am I... G-going out like this?_ Paula shed a tear last minute, disappointed that she had not been survived by anyone. No husband, no kids. And worst of all, no friends had gathered on her behalf, and it was really happening. Paula was dying alone, just like she had been living alone. Alone.

Lulu had much disregard for human customs, only having a primitive set of objectives. Eat, sleep, defecate, and if possible, find a mate to reproduce. Lulu was an infantile alien of the Klemorienite race, just one of a great many races living past beyond the galaxy known to mankind. Lulu's natural form was a pale-green squirmy alien with a physique identical to that of a squid. Despite it being a youngling, Lulu came out with all the survival instincts, acting on them. Her tentacles, the slimy arms on her body, came with jagged blades that she could sink into any living organism and inflict serious damage. This was just as effective when she wanted to consume flesh again of all sorts. Humans around here, running around all over the place- it was like an endless buffet to fill her appetite whenever she grew hungry.

The alien devoured much of Paula's body, starting at her face, taking huge fleshy chunks and eating away. The skull of the dead woman was where she tried to avoid, as Klemorienites were unable to digest bone and anything just as strong. Much of Paula's face was gone, marking the face unable to be identified... If it mattered. Lulu retched out with a monstrous shriek, signifying her having gotten full, slithering away from the body, vanishing into the woods.

Not far away, a total of twelve people at Camp Flagg had heard the faint screech of the alien. This bunch were split into two outdoor tables, some looking over to where they believed the direction of it was, and the rest continued to eat their lunch, ranging from PB and J sandwiches to baby carrots. The only two counselors the camp had, Rochelle Mendez and Gavin Henderson, heavily implored the kids to be as active as they could, and to eat healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruit and certain liquids.

Rochelle Mendez of eighteen years old, had been manning the camp this summer, filling in as the replacement counselor for Stephen Flagg, an old friend of her folks and the head honcho of this camp, which belonged in the Flagg family tree for three generstions and still counting. She was a Mexican brunette with a darker tone of brown, ranging at 5'8 with an average build and some flab she wasn't exactly fond of having. The uniform required for the spot was just a shirt with the logo of the camp, only coming in a generic white with no real pizzazz attached with the shirt. That and some cargo shorts of any color, as long as it wasn't short to reveal skin above the knees, was passable.

Gavin Henderson was ahead of three years by age, having only one previous summer experience under his belt. The man was a full six feet of lean mass and muscular physique, which made him the object to drool over by the girls the camp currently had. His face was nice and handsome, one where his light brown hair was combed to perfection every morning, with his eyes, a pretty set of hazel-green color-fused pair of eyes that was almost a rarity charity he lucked out on in playing the genetic game. Truthfully, Rochelle believed that Gavin was here to meet or hook up with hot girls, which fairly disgusted her, but that was because she made no personal effort to know about him, establishing only a professional relationship with him.

This year, the camp welcomed a small number of kids this time, the smallest number they've reached since '91, where only thirteen kids had shown up that year. A new record was realized this year, and it didn't do wonders for Camp Flagg in any way at all.

There was Rachel Augustus, a perky curly-haired blonde shorter than Rochelle, face of a true pinkish-pale tone that screamed true American blood, but the only deal was that she was a quarter German that derived from her mother's side. The seventeen-year-old was plump in all the right places to be considered a thick gucci mama by the other boys who drooled over her with grand thirst. Furthermore, her style of clothes was also pretty hot; low-cut shirts that revealed her stomach, tight yoga pants that showed off her lower body's gold mine, if not, a bare bra she showed off due to the heat of these days. It was unfit for regulation at most, but Gavin, whom Flagg had placed as the main counselor, making Rochelle the secondary, had not sought out to enforce this clear violation, so Rachel was whoring herself without warnings.

Truly disgusting that Gavin was possibly drooling over Rachel in Rochelle's eyes. The man had to have been a pedophile, undoubtedly.

Gabrielle McCullen, a redhead of 5'5, was the obvious Irish-American girl with a hinted accent. Usually going by simply Gabby, the ginger had an openly vulgar personality where she never kept to herself. Her mouth simply had no plug, but at the very least, one could agree she was an honesy bitch. So far, Gabby had insulted and mocked about half of the campers, and a few times to the counselors. She was a skinny brat at thirteen years old, but had a secret fire that powered her will to fight when she needed to, or when someone had touched a nerve or poked the dormant bear. She was the way she was due to an abusive drunkard of a father who laid his heartless hands on her mother, two siblings and herself. The day had indeed come when the alcohol killed him, but by then, the damage was done, and broken Gabby roamed without supervision.

Manuel Clarke was the nerd, big on brains but low on muscle. In other words, Manuel was the one kid you could pick up and throw into a pool or down on the field with minimal effort. Whether he would cry or not depended on how much force was put into the shove. He was the shortest kid there, 5'4 and almost thirteen years of age. Manuel had a black set of hair shaped in a bowl cut, which made him look somewhat goofy. He was full of himself, hanging on a superior complex that made him unbearable in school, and sometimes ignored by mother. It was his father who decided to put him here so that little Manuel could learn something, but also getting him to fuck off at the same time. The shirt he currently wore was a Star Wars brand, mixed with green cargo shorts.

This year, the camp had welcomed a British boy into the fray. This boy, fourteen, was Hugh Walton Jr from a middle class family settled at the eastern end of the nation. His wavy brown hair looked almost like a mess, a bad hair day at work, but Hugh Jr insisted that was how his hair was. He came dressed like he was at a beach, sporting a pink shirt and generically tan shorts, with his round pair of glasses suggesting to some of the others he had some intelligence added to his character. How he had wandered here was unknown to the other campers.

Rosemary Johnson, another redhead of the group, was kind-hearted and calm in nature. She was fifteen, but looked young enough to be at least thirteen. With her, there was the case of being a late bloomer that embarrassed her. Her tits were almost flat, just as her body was short and skinny, and she hated it. Maybe her body did not have enough milk, or maybe a growth spurt hadn't happened with her yet. Her voice was still a squeaky, high one but she disregarded it for being a girl, in which they had high-pitched voices. Four comments from Gabby and counting. Nice. She kept her hair in front of her face at most times, and even now as she ate a ham sandwich, embarrassed of herself that her confidence and self-esteem was dangerously low. She was out for the day in a blue shirt with a brown stripe that circled around it, and was the only girl who walked about with skirts of various colors, today's being of the gray color.

Alice and Robbie Ackerman were step-sisters with a butting-heads type of rivalry, throwing insults, shoves, and anything that was a transparent "Fuck you!" to each other. They gave no care if there'd been anyone to take notice of it, but the reason why they were constantly at each other's throats is because Robbie and her mother Sandra Lopez of Mexican-American descent, had married into the Ackerman clan. The backstory was that Sandra had divorced her cheating pig of a husband, Robert Peterson and took their mixed daughter with her. Robbie had some problems adjusting to the new changes in her life, and so had Alice. Robbie was pale-skinned for someone with Mexican blood running through her veins, able to throw some people off that way. Her mother's genes had been mostly packed into her, which was for the better. Even still, it made her quite the inferior person beneath Alice, as that girl had come to believe.

Alice was far prettier than Robbie, being a blonde with perfect hair as bright as the sun's powerful shine. She was shorter than Robbie, but that was the advantage where she believed she could take on the lanky black-haired bitch with a bad daddy. Speaking of daddy, Alice was the object of automatic favoritism by her spoiling father Andrew. That was the clear problem with little thot Alice; she was given everything to her like plates of food at a table, not really knowing the concept of working to earn these things. But it wasn't too late for her to have a change-up, seeing as how she was fourteen, while Robbie was still thirteen, behind the blonde by six months.

They simply hated each other because they, to each other, were reminders that reality was reality and not a dream they could ever have. Specifically, Alice had more hatred towards Sandra, Sandra who she believed was the physical manifestation of the idea that true love is not real, otherwise Andrew would never have married her to begin with. And for Robbie, Alice was a stuck-up daddy's girl, and additionally, Sandra being married to Andrew broke her hope of having her parents reconciling and able to patch things up. Nevermore. Robbie held no grudge for Andrew himself, but his idea of fathering the blonde bitch needed work.

Robbie, having her hair in a ponytail, sat on the table that Alice wasn't at, minding her business with no fight to stir the masses. She started her day with a brown sweater and jeans, her usually moody attire, changeable by color usually. Alice was a girl with the preference for either pigtails or a ponytail, but she had free and about in contrast from Robbie. Her gorgeously blue eyes fixated on Hugh Jr, whom she was finding to be cute under the radar.

Gabby, sitting at their table, looked up while eating baby carrots, snorting like a pig. "Hey, you pussy, ask him out!"

Alice blushed uncontrollably, hiding her face as Hugh Jr, Rachel and Manuel looked up from their lunches at Gabby, then at Alice.

"Ask who out?" Rachel asked in her ditzy state.

"My, that is some very adult language on you, Gabby," Hugh Jr scolded, scratching his forehead.

Alice coughed, feigning an illness. "I feel s-sick," she lied, getting up and leaving to the bathroom stalls just outside the mess hall that had closed down. She entered one and shut it behind her, planning to stay in there as long as need be.

Meanwhile, Gabby reached over and took Alice's food, feeling quite pleased with herself. "Oh well, free lunch!"

"E-excuse me-" Hugh Jr came with the nice-guy Samaritan thing attached to him, a nuisance to Gabby.

"No, excuse yew, tea-sipping faggot!" Gabby helped herself, plucking down the grapes inside a container down her throat. "Mind ya bizznizz!"

"My word!" Hugh Jr was disgusted by Gabby's attitude. He looked around for the two counselors. "Where is the supervision?!"

"Supervise this!" Gabby shot up a middle finger at him, waving it with a smile.

Rachel crossed her arms, jumping in. "It's not cool stealing people's food, _Grabbrielle."_

"You- Oh!" Gabby laughed and pointed at Rachel. "You are funny, you are truly funny!"

"Why are you even here anyway?" Rachel pondered, looking at the devil straight in the eyes. "I can't assume it's cause mommy and daddy love you, right?"

Gabby's smile went away, face forming into something more fiercer, but possibly for show. "Shut up."

Rachel struck a nerve. "Oh, that's it, isn't it?" She laughed, which further upset Gabby enough to stand up.

At the other table, Rosemary, Robbie, and the last three unnamed campers looked over to see the unfolding drama. The two boys of the table, Matthew and Chip, who addressed each other as Farrett and Crog, presumably their last names, gave each other firm, serious looks. These two were the mysteriously quiet ones, which put some of the campers uneasy. Gabby believed them to be sociopaths she'd pummel if they tried to torture her. Matthew Farrett was a little chubby, being a long-haired creepy-looking person of five and a half feet, dressed in a buttoned-up blue shirt, camo shorts, and some sophisticated reading glasses. Chip Crog, a blond, was in a green hoodie and blue skinny jeans, eating some Pringles. A closer look at his sweater had some words written in black; **The Raccoon Is Not So Deviant! **followed by the face of a sad raccoon shedding a tear underneath the text.

Gabby raised her arms, tapping into the power of the soulless ginger gods from above. "I said shut up!"

But Rachel, having some experience with girls such as Gabby, was not backing down. She challenged the redhead further by smiling and laughing amusingly. "No, I don't think I will... You little pestilence."

Gabby stepped forward, edging Manuel to get up. "Hey, no need to fight-"

"SUCK MY PUSSY!" Gabby hollered to Manuel.

Rochelle and Gavin finally entered the scene, coming back from the woods. "What seems to be the problem today? Gabby!" Gavin loomed over her, arms set on his waist. "Are you going to do this again?"

Gabby's heart was pumping fast, triggered away when Rachel had found a vulnerability and exploited it. While it wasn't exactly on point, Gabby hated the idea of being left here alone forcibly by her mother. Her other two siblings she hoped would join her had stayed with mom, putting her all alive with no friends. The short circuit of her system crashed emotionally, driving her to run away from the group, especially from the smiling Rachel who seemed nothing more but delighted to have broken down the redhead in one way. "FUCK ALL OF YOU!"

"Gabby!" Gavin made a lazy attempt to grab her, but the short redhead scampered off into the woods, feelings bleeding away. "Aw, darn it, kids!"

Rachel hid her smile and turned her face back to her food, trying to play it innocent.

Gavin shook his head, approaching her. "And after you're done, you're going to bring her back."

"Ugh, she started it-" Rachel justified.

"We are not about arguing with one another," Gavin preached to the table. "As it stands, I've noticed how on edge you can get, so-" He slammed his hands on the table between Rachel and Manuel. "-All of you sitting here are going on a search party."

Hugh Jr coughed, raising a finger. "Bed pardon, but wasn't it stated that there are dangerous animals around the area?"

"Not specifically around this area, no," Gavin stated, looking to the direction Gabby had sprinted off to. "But Gabby might run into one if you guys don't get her back in time."

"The man's right," Manuel agreed. "I'm just about done here anyway." He got up and left the remains of his lunch, following Gabby's trail.

Hugh Jr followed, showing concern for his camp mate. "A matter this serious..."

Rochelle looked over the campers as Manuel and Hugh Jr pursued after Gabby, noticing Alice was missing as well. "What happened to Alice?"

"Bathroom," Robbie pointed, still laughing on the inside after Gabby had greatly embarrassed her. Miraculously for Alice, Hugh Jr didn't know what the commotion was about, quickly disregarding it. "You missed the whole thing."

"Huh..." Rochelle nodded. "Anyways, if any of you could help the boys, that'd be great."

Robbie had a form of respect to pay for the amusement, and so it was that she went and followed the boys. Matthew and Chip, giving each other a second unreadable look, took off this time, walking after Robbie. This left Rosemary and Maddie McKinley all alone.

Maddie McKinley, an African-American who felt out of place, sat and ate quietly. Nothing could be said for her as she wasn't open enough for them to get a read on her. It was gathered that she was smart, but maybe she was just shy and needed warming up to with group effort. Rochelle was still trying, unlike Gavin. Rochelle took Robbie's place, sitting next to Maddie. "So, how are you liking it?"

"It's... Okay, I guess," Maddie replied with a whisper. "It's not the best camp..."

Rochelle sighed with grief. "Yeah, I'd prefer a peaceful one..."

Maddie nodded in agreement. "Would be nice if there was a surprise."

"Who knows? Maybe today holds something we won't see coming."

"Maybe..." Maddie responded.

"I'd hope so," Rosemary added in. "The place is lacking in fun."

"That's cause it's lacking in funds," Rochelle whispered.

"Oh? I don't know how it works, so..." Rosemary laughed it off.

Rochelle noticed her choice of clothes. "Hey, those look familiar," she pointed out. "Where have I seen that exact-?" With a snap of her fingers, Rochelle remembered it. "Estrangement!"

Rosemary smiled like a dork. "Hey! You're awesome, Rochelle! Yeah, Loanne Wardell is my favorite actress, honestly. Such a shame her character died, I totally cried in the theaters."

"Ugh, same! For me, I say it's my favorite Loanne Wardell movie, with Sinful Days being a close second."

"I don't suppose you've seen that one film. Uhh, it's What She'd Been Missing, I think was called?"

Rochelle shook her head. "I know that one, but I've never seen it. Ugh, my friends say it's good but every time we pull her into convo, it's always that movie they bring up. Like, I get it but that movie is like-"

"Overrated?" Rosemary filled for her. "Wardell's got a lot of films under her belt, but WSBM seems to be all the rage. I'd like the next project of hers to knock it down, but no disrespect to her."

"Maybe it will, haha."

Hugh Jr and Manuel wandered aimlessly through the woods, keeping their eyes sharp for the sight of a familiar red color in plain view. "You think we should split up?" Manuel suggested.

"Oh, I'd say that is a very bad idea. I mean, didn't you hear that scream earlier?" Hugh Jr referred to the one Lulu had emitted before. "What animal makes that sound, you reckon?"

"Gee, I don't know, a bird?" Manuel assumed. "I know so little about animals, man."

"Just comes to show how distant we are with nature," Hugh Jr noted.

"Whaddya mean, dude?"

Hugh Jr blocked the sun's rays with his arm, covering his face in shade. "Well, I mean we're advancing so much in terms of technology, and we're all deeply fascinated by it. Constantly looking at screens, or playing the new consoles, or even playing around with virtual reality tech. You've got companies like Kapacity Korp, Mandel Industries, and now this new one, uh, Vial Corporation, like, the world is more interested in advancing, and that's well and all but-"

"Oh, you're worried the planet is gonna destroy all of nature's environments and habitats?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"Well, from what I know, and the obvious, it's only endangering for places that flourish with technology. You've still got the places stricken with poverty. I know that it's not possible to force an environment change to the animals for their survival, but at the same time, I wholeheartedly agree that there must be something done to keep it balanced."

Hugh Jr was pleased the man was singing his song. "Yes, dude! And zoos aren't the best solution. Sure, they will be able to sustain the animals for awhile but..."

"I didn't know you felt passionate about this, man," Manuel indirectly complimented. "You should be an activist. Honestly, you've got a good trait on you."

"Uh, thank you kindly..." Hugh Jr readjusted his glasses when they heard footsteps behind them, trundling through the dirt.

Robbie pounced like a cat, jumping in between them, grabbing them both with her arms. "Hey, boys! Any luck finding Gabbypuss?"

Manuel snorted hysterically. "No, she must have run far ahead. Maybe if we pick up the pace-"

Robbie let go of them and ran past them, laughing away teasingly. "Don't let a girl beat you to the punch!"

"Hey!" Manuel picked up the pace. "Hugo, let's go!"

"It's...-" Hugh Jr sought to correct it, but said fuck it, having no intention to stay behind. "Wait for me!" He wasn't as fast as them, but he did his best to catch up, and while he did so, he wondered why he accepted being part of the search party to begin with. Coming up a hill, he grew tired, but it was only when he came at the high point that he spotted Manuel and Robbie standing side by side, looking down at something. "Hey, I'm here-"

Manuel backed away from whatever it was the two had lain witness to, and Robbie brought her hands to her mouth. "Holy shit... Holy shit... What-?" Manuel staggered over, falling on his ass, allowing Hugh Jr to be let in on the object of their fear; the shredded corpse of Gabby was left in quite a mess.

"OH, GOOD LORD!" Hugh Jr looked away from the horror of it, throwing up right onto his shoes.

Gabby's entire chest had been nearly hollowed out, leaving a red gaping hole that flies had begun scavenging from. The throat had also been ripped out, leaving a terrified, lifeless expression on Gabby's whitened face. Robbie immediately turned around, crying with absolute dread from this. Manuel, barely holding it together, pointed back to Camp Flagg, gagging with a hardened chest. "G-go back-! We have to-"

Hugh Jr was racing back for his life. "THERE'S A FUCKING BEAR OUT HERE, MATES!"

Manuel picked up Robbie, carrying her with both hands when it was clear she was too distraught to even move. "Hold on tightly!"

Lulu watched them flee from the human body she had just laid waste to, and with a curious interest, she followed them, swinging on the branches with her tentacles.

Hugh Jr gained more speed, outrunning Manuel with his load of girl. He zoomed past some trees, up until one thick one that had concealed Farrett. The latter male stuck his leg out, tripping Hugh Jr, who came into contact with Crog's legs. "Hello, Brit. Wanna play a game?"

Manuel and Robbie had reached the camp after a few minutes, with Manuel being truly scared of being chased by the bear of whatever animal had done that to Gabby.

"Hey, Manny, that's not Gabby," Gavin joked from the table, with a reluctant Rachel still sitting in place, not accepting responsibility for Gabby's running away. "Where is Hugh Jr?"

The boy set Robbie down, finding it unbelievable that he was able to carry her back. "What-? He beat us here! We saw it!"

"Haven't seen anyone arrive before you two," Rochelle commented. "What's happening?"

Robbie lost control and vomited onto the dirt.

"Oh, that's so gross!" Rachel squealed.

"Whoa!" Rosemary yelped.

"Robbie, are you okay?" Gavin moved from the table, coming at the two. "What's wrong?"

"We-we found G-Gabby," Manuel stuttered. "But she-she-she's-"

"Out with it, Manny!" Gavin exploded. "What about her?"

"She's- She's freaking dead, man!" Manuel pumped out. "Her stomach is gone, it's just all gone-"

The four remaining girls on the tables all sat up with great alarm, stunned to be hearing this.

"What...?" Gavin processed it, studying Manuel's and then Robbie's face. "Oh, man-"

Manuel put his hands on the counselor's shirt and gripped. "There's a wild fucking animal out there, man! Don't you have a damn gun?!"

Gavin shook his head. "We don't have the paperwork to-" He was let go and pushed by the boy out of shaken fear.

"We need the cops or something-" Manuel remembered Gavin's words. "Hugo hasn't come back yet?" He looked back at the woods.

"Not to scare you, b-but Matthew and Chip also went into the woods," Rochelle dropped.

Hugh Jr was being thrown into trees by the two psychopaths who wanted to have fun with the nerd. It hit him somewhere among the strikes against the trees that it was them who killed Gabby, but he couldn't be so sure. His glasses broke, sending shards of glass impaling into his cheeks, but the merciless torture did not end there while he bled away. "P-please, why are you doing this?"

Crog punched him square in the stomach and pushed him down. "Because we want to."

Farrett revealed a buck knife tucked away under his leg. "We're going to hurt you, and hurt you good, kid. And then.."

"You'll be begging us to stop," Crog finished, laughing fiendishly. "Go for the legs, Farrett."

"W-Wait, gentlemen, please-" It was no use, Hugh Jr took a stab right above his left knee as Crog held him down. "YEARGH!"

Crog stood back, taking out his phone. "One for the memories-"

Farrett pulled the knife back out. "Let me know when to start again. Pose me as I'm gonna-"

Hugh Jr knew fear when looking past Farrett, witnessing an ever greater monstrosity acting while his torture went on. Lulu had jumped right onto Crog's back, opening her big mouth, shoving Crog's head into it. "FARRETT, HELP ME!" Lulu closed it, decapitating Crog at the top half of his skull. Lulu held onto the portion of Crog's head, prancing away as the corpse fell before Hugh Jr and Farrett.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Farrett redirected his weapon at the infant alien, stepping away from Hugh Jr.

Lulu centered her eyes at Farrett, raising her tentacle hands, wiggling them before she shot them straight into his face, digging into his eyes. Hugh Jr looked away, closing his eyes. "No, no, no, it's not real- It's not real-"

Farrett let out a bloodcurdling scream, tugging Lulu's tentacles away from his face as he felt her penetrate into his eyes and yank on them. His brain swelled up like never before, making him desperate to slide up his occupied hand upwards, cutting at her tentacles just enough to wound the alien. She bled her extraterrestrial blood all over the two boys and let go of Farrett, only after taking out his eyes, which killed him instantly. Her blood had entered though the wounds Hugh Jr had received, but he didn't know it, nor did care.

"Blimey!" He flipped onto his stomach, crawling away until he kicked up and ran back to the camp with the fresh stab wound keeping him from running at max speed.

"What do you mean we have no service?!" Rosemary was picking at her phone, raising it as high as she could to get a reception. "How did I not know about this sooner?!"

"Nobody panic!" Gavin instructed. "Everyone, get to the mess hall!"

"But it's closed-" Rochelle noted. "How-?"

Gavin went to the building, kicking at the locked door hard that it opened just like that. "Inside, now!"

The remaining campers scattered in, frightened for their young lives. Robbie stopped and forgot Alice was still hiding in shame at the bathroom stalls. "Wait, damn it!"

"What's wrong?" Gavin had lost track of Alice through the commotion.

"My idiot step-sister! I'll get her-"

"Wait-!" Gavin halted to no avail.

Manuel joined after her. "I'm coming with!"

"KIDS!' Gavin was pulled back by Rochelle. "What?!"

"Are there any tools here?! Maybe kitchenware?!"

Gavin let out the groan made from a thought ultimatum. "Fuck! Okay, come on! I hope they'll be safe..."

Alice peeked her head out after a brief moment of silence had her grow curious. The campers had disappeared up until Robbie and Manuel came running from the far left. "Oh, great."

"Hey, get out of there!" Robbie wailed. "We've got an emergency!"

"I'll say!" Alice murmured. "That idiot Gabby just humiliated me in front of that cutie pie! Urghhhh, I hope she dies!"

_Why, you fucking shit... _Robbie swung the door open and pulled Alice right the fuck out of the cubicle. "Wish granted! Her body's been found all- All fucked up, man!" Robbie struggled to keep an open stomach with the scene of the eaten corpse of the girl.

"What-? Stop pulling my arm off! And what are you talking about?!"

Manuel helped Robbie pull the resisting girl to the mess hall. "We f-found Gabby dead. A bear ate her, and it's around the woods!"

Alice gasped, making herself lighter for them to escort back. "You're bullshitting!"

"No!" They both yelled back in unison.

"Oh, my God..."

"And Hugo is still in the woods!" Manuel went on. "Him and the other two dudes."

"HEY!" Hugh Jr was barely coming out of the woods, limping and waving at them. "HELP ME!"

**Minutes Later**

"Here, this will clean your wound," Rochelle comforted the British boy, rubbing a tissue laced with alcohol on his stab wound and forehead, wiping the blood away.

"Tsch!" Hugh Jr winced, sitting on one of the many rows of tables. "Thank you kindly."

The others were circled around him to hear what he had witnessed.

"Those two guys wanted to hurt me, and they made it clear. I thought for a second that they killed Gabby-"

"No, they were with us the whole time," Maddie whispered.

"My glasses broke during their violence, but- But this thing- I was barely able to see this- This baby-sized creature. It looked like a baby, too, even!" Hugh Jr wiped his face. "I've never seen anything like it, but the thing came from the trees. It just dropped down and killed Chip, and then Matthew."

The girls flinched visibly in response to this.

"I don't know what that thing was, but it was no bear, and- I- I think that's the thing that killed Gabby."

Gavin shook his head. "I don't buy that, Hugh."

"What? N-no, no I saw it! On me mum's life, I am telling you the truth!" And suddenly, Hugh Jr began feeling lightheaded, body acting in a wobbly state. "Ugh..."

"Hugo?" Manuel waved a hand in front of his face. "Hey, man-"

Hugh Jr fell back going unconscious, submitting to the infection that swelled up inside, courtesy of the blood.

"Hugh Jr!" Alice bumped her fingers on his forehead. "Is- Is he?"

"Not dead, no, but maybe he passed out from the shock?" Rochelle moved his sleeping body up at the table. "Nobody move him."

"His story about a monster baby is make believe nonsense," Gavin insisted, moving to the arsenal of kitchen knives he collected and placed at the table behind behind him. "Bears are real, so I say it's a near. Kids, grab a knife, we're all evacuating camp."

"B-but like this?!" Robbie panicked. "We wouldn't be able to fight a bear or whatever it is that's out there like this! And the road back to town is long aways from here! We can't make it!"

Gavin slapped Robbie hard, making a tougher point. "If we do not try, we will be as good as dead by being sitting ducks here!"

"Sir-" Rochelle tried to counter.

"As the main counselor, I vote we move out!" Gavin pointed to the knives. "And today!"

"Oh, my God..." Robbie freaked. "I- I don't wanna die..."

Alice exhaled, noticing Robbie's clear emotion of everlasting fear.

"Manny, you're carrying Hugh Jr here," Gavin ordered.

"Y-yes, sir..." Manuel dragged the boy into his arms, groaning with a struggle to hold him.

"Move out!"

**Later**

They ventured through the woods, this time going south to the direction of the road. They moved carefully, making soft steps while keeping their eyes all over the woods. Their hearts raced wildly, sweat pouring down their skin in a great state of of paranoia that today was to be their last day. Three bodies as of yet, and it could change at any given moment if the bear, or the baby creature Hugh Jr claimed to have seen reappeared for more carnage. The knives at the hands of all the girls were never still for one damn second, shaking and rattling away in a broken song of death and despair.

Above them, the trees were blown away by the strong winds, bringing the attention of Rochelle and Rosemary who looked up as a further precaution. Nothing out of the ordinary but birds and squirrels somewhere around, for sure.

"H-hey," Manuel was getting gradually tired of carrying Hugh Jr. "Can someone-?" And he lost his grip without a warning, dropping the boy right on the ground floor.

Rachel stopped, switching roles with Manuel before she noticed something about Hugh Jr. "Hey, um... Is it just me or is his skin going pale green?"

Manuel hadn't noticed it husmelf, but the girl was right. Hugh Jr's skin tone had shifted to an odd layer of green, which made both of them nervous. "What is this? He can't be sick... Can he?"

None of them expected Hugh Jr to suddenly wake up, nor for him to tilt his head down and throw up a black gooey liquid out of his mouth. The queue of campers stopped at this point, circling around the infected Hugh Jr. His body twitched, arms acting erratically, as if he had no self-control of his own body.

Gavin, appalled, loomed over him and raised his hands high, feeling Hugh Jr had become sick to the point he couldn't be saved. "Sorry, kid."

"HOLY SHIT, NO!" Rochelle gasped and pushed him off balance, acting out of her impulse. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Hey, we need to drop a body to get the bear away from us! We can drag the body until it comes across us."

Rochelle and the other campers were truly disgusted such a human lived on the face of the earth. Such a person who would kill another just to ensure his own ass from dying.

And then Rochelle figured it out. "These are why the knives are really for, aren't they? Not to fight off the bear but to chip in on killing Hugh Jr, isn't it?"

Gavin grinned maliciously. "I knew you understood me."

She dropped the knife, as did the others. Manuel helped Hugh Jr back up, and the girls blocked Gavin from making his own move. "You're gonna have to kill us all," Manuel croaked out. "And then you'll be left fighting the bear."

"If I drop all of you, I'm home free..." Gavin figured something. "Actually, if I do kill you... Your bodies c-could be devoured and there would be no-" He paused again, smiling widely and holding the knife with a more sinister intent. "Oh, I see! Rochelle... You're fired." He threw his knife and hit Rochelle right on her chest, making her fall flat on her stomach.

Manuel took off in the other direction with Hugh Jr, wandering in a random pattern. The other girls quickly saw their error and swiped up their knives, charging and swinging away at Gavin. Not much of a fair fight it was, ending with Gavin pushing some of them down. Robbie landed a slash on his leg, making him cry out, only for him to return it back with a punch. Rachel was fast to grab and throw a rock at his head, disorienting him long enough for Alice to push him flat on his back, but the knife he grabbed off Robbie had faced her at the last second, digging right into her abdomen.

Rochelle and Alice were dead before they knew it, but so was Gavin. Robbie screamed when her step-sister lay dying next to him, and with great berserk, Robbie kicked his face in, not stopping until she caved in his skull, leaving a truly bloody mess far worse than what had been left with Gabby.

"Hey, hey- Alice!" Robbie took to her blonde step-sister's side, pulling out the knife. "Shit!"

Alice wheezed slowly, bleeding away from her mouth and wound. "Sh-shit... I didn't mean to d-do the dying for you-"

"Hey, hey, it's gonna be alright! We'll- we'll get you out of here-"

Alice grabbed hold of one of Robbie's arms and squeezed. "It takes for me to be dying to be nice to me, huh?" She chuckled once last time before passing away too soon.

"Alice! Al-" Robbie knew loss again, directing her fingers to close Alice's eyes.

"Rochelle's dead, too," Rachel confirmed. "Son of a bitch, that Gavin."

"What do we do now?" Maddie asked.

"Keep moving," Rosemary decided. "We've made it this far, keep going."

"D-damn it..." Robbie grunted. "How am I going to explain to my mother Alice-?"

Rachel pressed a hand on her back. "If you need me to help you..."

"Thanks, Rachel."

"Hey, Hugo," Manuel shook. "How are you holding up?"

Hugh Jr developed respiratory problems by then. He wheezed with every breath he took while he succumbed to a great intensity of heat. "Take- Take them off-"

"Take what off? Dude?"

Hugh Jr pushed himself off of Manuel, stripping away at his clothes while his body flared up to uncomfortable levels. With some secret strength pulled out of the ass of gods, Hugh Jr tore them away with ease, being naked save for his boxers. "AAAAAAGHHHH!"

"What's wrong with him?!" Rosemary shouted. "Hey, Hugh-"

The fingers of the British boy began to wiggle grotesquely, becoming more green by the second.

"Oh, what the fuck-? What the fuck?!" Manuel stepped back from Hugh Jr, highly concerned at the sudden shifting of his fingers. "What's happening to him?!"

"That's no fucking flu!" Robbie joked with seriousness.

Hugh Jr gazed his near-lifeless eyes upon the other five, sniffing the air and licking his lips. "He-ha-ha-hungry..." He centered his eyes at Rosemary, making a wide leap at her, sinking his teeth into her throat and yanked out a good chunk, sending her into a frantic panic.

"RUN!" Robbie fled from Hugh Jr for dear life, not caring how or why he had just turned into some cannibal. Maddie, Rachel and Manuel followed her, the four of them being cut away from Hugh Jr and Rosemary now. As they ran, Robbie saw the body of Paula Ward and was drawn by it. "Oh, my God..."

"OH, EW-!" Rachel turned away from the sight of the body being picked apart by the buzzards. "JESUS!"

Maddie went queasy, holding onto her stomach. "D-don't stop!"

Robbie and Manuel closed in on the body, observing it. "It doesn't look like a camper!" Manuel established, finding a holster that held a gun. "OH, SHIT!"

"What is it?" Robbie glanced as Manuel bent down to Paula's body. "What did you-?"

He pulled it out, showing it to everyone. "Where is Hugo?"

Hugh Jr, skin shifting into a nasty green, hair falling out and movements slowed down noticeably, found Rachel standing in an opening. She waved at him, scared shitless when she saw his mouth was covered in blood, no doubt being that of Rosemary's, meaning it was too late to save her. Shit, first the terror of the first animal, and now this other one forming from Hugh Jr. "Hey, Hugh Jr... H-how goes it?"

She was the bait of this trap, and when Hugh Jr closed in at the right angle, Manuel would fire the rounds. He aimed carefully, sights set on the British boy's head. There was that one second where he didn't want to, but something had happened to him that made him turn into this mutating monster. Whatever it was, Manuel was not eager to know.

Ten feet away. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Rachel shrieked, breaking character. And Manuel fired three shots, hitting Hugh Jr effectively. He fell, and the final four weren't sure they were out of the woods just yet. So to speak. Manuel moved in first, rolling the body with his legs. Hugh Jr wasn't moving, but blood trickled away from his head, forming a river. "D-dude..." Manuel was not proud of it in any way. "I'm sorry, man..."

"Okay but what? What the fuck happened to him?!" Robbie pondered.

"I don't know, but we're close to the road now! I know it, come on!" The four of them jogged it back, still in fear for their own little lives. Meanwhile, Lulu crawled down a tree, still pursuing the playthings...

"How are we going to explain this?" Maddie exhaled.

"Forget that!" Manuel spat. "Our worry is to survive! And maybe we-"

Lulu came running this time, galloping on all fours like a horse, charging at them before they could detect her. She stuck out her tentacle tongue, aiming it at Maddie's leg, making her fall to pull her away from the remaining survivors. "GUYS, GUYS, HELP ME! HELP ME!"

Manuel aimed and almost fired, but Rachel blocked the sight with her body. "No, you'll hit Maddie!"

He lowered the gun. "And just what the shit was that?! Did- Did you see that?! Was that what Hugo saw?!"

"MADDIE!" Robbie called out. "MADDIE?!"

"Oh no..." Manuel assumed she was as good as dead. "Keep going! Keep going down!"

Lulu came back, stampeding her way with one of Maddie's arms in her mouth. She startled the three but had just stopped right before them. She dropped the limb from her mouth and studied them. "Hu... Hueeeee... Meiiiiiin."

"Did... A baby who-?" Manuel kept raising and lowering the gun. "Holy shit."

"Shoot it!" Robbie insisted.

"I can't, it's a baby!" Manuel insisted.

"THAT BABY JUST KILLED MADDIE! IT'LL BE US NEXT!"

Lulu cooed and came crawling at them, giggling innocently. "Tehe!"

"Aww... She looks cute for a little killer..." Rachel thought.

"You fucking idiot-" Robbie took the gun. "Stay!"

Lulu stopped moving, sitting with a smile, hands positioned in front of her. "Goo goo!"

"Wha-? Just like that?" Robbie still had the pistol held high.

Lulu raised her hands, waving them at the three campers. Manuel and Rachel waved back like the idiots they were, but Robbie wasn't fazed by the alien's bullshit. "Sorry, but-" Robbie fired all the rounds left on the gun. She hit Lulu with no problem, except the problem where Lulu formed her hands into tentacles again and stretched them flat, swinging to kill the three. Robbie ducked, but Manuel and Rachel weren't so lucky. Rachel was sliced in half, and Manuel was decapitated.

"NO, NO, NO!" Robbie was distraught and angered. "MONSTER!"

**Later **

The camp went under lockdown, courtesy of Vial Corp and their units. White armored trucks settled were spread around, and the clean-up crew removed the carnage Lulu had laid to waste. Every single one, apart from Robbie, had died in fucked up ways today, and it wasn't even night. They did that statements, taking Robbie's.

She didn't know what was going to happen, but she hoped that it wouldn't be her to tell her mother of Alice's death. Who knows how they'd take that shit. "Am I done here? I wanna go home."

"And you will!" The labcoat tending to her confirmed. "You will be! May we escort you back home?"

"Please!" Robbie fell for it, wandering into the back of one of the trucks, joined by some armed guards. If only she knew what she was really signing up for. "Hey, dudes. Nice guns..."

After that day, Robbie Ackerman was never seen again... Especially since she began to feel hot when it was a cool temperature.

Meanwhile, the dead Lulu creature had actually only been wounded heavily, and, being an interesting specimen, Lisa's personal wish was to capture and contain her. The staff around the scene froze her with special type of cryogenic guns to make it easier to move her. And when that happened, Lulu was moved to a special underground facility, where she would be placed in cryogenic stasis, forever being branded Lulu by Lisa.

* * *

**AN: At the end of each act will be these Dark Before Dawn chapters that take place before that corresponding act it belongs to, like this one, if it makes sense. Think of this as a one-shot set just outside the main layer of Dawn, exploring another world but reminding you it's in the same world as well. These characters here are reiterations of OCs made by others, some familiar, some strange. Kudos to you if you know them all. Also, Flagg1991 references for the win. **

* * *

**The Lulu Paradox: When Lulu, a Klemorienite alien, crash-lands in Prime Federation-occupied New York in the future, she is captured and placed into her proper Prime Federation Museum cryogenic csse. However, this Lulu is believed to be the one that was released accidentally by time-displaced Lynn Loud and company, whereas the Lulu broken free winds up in 2028, leading Lulu to be frozen in suspension until she relives time-displaced Lynn breaking her out, each time getting a little older while theoretically able to live for tens of hundreds of years. **

**But who is able to break the paradox? **


	12. Chapter 12

**Lyrics to Enemies by Shinedown**

* * *

_Listen up_

_There's not a moment to spare_

_It's quite a drop from __the top_

_So how are you feeling down there?_

_It's a cold, cruel, harsh reality_

_Caught stuck here with your enemies_

_Who do you think you are?_

_Tearing us all apart_

_Where did you think you could go?_

_'Cause everyone already knows_

_It's twenty to one_

_Yeah, so you better run_

_You got the world on it's knees_

_You're taking all that you please_

_You want more b__ut you'll get nothing from me_

_You're like the burden we bear_

_You love the hate that we share_

_You want more b__ut you'll get nothing from me_

_But enemies_

* * *

_"-That goes without saying, all of Vial Corporation's assets have fallen over to the hands of-"_

_"All Vial Corporation facilities are now being reported to shut down after rumored conspiracies of an illegal-"_

_"The leading director of Vial Corporation is unavailable for a statement at this time. We are addressing these allegations head on-" _

_"You've got mutations running around now! The Dadetown and Little Rock incidents have James Shepherd and his dream corp written all over it! It's wrong, it's wrong and he should go to prison for kidnapping all of these people-"_

**Vial Corp Responsible For The Abduction Of Many! **

**Pro-Pheno Movement Rallies Support For Victims Of Vial Corp**

_"It's not gonna end well for us, and it should be known. Beings with extraordinary powers of all sorts, but how can we be sure they are on our side? You know, the side of the angels? The concept of evil heroes is not a foreign, strange one. The world is already filled with monsters, what's to stop just one such pheno from becoming one? I am aware that they have been subjected to torture and whatnot, but I'd be feeling pretty safe if these beings were contained in proper care- The Pro-Pheno Movement is too blindly ignorant of the situation."_

_"Phenos have had their rights taken away from them, and it is one of the most inhumane acts that violates an Amendment right off the bat."_

_"Remember that Camp Flagg incident in South California? You know who cleaned up that massacre? Freaking Vial Corp did! What are they hiding? And what monster did they create that caused it?"_

_"I KNEW IT! MOMENTUM AND VELOCITY HAVE TO BE-"_

_"So, the rumors have to be true right? These two women known as Momentum and Velocity are undoubtedly phenos created in some Vial Corp facility."_

_"Someone did right by America and exposed these-"_

_"The break-in at the facility in Maine was reported to be a pheno attack, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a false-flag operation carried out by the black ops boys. That's the [beep] we need!"_

**Over 300 Phenos Come Out With Horror Tales Within Vial! **

_"And just how many properties did Vial Corporation own? Over a hundred? Two hundred? Multiply that by... I'm sorry, how many cells were in each one?"_

_"The world is changing, and not in our favor. Not for us regular humans. The playing field has to be even, and I don't care if phenos will be offended, I'd like to know I can defend myself should one go rogue."_

**James Shepherd Goes Into Hiding! Nationwide Manhunt Ensues! **

_"He fled the country because he knows he's guilty as [beep]!"_

**Anti-Pheno Parties Form! **

_"-Same time, the bear is being poked with no end! These poor phenos just want to be integrated back into society, and hate crimes are leaving them as victims yet again!"_

**Twelve Phenos Found Dead At Hall Moon Bay Beach! Hate Crime Or Paranoia? **

_"They are victims!"_

_"They are monsters!" _

_"It's only a matter of time before one pheno makes the wrong move, and quite possibly...-"_

_"We're not looking for war, we don't want it, but if they ask for it-"_

**Government Issues Anti-Pheno Weaponry! **

_"We will fight back if they fuck with us."_

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter I: Rocking Nightmare**

* * *

**July 18th, 2030**

Lincoln turned off the television, having heard more than enough of his fair share of world politics, especially revolving around phenos, Vial Corp, and whatever the fuck else was there. He dropped the remote at his bedside, sitting upright. With a long sigh, he wondered if they'd ever find a clue.

The way it went was, Elmont had copied all the files of the hard drives and dispatched the real ones to the superiors he answered to. With all that he found, he had names of all the victimized test subjects, access to serum formulas, their legally-partnered affiliates, and other juicy details that had incriminated Vial Corp quite guilty. All employees had been arrested and given sentences of above twenty years apiece. James Shepherd, whom the public believed was the mastermind of Vial, had gone missing, which served to Lisa's favor for two reasons; his disappearance would make them main the overlooking of Lisa Loud being the real head of Vial, and secondly, he was still serving under her somewhere. Somewhere underground they knew not where. It was the very fact that they vanished off the face of the earth that concerned Elmont, the Divison, and their superiors.

Meanwhile, the revelation of Vial Corporation's actions had come to light, making for a topic of endless controversy. Multiple viewpoints, voices and opinions were formulated, going back and forth since the fall of Vial Corp. For the most part, the pheno team under the Patriot Division were the ones who stripped Lisa away from her empire, leaving her with nothing but the disgrace and bad reputation of the name. Luna and the twins could not have been more proud to dismantle all her hard work in one day, ultimately getting their justice for all phenos.

Only, phenos weren't exactly being treated like the helpless souls they've been reduced to. That's the thing that pissed Luna off the most, over the twins combined. She expressed her rage in full, having messed up her custom room she spent some time decorating, making it homely.

Spare funds were passed down among the six, sufficient enough for them to upgrade their rooms in that timespan, modeled after their old rooms of their old house, and more. Changes were made, however. Luna and Luan bunked down on the same one, following the twins' choice of doing so. Lynn was nostalgic about Lucy, expressing loneliness when she was never coming back. She and Lincoln were the only two who dared sleep alone, and for Lincoln, it was natural and common for him, having slept alone in approximately forever.

Luna was aggravated again, mind wandering back to the situation her phenos were in. She and her siblings did all they could, restoring them back into the world that forgot them, only for more conflict to arise since Vial's downfall. And while she felt that being here, away from that mess knowing how it was, Luna just had to do something. For all she could do, Luna could have started her own pheno movement, strictly made up of actual phenos as opposed to regulars forming together to raise awareness and help them.

The one and only obstacle that prevented her from making some move was Elmont himself. Elmont and the complicated rules that stated Luna could not intervene in such affairs. Simply put, Luna could not be involved with anything if it meant risking her past and current affiliation, and this meant for the other five as well. Lana and Lola were the only ones allowed to roam free as long as they never stopped for comments to avoid more of controversy around the outed truth.

"What's wrong, Lunes?" Luan had an idea of what was making Luna tick, but she didn't care about hearing the same problem Luna was usually stringing along behind her.

"Ugh, it's that bullshit again, dude," Luna complained again. "Why are the phenos being attacked? I don't understand it, Luan."

Luan rolled to the side, facing Luna. "I'm sorry, Lunes. I know how strongly you feel about this, and I wish we could be able to help them."

The older woman looked up at the ceiling, swirling a hand high mindlessly. "Elmont just wanted us to take down Lisa and her empire, and they don't care for the phenos unless they're bad."

"L-Luna-" Luan wanted to keep it rationally stable.

"I mean, he made it clear that the purpose of this little team was to counter any phenos and defeat them, not with kid gloves, and not to hold back, but to... To end them..." Her hand folded into a fist, sending it crashing down to her bed.

"Could you ever l-live with yourself if you... You know, k-killed someone?" Luan whispered.

Luna averted her eyes more, being asked the question of the day. "Fuck... Ask me something less fucked up..." Luna picked on Luan's soft sigh she'd not been able to hear on a normal scale, formulating an answer. Her guess, and evident enough to be true, was that Luan needed to get it out of her system, to cope with her sinful, heartless actions of yesterday. "I know I've done that, with guards working with Vial, but I couldn't- I mean, I can't answer that, cause I don't know if that was the real me or the thing they put in me that did the killing."

Luan readjusted herself on her bed, keeping her eyes on Luna.

"I don't think that was, now that I think about it," Luna continued. "That kid, that young guy working with them, I don't know why, I had a- A sense to spare someone- Save someone, actually."

"Right..." Luan didn't forget that.

"I know it's weird to say but, that look of fear on his face when I had him cornered. I could have ended that boy's life, but something stopped me in that instance..." She pulled out her long claws again, waving around her hand. "So, I find myself questioning if I'm the monster here."

"Th-that's absurd, Luna! You stopped yourself, you had self-control, and-" Luan stopped, assessing her own words when Luna pointed a sharp fingernail at her.

"And that's it right there. That's not the answer for me, Luan, but the one I would have dropped on you."

"I don't understand..." Luan shook her head.

"Luan, that person you were back then was not the real you, that was someone else, and those things that you did were not of your own."

"L-Luna... I try. I try so hard to forget it, but no matter-" Luan gripped on her sheets tightly. "No matter how hard I try to push it away, I see those bodies everywhere. Here, there, in my head. In my dreams. And that's what I've got to live with..."

Luna sat upright, putting away her claws. "How bad is it?"

"To- to the point I wish..." Luan bit her lip and confessed a heart-stopper. "I wish that Lisa didn't miss..."

"Holy sh- Hey, no!" Luna clamped her feet down, switching from her bed to Luan's. "No, I won't allow you to say such rubbish, sis."

Luan felt nauseated for the 50th time again, hands quivering uncontrollably again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes, but was only projected the split-second of that moment where Lisa had pulled and aimed her weapon at the poor Luan. She gasped sharply, jumping out of Luna's consoling arms. "I can't-!"

"Easy, sis, easy! I told you I've got you!" Luna exclaimed, assuring her that everything was going to be alright. "I've got you... I've got you..." She stayed there, holding onto Luan until she had fallen asleep, hoping that Luan would not have those traumatizing nightmares again. After five minutes of observing and stroking her hair, Luna left the room, moving to the elevator.

Lincoln, coming from his room, dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans, as part of some new threads he bought when they had gone shopping, had joined her. Unlike him, Luna stuck to her old thread design, only it was different; Luna chose a purple tee, underneath a purple hoodie, but her pants were black jeans, and those didn't really matter to her as long as she sported something similar lime her old days.

She gave him the silent treatment mainly, due to him denying her a good deed. The man was the fucking devil. He knew that, but gave no shit about her feelings or bitchy fits. The ride up to the main level had been silent, save for their thoughts on wondering where the other was going, and what for.

It was an awkward thing between them when they both went to Elmont's office, with Lincoln holding the door open to let her in. Luna scoffed and went in first, sitting down across from the Division's leader. "Luna, Lincoln, is there something I can help you with?"

Luna exhaled through her nose before making a request. "There's gotta be something for us, right? Some mission, or maybe community service-"

"Luna, I thought I've been made very clear on the matter," Elmont explained, turning away from the monitor in front of him. His hands came together and folded flatly against each other, forming a wall. "As much as I would very much love to provide aid for the nation, we simply cannot allow you to go around playing hero, or in your case heroine. You, Lincoln, and the others are founded only to fight threats any other force is incapable of, or in operations just like what we've pulled off, and I'm talking the off-textbook kinds."

"Yes, we know that, but still... There's gotta be something we could follow."

"Oh, believe me, there is, but... It's not possible for us to sanction missions of this sort. We're on tight funding here, and it was barely enough to create and sustain this place, you know?"

"Luna-" Lincoln noticed what Elmont was really saying.

"So, we're going to be kept here until you decide to put us out there?" Luna seethed.

"Yes, and until we find definite clues about which rock Lisa Loud and her puppet have crawled under, there is not much I can do."

"Bollocks! I'd like to-" Lincoln placed his hands on Luna's face and tilted it upwards at him. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Didn't you hear him?" Lincoln asked, eyebrow raised. "He said he can't make a mission happen officially, but what the man really means is he isn't going to be responsible for you if you get caught or killed."

"What?! No, but he-" Luna broke through his grip and looked back at Elmont, pointed a finger at him and waved it around. "Didn't-? The others-!"

"That's just fancy talk, Luna. You've been able to come in and out as you pleased, as is Lynn and ghe twins. The twins are still fighting crime, and you're being a pussy bound by rules."

"G-Goddamnit..." Luna lowered her hand. "Y-you've gotta be fucking kidding me!"

Lincoln chuckled, poking fun at her. "Don't you have a lot to learn here?"

"I hate you, Linc," Luna detested, getting up. "So..."

"Officially, you cannot meddle... You know what I mean?" Elmont asked.

She shook her head. "I thought I did..."

"We won't be responsible for you. Make so much as a mess of maybe make enough noise that attract outside attention, our doors will be closed to you and you will be on your own." Elmont leaned back in his chair and circled a finger up in the air. "Do what you think you can."

Luna moved up, quickly exiting the room, pushing past Lincoln. "I'll... Yeah, okay." She left, and didn't let them know at all. She left the underground base, coming into the driver's seat of the A.I. trailer truck the Division owned, the only one of its kind as far as Luna had known. "Um, h-hi..."

The truck's stereo flashed a shiny blue and green wave of lights before a female voice spoke out through it. _"Welcome to Model 76! How may I be of service, Luna?"_

"Can you access news outlets?" Luna twiddled her fingers together.

_"Affirmative! Would you like me to play stations? Or maybe do a cross-reference search?"_

"Uhhh, I don't know what this is?" Luna scratched her head. "But, anything involving phenos, please."

_"Searching..."_

Luna looked outside the windows, seeing the vastly green plains at peace. A perfect example of tranquility realized before her eyes. She sighed, wishing her own heart was on that same level of peacefulness, and Luan's as well.

_"Three hundred and sixteen matches have appeared since the last two months, and that is only for news stations in the U.S."_

Luna hummed. "Okay, what about this week? Like, recently? Surely there's been some crime-"

_"Narrowing results..." _

Luna felt hot. "Open the window, too."

Model 76 instead activated the air conditioner, blowing cool air into Luna's face. She enjoyed the nice breeze of it, sticking her hands up to the conditioner, letting her fingers kiss the chilly air. "Thanks, dude."

_"Twelve matches since the past seven days. Would you like me to read them off?"_

"Please," Luna implored.

_"Affirmative. For Kremmling, Colorado, the Vial Corporation facility manned there has been burned down by the residents, some of which are phenos returned to their own homes. Second is the government pushing for an all-pheno Institute after the pro-pheno movement have made their voices heard."_

Luna grinned with content. "Good to hear..."

_"Third one is a report of a possible pheno roaming around the town of Reece, Missouri. Description of this person is depicted as a woman with pale-red skin, golden blonde hair and superhuman strength. There's more. Similar counts of a woman in red skin and blonde hair trace back to Dadetown, Colorado-"_

"Wait, what?!" Luna stopped the A.I. "When exactly was this released?!"

_"This aired in the morning news today, but the event itself has taken place late at night. Said woman was causing property damage, sending pro-pheno propaganda messages and vandalizing."_

"D-Dadetown..." Luna repeated. "Are you sure?" This pheno was someone she had freed, by the sound of it. Maybe someone who wasn't aware of what was going on? Or... Was it something else? "How long would it be from here to Reece?"

_"I am sorry, but I am not designated to take non-personnel without clearance. It is my purpose to stay here for Division agents."_

"Oh..." Luna crossed her arms. "Isn't there a way to go?"

_"I do have these-" _Model 76 popped open a special container where the cupholders were. _"Do you know what these are?"_

Luna looked into the container, seeing it full of round, black objects. "These are some big pills..."

_"No, they are Matrix Portals. These can take you anywhere in the world, and are voice-operated. All you have to do is press the black button in the center, say where you want to go, and drop it on the ground. A portal leading to that location will open up, allowing you in. But it, being a small projectile, is only powered for five seconds before the battery dies, and you cannot recharge."_

"Oh, cool! So, any location?!"

_"Any location as long as it's on the outside layer of the planet. Like, say you teleport to Colorado without saying where in Colorado, you'll wind up at the state's capital, the default if you don't clarify. Same for all states, so I strongly advise you clearly state where you wish to-" _

Luna grabbed four of the Matrix Portals, tucking three into her sweater and jumped out of the truck. "Thanks, see you!" She wasted no time in pressing the button of the one she held, and stated her destination. "Reece, Missouri!" She dropped the black device, watching a blue portal open before her. She jumped in, taking a leap of faith.

**Reece, Missouri**

Luna didn't know where she'd land in this town, but in this hour of day, she wouldn't go unnoticed at all, but the upside would hopefully maintaining her human form. This pheno woman sounded like a thug who wanted to paint a message using destruction, not as dangerous as Lincoln Loud, but worth looking into, especially since it just so happened to be one of the phenos she had broken out. In a way, this was all on Luna, and that alone brought a freshly new idea she never considered: where the actions of a pheno she had freed in Dadetown her fault?

_I'd better hope the fuck not... _

She came appearing in the center of a four-way alley, where a homeless person in ragged, stained clothing, sitting against one side of the wall, had spotted her. "Oh, oh what in God's name?!"

Luna let out a smile, holding a peace sign at him. "Easy, I'm not an alien, poor dude! Take care now!"

"What the-?" The hobo hacked up some mucus in the process after Luna disappeared into the streets.

First thing was first; going around and investigating this place. A woman with red skin would not be hard to find, unless they were hiding. And they would be hiding, for sure. Hiding somewhere in town. Luna spent her time walking around, looking for this supposed location where the vandalism had taken place. Model 76 had not given her the exact details, so she had to search it out of the ordinary while trying to remember where she had been and what streets had yet to be passed through.

For her, it took over an hour until she came across the sight of a street being blocked off from both ends with police tape. Luna looked past the tape, eyeballs gazing a spectacle of overturned cars damaged beyond repaired, flipped to either on their sides or fully upside down, complete vehicular carnage scenery at its finest. Definitely a pheno at work here...

As Luna thought to go over the tape, a teenage girl on a skateboard called out to her. "Hey, you! What are you doing?!"

Luna drew her attention to the teenager, meeting a wavy-haired blonde girl in a green and purple long-sleeved shirt with the head of an alien on it, dark green cargo pants, and Vans sneakers for the win. "Hey, do you know what-?"

The skateboarder stopped right at her, three feet away from bumping into her. "Dude, this area's off-limits! Like, holy shit! And the cops are scared shitless to get near this place, thinking it's flowing with some radiation from the pheno's powers or something."

Luna switched her head from the scene to the blonde teenager, going back and forth on it. "Have you seen what happened here? Like, the pheno who did this?"

The girl shook her head wildly. "Not at all, and I'm glad I didn't! Man, those freaks are like, dangerous! They could rule the world if they all formed some doom squad or worse!"

Luna nearly popped a vein and blew a gasket at the ideas this teenager seemed to have. For a second, she deeply considered going off on her, and maybe throwing in a punch or two, but at the end of the day, Luna was not a monstrous pheno and only had great conviction to help out the phenos. "Not all of them can be bad," she replied with her tough will at work. "I mean, if anyone is to blame, it's gotta be Vial, right?"

"Oh, pfffft!" The girl giggled, jerking her head to the scene in front of them. "Vial Corp fell, so they didn't do that, but a pheno sure did."

_Damn you, girl! _Luna winced, looking around. "Don't you have friends to hang with?"

Blondie puckered her lips and narrowed her eyes defensively. "Well, that was uncalled for, dude. I'm just trying to look out for curious idiots get the memo."

"Fuck off." Luna walked away from the scene, leaving the skateboarder back there to mind her own business. Meanwhile, she was evaluating the facts. The whole block was vacant, left to the mess no one had cleaned up. No cops nor tow trucks or anything except tape, giving her the idea that there might have been more going on behind the scenes. She was only half a block away from the destruction when her ears picked up on a noise nearby. A scream. _What?!_

The blonde girl had fucked off, leaving Luna to run through the tape with no problem. _Radiation, my fucking ass! _

The buildings around the streets appeared to have been unoccupied, hopefully evacuated right when the shit went down. Luna looked around, trying to detect the source of the scream. This particular one sounded one like an angry one over a fear-driven one. Someone was causing a rage in the vicinity.

Glass shattered, a clear but faint sound she pinpointed from the tallest building on the left, a brown shack-like building with all the right signs for a horror movie location. Luna came charging in, breaking right through the door- with the blonde skateboarder watching from a corner of another building.

Luna took off her shoes and socks, deeming it safe to utilize all her claws and began scaling the wall of the stairwell. A very faint breathing attached to a voice speaking out in anger grew closer the further she went, and Luna stopped just one floor, the voice now being in range of her regular hearing. She dropped down, making a noticeable noise that ceased the mysterious woman from her disturbed ranting. "Who's there?! Get the fuck out of here!"

_That voice! N-no... No, it can't be! _Her heart sank when her brain recognized and processed who the voice belonged to; Samantha Sharp, the very same one who helped Luna back in Dadetown, thought dead since then. "Oh, God-"

Sam, appearing in a whole new skin suit but with the same clothes she was last seen in, came out of the doorway from the motel room she was wrecking away with rage. Luna had backed herself into the corner of the stairs without knowing it, laced in anguish. The golden-haired blonde ended up recognizing her past the new fashion style Luna picked out. "You! You did this to me!"

"S-Sam?! I- I thought you-" Luna had no time to be mopey about it when Sam lunged in and attacked her, throwing a punch that knocked Luna into the wall. Her body formed a crater on the concrete wall, impact aching her back and dropping her on all fours. "Fuck- Wait!"

"And I've been waiting for this, Luna!" Sam triumphed. "You and I have unfinished business."

Luna struggled to get away, having a motive to try and reason with the angry Sam. The angry Sam who seemed to blame her for this, whatever this was, whatever had happened to her. What _did_ happen to her? "Sam, it's not- I didn't mean for this!"

Sam didn't listen to the brunette, only proceeding to give her a beat down. She picked up the Loud woman and threw her over the railing, hoping it would kill her. "Goodbye."

The fall went rather slow for Luna, giving her time to think again. It was fucked up of life to have been telling her that her actions had consequences she didn't intend to create. She thought she made it better for everyone, and that was all she wanted. All she thought would happen based on her thoughts on being free from the hands of Vial Corp. That's what they all wanted, so why was it that not everyone saw helpless people, but rather monsters? Did Luna play a role in this? Elmont said it himself; if not for Luna, the confirmation of abducted and experimented people would have never come to light. If not for... Luna...

Sam's face became more and more distant as she fell. Luna questioned it all again, wondering if she did more damage than good. This, this had to have been on her for leading Sam to a fate far worse than death. "I'm... I'm sorry."

She made a hard plummet back down to earth, thudding hard against the floor. Her skull underwent a heavy strike that made her whole head ring out with a side order of aching pain like no other past injury, even more than what the rest of her body had succumbed to. "AURGH!"

Sam strolled down with calm, cracking her knuckles. "It's not over yet, Luna."

"Suh-stop, I didn't know-" Luna rolled over on her stomach, head still ringing. "Sam-"

"Look at me, Luna," Sam hissed, rolling Luna back over, keeping her on her back. "LOOK AT MY SKIN!"

"I'M SORRY THIS HAPPENED TO YOU, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE IT MY FAULT!" Luna dropped, swiping an arm at Sam's leg, pushing her away. "I couldn't have known the place would blow up! I didn't know you'd follow me to Vial! I didn't-" And slowly and painfully, it cleared up like a fog going away. "I didn't mean to-"

Sam pulled back her attacks. "I followed you for you, Luna! I- I wanted you to be okay, and-" She raised her arms to her face. "This is the price for trying to help you?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Sam..." Luna picked herself up, going on her knees. "Wait- I- We..." Luna had the resources connected to provide Sam with actual help from the Division, and since they had all Vial Corp data stored into their own, finding out what Sam had would be no trouble at all. "I can help you, I can fix you!"

Sam shook her head, in utter denial of her words. "Can you fix me? Can you really? What about my life, Luna?!"

Luna was breathing hard, body tensing up. "I... It doesn't hurt for me to try, Sam."

Luna, the one girl, but an older woman at that, who came and brought to Sam a heavenly escapade, taking her a few steps out of reality. Through her did Sam get to know more about herself, learning of her bisexuality and wondering what other goods Luna could offer, despite her coming out from an unspeakable horror. But this... This was not part of it... Or maybe it had been, and Sam had never read the tiny print. Her fault. Her fault for letting it delude her into having a degree of freedom, a temporary vacation from her own life. And it all came falling down for her.

All because of Luna.

"FUCK YOU!" Sam kicked Luna's face, tumbling her back down with blood leaking out of her nose and mouth. "YOU CAN'T HELP ME!"

"Aghhhh..." Luna was emotionally devastated at this point. Not long ago, there was clear chemistry establishing between the two, and Sam just had to go and idea. The death was on Luna's conscious just as the others she had killed. Thinking of Sam proved to be a nightmare on its own... And maybe if she opened that bottle up with Luan... "I'm sorry-" Luna cupped a hand to cover her bleeding face. "I'm so sorry I- I kuh-killed you..."

_K-killed me? _Sam analyzed those words, computing for the proper response. Silence formed, and a deeper moment between the two became apparent. _Killed me..._

Luna stared at her upwards with such concentration that the blood trickled through her hand, falling and staining her sweater.

Was that really it? Did Luna kill her by destroying all Sam had ever been? Or was it that Sam had died beforehand? What exactly was it she was doing by proving she could cause destruction with these newfound, hideous powers she never asked for? Was this... A curse? Or was she looking at it like one, when it was really true freedom?

"Hey, hey... I can help you! I can really help you!" Luna removed her hand from her face, smearing the blood around her lips.

Sam backed away, giving in on her violent outburst. "You..."

"I... I mean it..." Luna closed her eyes but continued on. "You helped me before, Sam. You did that, and I thought that, back then, at your place... I thought I could never repay you for that. You saved me, Sam. You saved me when I needed it..."

Sam's body staggered as a response, her mouth propping open to say something, but no word formed. She did know it, however.

"I'm sorry... Whatever happened to you, I'm sorry, but I know there is a way to-"

"And then what, Luna?" Sam brought her anger down, but wasn't done in the argument aspect. "I go back to my old life?" And suddenly, Sam was finally coming out with what she felt inside. "I was loving it, Luna. I loved where I was, and what I was doing..."

Luna remained as her audience.

"But who I am? I..." She contemplated it all from this spot, feeling conflicted to the point she could date think now. She was either freed by Luna, or destroyed out of the track of society, running around. "I look like a freak!"

Luna pulled out her beast card again, transforming into the ugly beast she kept at bay, ripping out her clothes again. "And you don't think I don't? I know what you feel, even though I'm able to hide it! I hate that I can't get rid of this part of me, Sam!"

"G-guh-" Sam stuttered.

"We are all freaks underneath, but I've understood something. I understood that what we look like should not matter! Wh-who would I be kidding, Sam? I've always known! And I think you did, too! You've seen my form here and yet you followed me anyway! You, Sam! You know I'm better than what I'll be made out to be in the eyes of others! And so can you! I know you, Sam! This isn't the you I've met!"

"Isn't the me... You've..." There was some truth to that, truth of where Sam wasn't blaming Luna for this, and she had sided with Luna against Vial's agenda. "No, you're..."

"Not wrong... Please, I just want to help you..." Luna got up, raising a hand to her. "Let me help you..."

Sam stayed in place. "Why... Do you bother?"

Luna blinked once before having her the reason to throw at the transformed blonde. "Because I... I liked you and I felt responsible for you..." Luna humbly pressed her hand on her chest. "It's my fault you're like this, and I can see that now..."

"You-?" Sam lunged forward, pushing and grabbing Luna by her ripped threads. Amazingly, she was strong enough to carry it out. She had the lizard hybrid pinned to the wall with seething fury. "Yes, I couldn't agree more!"

Luna reverted back, making herself light for Sam. "If- If you're going to do this... Going to k-kill me..."

Sam growled.

"At least let me pray for my sisters..."

Sam lost grip and let go. "S-sisters?" She was confused. "Why would you-?"

"I found some of them, we've- We've been living and..." Luna stopped, looking down. "I got to see them again, at least..."

"Uh..." Sam exhaled. "D-do they-?" She snorted and moved back again. "They care?"

"We do... We care for each other just as we had back then, and I've been better with them, even while there's somd tension between us... I've never been happy to see them."

Sam blinked, closing her eyes long enough to picture her only younger brother Simon, one such sibling she left behind. The brother she'd never stop caring for... But the brother she now felt she disappointed. And not just him, but her two parents as well, all of whom were in another part of the world, likely told that she had gone missing. Or, if they had identified her...

She failed the family name.

And then she screamed, mind troubled in all fronts, too much of it that she couldn't take it anymore. Sam had a psychotic break, thrashing away at the wall behind Luna, punching it while she broke it away, with Luna moving away while the blonde threw her biggest fit. Just as fast as it came, Sam wore herself out and fell against the wall, huffing labored breathing.

"Sam..." Luna dug into her sweater pockets, happy to know that she didn't lose the tiny portals when transforming. She took one out and held it out. "I want you to come back with me, but I want you to be okay. Is there any place at all where you will be safe?"

Sam shook her head, knowing full well safety was no longer possible. "T-take me with you... Take me with you, please..."

Luna took her place next to Sam, taking a safe assumption she had now gone calm, all her fight being put out now. "Yes, I am. I will, Sam. I will."

**Later**

They walked through the green fields, coming up on the underground facility at the narrow stretch of land. "Where are you taking me? There's nothing here..."

"Not at first glance," Luna corrected. "Listen, let me do all the talking, okay?"

"Alright..." Sam rubbed her red skin nervously.

When they entered the facility, the eyes of all employees there were fixated on them, making both women quite nervous. Luna knew this meant that she was likely to be in trouble, having gone and broken heavily-enforced rules by bringing a pheno here, endangering the staff here. Elmont met her when she led Sam down the hall, stopping her at midway. "Do you hvae any idea what you've done?"

"Y-yes, I do- This pheno, I know her-"

"Luna, we have a strict code of protocols to follow regularly! We cannot risk bringing outsiders here like nothing!" Elmont grabbed Sam forcibly, leading her to the interrogation room. "Stay there, damn it! I'll be right back..."

"L-Luna?' Sam got a little spooked.

"Don't worry, just don't resist!" Luna advised shakily.

The handcuffs came on, and Sam tried to actually budge out of them, but couldn't. "L-Luna said you could fix me!" She wailed to Elmont. "Why are you locking me up?"

"Easy, girl," Elmont soothed. "Don't take it personally."

Sam jerked her restrained hand again. "Why- What is this made of?"

"I'll be asking the questions around here, miss. State your name for the record."

"N-name? I'm Samantha Sharp... Do you want the basics? Born in Denver, Colorado, lived around th at area until I moved to Dadetown for college. The very same Dadetown where Luna escaped from-"

"I am aware of Luna's actions."

"She can vouch for me... I didn't come here with bad intent if this is what you're thinking. I just want this-" She scratched at her skin. "This to be gone."

"Have you ever killed anyone before?"

"What?! No, I could never! I..." She did try with Luna, but was that the real Sam. "My soul isn't c-clean but I have never taken the life of another... I swear it on my life."

"How about injury? Have you ever harmed people?"

"Yes," Sam confessed. "I can admit that..."

"So you are here to...?"

"Luna- Luna promised me you can take this off of me! Please, I don't want to look like this, and I want to go back-" She paused all of a sudden.

"Hm? Go on..."

"T-to the way..." Sam sighed. "I-"

Elmont stood up, taking a pause. "Try anything funny, and we'll see to it that we'll help you our way." He left, meeting up with the impatient Luna at the hall. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Sam needs help, Elmont, sir! I owed it to her because she helped me-"

"Personal feelings can't get in the way off-"

"She's the reason I broke out the phenos! She turned my fear of being recaptured by Vial into courage that helped me overcome that challenge! Without her... Without her, I wouldn't even be here! Of course I wasn't going to give up on her!"

Elmont wished he had a response for this, but sucked it up. "Goddamnit, Luna... Okay, consider yourself lucky just this once! I'm going to see if I can contain this shit but... If I get into trouble, you will not be getting off so lucky-"

Coming from the front end of the facility, Lincoln Loud walked towards them, shirtless and covered in blood. And what was more-

"You! What-? Where is Carly?!" Elmont took steps forward, but noticed Lincoln was actually limping, breathing heavily. "What in God's name have you done?!"

"Lincy...?"

The white-haired man opened his mouth, croaking out a strain of words. "Luh-luh-luh..."

"Luh?" Luna repeated, trying to figure out what he was saying.

And right as Lincoln dropped on one knee, he uttered two words he was able to get out with all his strength. "L-Linka... Clone." He dropped before them, rendered unconscious.

* * *

**AN: No, I totally lied about when Act II was starting. It's not been exactly an oddity from me considering I did this before, and I will continue to do so from time to time. Kicking it off with more of the Luna/Sam story arc running along the lines. Things will be more intense from this point forward, with more blood on the verge of being spilled on not just two sides, but the third that is being brought to light right about now. **

**Act II roster:**

**1\. Rocking Nightmare **

**2\. The First Clone **

**3\. Excetum **

**4\. The Fire Within **

**5\. Project Link **

**6\. Blue Dames **

**7\. The Ultimate Clone **

**8\. Junior Patriots **

**9\. The Sisters Grimm **

**10\. The Prime Enemy**

**11\. Dark Before Dawn, Act II Special**

**Act II re-introducing Linka, Lupa, Liby and Lacy! And for the first time ever... Oh, I won't spoil the surprise. You'll meet them in time. Thank you and goodnight. **


	13. Chapter 13

**May 29th, 2030 **

Carly awoke due to a noise that frightened her. Before that, her fact was planted against a cold surface she could only guess as hell having frozen over against her wishes. Jerking her head up right, she opened her eyes widely, quite startled. "Wha-?"

Lincoln stood seated in front of her, his back turned to the hallway of the interrogation room. Elmont, Luna and Lynn were lined up right behind him, standing as if they were bowling pins. Lincoln's hands were tucked away under the table, occupied with the SRM-1216 sbotgun that rested on his lap. "Good, you're awake."

Carly threw her up a for a blind attack, but found that she was restrained by handcuffs. "AGH! FOOLS! VIAL CORP WILL-"

Lincoln withdrew a hand and slapped the Hmong girl across the face, not having it today. "Now what the hell is a little ninja doing with criminals in Vial's ranks?"

Carly rubbed her cheek, being stung by her own touch. A tough cookie she was when she made no effort to whimper or cry, barely impressing Lincoln. "Wouldn't you like to know, old man?"

"I'm not playing games here, you little shit," Lincoln coldly grunted.

"Tone the language, Loud," Elmont suggested. "Or I'll be taking over."

"Very well..." Lincoln pulled out the shotgun from underneath, aiming it at Carly. "Tell me what I want to know."

"Whoa, whoa!" Carly strolled off of her chair, yanking back her hands valiantly. "Wait-"

"Lincoln, no!" Lynn grabbed the gun and swiped it away from Lincoln's deadly grip. "He warned you!"

"Tch..." Lincoln scoffed, pinpointing his cue to leave. "You girls can't do better than I can, that's for damn sure."

"Just leave, dude," Luna seconded, crossing her arms in disgust at both Lincoln and Elmont, who allowed Lincoln to try his tactics.

"Don't look at me..." Elmont innocently waved. "Who wants a turn?"

Lynn cracked her knuckles and took her seat. "Hi there, my name is Lynn Loud-"

"I know who some of you are. I've been working with Lisa long enough to know about you guys!" Carly chortled fiendishly, eyeing both Lynn and Luna. "And let me tell you, she planned ahead, knowing full well what was happening."

Lynn opened her mouth to say something, but she looked back at Elmont with this news, then back at Carly. "Sorry, what do you mean by that?"

Carly pointed a finger at each of them. "Lynn Loud Jr, Luna Loud, and Alexander Elmont, nice to meet you. I can't say I was expecting to be captured, but here I am!" She clapped away at them, mocking them indefinitely.

"You- You know who we are?" Lynn wondered. "You're that close to Lisa, are you?"

"I wouldn't say I'm that close to her, but the genius is too open with me, but that isn't the point." The chick in black brushed away at her clothes. "I take it this is the Division?"

Elmont took a deep breath after these particular words eluded Carly's mouth. "Th-that's classified Intel... It shouldn't be possible that you know about this!"

"Oh, but it is! And guess what, Elmonty? I've-" She raised a finger to herself, grinning. "-Been told of this by Lisa herself! Soooo..."

Elmont exited the room, fuming. Luna followed to make sure he was alright. "Dude, this sounds sketchy?"

"It should not have been possible for Lisa to have known about us! I'd call it a bluff if that girl didn't just name-drop us or this place!" Elmont did the math in his head. "It makes no sense! If they knew about us, then they could have countered us, regardless of how we went about it!"

"Earth to Alexander Elmont," Lincoln snapped. "Maybe it was just an act, and they wanted us to capture the girl."

"No, that can't be..." Elmont denied. "We didn't just capture the girl, but everything they've had! All their data is being downloaded into our databanks as we speak!"

"Maybe that was the plan all along, Elmont," Lincoln tossed. "If I were being cornered, I'd cut off an arm and and made sure I bled enough to fool whoever had me backed into a wall. Don't mind the fact I can make my own exit, thought."

"Sounds dumb!" Luna expressed. "What does Lisa gain by having this girl being kidnapped by us? We've checked her, she has no communication device, tracking device, or any small camera we've been able to find, so there is no advantage for anyone."

"Maybe not, but the girl is telling you something alright," Lincoln pointed out.

"That someone is talking from above?" Elmont inquired, giving it thought. "That's impossible, my superiors would never-" But then he paused.

"Talk," Lincoln requested, sensing it.

"We've suspected state senator Peter McMahon of being in league with Lisa, but it never occurred to me-" He curled his hands into fists, feeling quite humiliated and angry at the same time. "Damn it, McMahon surely has connections of his own among those I answer to."

"I don't get it," Lincoln shared, trying to figure it out. "You haven't told them you suspected the state senator?"

"It doesn't work how you think it works, Loud. All the board members want to hear is results and authentic information, not the finger-pointing assumptions where I can't supply evidence to back up any claims I make, even if they would believe me. The only thing I can pass up is the data, nothing more than that."

"So we know it's not a leak, but an infiltration," Lincoln concluded. "Everything we do, this McMahon maggot knows, having gotten some classified intel by sweet-talking your superiors. Question is..."

"How much did he know to tell Lisa?"

"Dudes... I don't like this." Luna grew mildly scared.

"We're bound to have information on Vial, enough to tear down everything Lisa has ever worked for," Lincoln hoped. "I'm more than positive-"

"Unless..." Elmont stopped. "Unless there is nothing that links Vial to their connections. We don't know for sure what we'll find."

"Right... Here's to hoping."

**Later**

The data had been looked over by Elmont, Lincoln, and Luna that evening. They were pleased with their findings, but the real tragedy here was a lack of list of connections Vial kept, not even a queue of buyers for their illegally manufactured weapons reportedly seen by many criminals mostly on foreign territories. Nothing at all that could bring about the fall of Lisa's friends, however many there were, but this was enough of a win to have some sort of celebration for.

"Fuck!" Elmont wasn't really too happy with how it was going. "All of this information, and not one strip or mention of who helped Lisa! Ugh... What am I missing here?"

Lincoln cleared his throat. "Maybe nothing at all, Elmont. Question has to be when McMahon squealed to dear sister of mine, right? Gives her all the time to prepare, to move the real stuff."

"Yes, but all of this is her essential stuff, years worth of work! She left it all..."

"She left what she's able to sacrifice, I'd say. Compare this to the real gold mine, this would be nothing. Lisa made weapons, right?" Lincoln, accessing the Vial Corp database through the oval table's screen, searched for the category everywhere, finding nothing that matched. "Of course, she took the real stuff with her. Well, maybe she took everything by making a copy and deleted the essentials off of these drives here."

"Does that mean she knows it was us?" Elmont placed a hand to his forehead. "This is a total clusterfuck if I do say so myself..."

"That girl knows more," Lincoln believed. "It feels like she does."

"So..." Elmont gave out a deep sigh. "Lisa might still be in play... I've been thinking she should have not any place to run, but now..."

"Yes, its gonna be wise to assume she has an underground facility where she can continue her shit," Lincoln shared, making Luna gasp heavily. "And that she knows about us, that's gotta be the point of giving up that girl. It's a way to tell us she's steps ahead."

"In that case, I'll have to keep her here as long as it takes until she gives up info," Elmont decided. "I've got my own method of doing this, you two will stay out of it."

"Understood," Luna abided.

"Is it effective?" Lincoln teased mockingly.

Just then, Lynn came wandering about to update them on her progress. "The girl's name is Carly Evans-something. She's... Erm, Vietnamese? Anyway, she didn't talk much but she said she was one of two bodyguards for Lisa-"

"Bodyguard?" Lincoln chortled. "That little girl?"

"She didn't seem to know about what they were doing, she's been instructed to keep away from the holding cells. I don't think she knows Lisa is evil, but Lisa made us the bad guys in Carly's mind."

"How a girl like that ends up in the hands of Lisa I'll never know," Lincoln muttered. "Bet she's bullshitting though. She's had to have known what she was getting herself into."

"Well, apparently Lisa told her much about us and how we were working with a rival suit who wanted to take over data to use it for our... Evil intents." Lynn looked at the screen opened to the Vial Corp database. "Is this all it?"

"We have reason to believe its incomplete as of yet, and it's not an accidental case either. Oh, great, this is gonna be a hassle if we have to repeat this mess again." Elmont groaned, leaving to his office to make the update to his superiors. That's when Lincoln developed an idea.

"I have a solution." His words made the Division leader freeze in his tracks. "You might not like it, and it's not gonna be okay with many, I'm sure."

"Why don't you come into my office?" Elmont proposed, walking back with Lincoln and the girls following. "Oh- Only Lincoln, girls."

Luna and Lynn gave each or disgruntled looks, staying behind.

Lincoln helped himself to the comfy chair in from of Elmont's desk. "Great, we've made them retreat instead of backing them into a corner."

"No shit, what is your plan?" He asked when sitting at his desk.

Lincoln leaned forward. "Simple for us, but it's gonna be a fuck-up of all sorts for the lesser agencies. What I'm pitching here is us moving forward and taking out Vial's regular buyers of their weaponry, specifically those that are being under surveillance."

"Five and Scythe terror cells are two terror orgs we know have been doing shopping from them," Elmont disclosed. "Not to mention a cartel or two, which I gotta say was the reason we caught wind of that. Vial seems to have a connection in all underworlds, it's a challenge to be able to cut all of them off, we're unsure of the exact numbers, and this is excluding small-timers."

"There a list of known or suspected bases of these buyers?" Lincoln requested. "If I can wipe enough, this underground network will have to pull a desperate play and find out who is taking care of its source of funding."

Elmont grinned, showing his perfect white teeth at Lincoln. "I fucking hate to have to admit it, but bringing you in here isn't such a mistake after all."

"What the fuck was up with that hate-boner the first time we met? Had you figured out you couldn't stand me?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, no one would be professionally happy to have an ex... Ex-terrorist join the Patriot Division. A very little chance has been given, and that was due to your little stunt that ended the Freights and that silly, dangerous ideology. However..."

Here came the but Lincoln expected to hate. "But?"

"You are still going to be tried in front of the court the very second your involuntary services are no longer required. Make no mistake..."

Lincoln narrowed his eyes.

"You have never been off the hook yet."

"That's all well and good, big man," Lincoln agreed. "While they think that, they know they'll need men like me to throw into their battles. They've seen my rap sheet I'm sure, and I have much to take from the world."

"Don't get too cocky, Loud..." Elmont grunted. "You are not the hero we deserve, but one reality has given us, so, as a compromise, we're willing to take you as long as you don't fuck up for us. And also, considering this is clear and unauthorized intervening in the affairs of our friends-"

"You want me to leave one survivor of each compound I hit?" Lincoln assumed. "Can do, but they won't be left in perfect shape."

"As long as you don't send them into shock or worse," Elmont allowed. "You're going to need an upgrade. This is a good strategy nonetheless, but this means for the other agencies pullback maneuvers and months of recon to be thrown away much to their dismay. Lucky for us we can pay them off, even if some of them will hold a grudge towards us. If you could step out for a second, while I..." Elmont picked up an old-school black phone, one of those kinds with a built-in speaker. Lincoln pushed his chair back and took his exit, meeting Lynn and Luna back out.

"What?" He poked, annoyed by their staring at him.

"Are you gonna let us in on this solution?" Luna was eager to know the severity of Lincoln's suggestion, just as Lynn was.

Only, Lincoln had no intention to share his method. No reason, considering how soft-hearted and weak he believed they were. The thing he knew about Luna and Lynn was that they would not go about it the way he did, despite them, and Luan, having crossed it. Rather than molding them, he'd rather keep them out. Making them know him and planting that mindset were of different things. Lynn and Luna, the closest ones to know his path, but weren't there yet. To him, Luan was below the two, still a child at heart. A child who wanted out.

"That's for me to know, and me only," he denied his older sisters, marking another secret to hide.

"D-damn it, Linc. What, you don't trust us?" Luna accused coldly, aggravated enough to take a step.

Lynn heeled her with a hand to her shoulder rather calmly. "No, isn't it obvious, Lunes? The big, bad wolf found a way that requires bloodshed. That's the Freight way, after all..." Lynn pulled Luna away, the both of them walking away to their rooms. When entering the elevator, Luna revealed what her ears have heard.

"Lincoln's going after Lisa's customers, dude. They're allowing him to go out and kill anyone on the list to break Vial's silence and routes."

"What- Y-you're kidding me! The guys in my department had eyes on three separate Five compounds! Nine months! No- This, this can't-" Lynn threw a fit and punched the elevator, but had measured her strength to light terms. "Damn it... Why, of all things, does he have to undo that to my department?"

"Lynn..." Luna didn't want to be the one to point it out again. "You're not in with them anymore..."

Lynn let out a broken stutter. "Oh... R-right..." She rubbed her face from eyes to mouth, sighing painfully. "What's wrong with me?"

"What do you mean? There isn't anything!" Luna protested from within. "You're all right up there, you care... You've... Shown me you care, Lynn. There isn't anything wrong with you wanting to go back to the way things were..."

"When you say that, do you know what the 'things were' part means to me?"

"If you have to ask me that, you'd have to think I don't know..." Luna addressed. "But I do know, Lynn. I know because I also feel the same way... I want to go back to the past, where... Where we all laughed together, hugged, cried... M-mourned-"

Lynn let out a weak laugh. "Too much... There's too much of it around us. Pop-Pop. Leni. Lucy. Mom and dad. And... Rinn. Aunt fucking Rinn, too... I never-" She sniffed out achingly. "I left too fucking fast to say anything. I was sure of it... I was sure we'd see each other again, and you're t-telling me-"

"Dude..." Luna wrapped a hand around her, leading her off the elevator. "I thought... We were past that..." The elephant in the room was still there. "You think we should tell Lincoln about them? Leni and Pop-Pop, I mean. No one brought it up..."

"Y-you can do it," Lynn squeaked with her breaking voice. "I don't care for that monster... Literally fuck Lincoln."

"Literally?" Luna forced a nervous laugh out. "You sound like Lori."

"L-Luna, you're fucking killing me..." Lynn let herself be escorted to her own room, being sat down by big sister Luna. "Lori... Lori broke our Leni... How could she have done that, Luna? T-tell me why..."

"Lynn, I don't know about that. The twins, when they told me, were only vague about it, and they weren't strong enough to tell me how or why..." The perfect stillness of the room befell them, silent enough to drive them virtually insane if they had ever stopped talking long enough to notice the strength of the nothingness of sound. The breath of Luna's mouth blew out, coming out like an audition for an Icebreakers commercial. She set her hands on her legs and leaned forward, tangled in wires of emotion. "I wish... I wish I was there with you guys to see everything fall..."

"What? What, why would you say that?" Lynn only looked onto her sister with confusion, close enough to form into anger. "What the fuck?"

"Look- No, look at it from my perspective... I hate having to be told this by words. I can't- I can't get the same emotion you guys felt when it happened. You and the twins now how it went. Not me, nor Luan... For me, it doesn't just hurt me that it happened, but it's painful that Luan and I will never feel the way you feel when her name, or Pop-Pop's name, comes up. Hell, you surely have to understand me! I mean, you were never there to see Aunt Rinn die! That's it, that's what the fuck I'm saying... We were never there."

Lynn understood where Luna was going with this, and heavily agreed, nodding her head. "We've been so left out of it, and we will never-"

"Understand their true pain," Luna concluded. "I just get words but not an image. I want to feel that so I can cry with them properly. Them, you. Is- Is that so insane to ask for?"

"It's... Crazy but it's not irrational... No."

"And hey..." Leaned back up and turned to Lynn. "Don't worry about Lincoln. I'll be the one to tell him about them, don't worry."

Lynn leaned back to her bed, falling with her eyes closed. "Y-yes, please, I don't want to deal with that man."

With that, Luna let Lynn have time to herself and left the room. Not long after, the heartbroken tears echoed softly out of the rooms, and Luna's sharp ears picked up a guilt-ridden speech Lynn was letting out in memory of their fallen. Luna had returned to her room- only to fall on her knees and cover her ears in a weak attempt to block out the tragedy her eardrums welcomed.

One floor above, Lincoln had entered the lab, coming into a workshop set up in the middle of the lab manned by some brilliant technicians the Division had onboard, all working day and night on both new and used technology Lincoln had yet to be disclosed with. Elmont led him well past them, taking Lincoln to the back of the room. The wall at the end was covered in a glass layout, it being a display case that was all empty, save for the eye-catcher that mesmerized Lincoln; a black suit he knew right away was of an armored type. "Is that a-?"

"This is one such prototype of a special type of battle armor we're still working on. This one you see has only been wore once before, and it exceedingly passed all expectations."

"Battle armor?" Lincoln pressed a hand to the glass, blocked by it from touching the armor. "Tell me more about it."

"It's a hundred percent metal, so it will slow you down, but it's still pretty mobile."

"No running?"

"Jogging, no running... Unless you disassemble the leg plating from the back of the legs, which would be you, the wearer's call. Anyways, there is no helmet to go along with it, a major downside, but this baby, which were calling Patriot Armor, patent pending, has the strength of five strong-arms types. If I had to make a comparison, maybe like... I don't know, a terminator?"

"So... This can be destroyed?" Lincoln pieced.

"...Moving on," Elmont coughed. "See that button right below the abdominal area?"

Lincoln noticed a square centered in the middle, just above the crotch region. "What, is that a communicator? Not a good place to put that."

"No, it activates an EMP blast, reaches up to a hundred feet in range wide, and with height, it's double that. Of course, that's if you're own ground level. You go high and you can exceed the height's range to three hundred, or more, depending on the building. My advice is, the taller the building, the measureable of the halfway point."

"Huh... Okay," Lincoln short-circuited.

"Gloves have built-in tazers, activated via buttons on the back of them, which you can't see from this angle. The tips of them are where you can feel them, but we find that it was a bad choice on our end, so we don't suggest you use them, even as a last resort."

"Anything else added in for the extra mile?"

Elmont shook his head. "No, that's it for the armor."

"Battery-powered, right? Lifespan of...?"

"Days, if you don't use the EMP frequently. That takes five percent off each time, and the EMP itself recharges every fifteen minutes, we find. Gonna do it, you do it right."

"Anything else?" Lincoln inquired.

"Yeah, Loud. Don't fucking wreck it or get killed. This is the only one of it's kind."

He nodded. "Better give me good weapons, then."

"Speaking of weapons..." Elmont took back to the hall, escorting the white-haired man to their armory. The Division had all classes of the best weapons, plus more. Light machine guns, assault rifles, tactical shotguns. Grenades of silver, black and other colors with different labels, those being kinetic ones, incendiary ones, and others he would not be keeping track of. A row of shields unlike anything he's ever seen before. Pistols, very high-tech and more compact than those Lincoln knew. Rockets of the RPG-7, M72 Law, and Smaw types as well. "One primary, one or two sidearms, grenades if you want, and..."

Lincoln came across some serrated blades within a case in the middle of the armory. "Glorious..." He drooled. "Anything special here?"

"Special?" Elmont redirected to the sniper rifles. "Oh, we do have one interesting weapon you might like." He opened the cage, accessing a black sniper rifle high on the wall that resembled a Barrett M82. "Meet the RA-K68, ahead of its time for one and one reason only." He aimed it upwards, activating a mechanism at the bottom right where he gripped it, sliding it forward to reveal the sniper rifle could extend almost two feet more in length.

"Is that all it can do?"

Elmont reversed his action, returning the rifle to proper length again. "The barrel is top-notch accurate, instantly out-performing all others. Sight is too zoomed in, so you can be five hundred yards out and see your target's head blow the fuck up with no problem- if your aim is excellent."

"I've missed shots or two, but a sniper rifle experience is lacking. Say, what happened to the one I left back in New York?"

"Called in the proper crew to bag and tag," Elmont admitted. "Where did you even get it?"

"Cop transported it before I subdued him," Lincoln revealed. "Pretty sure it was evidence but it was that over the shotgun he had in his patrol car."

"Great... Another crime to add to your sheet."

"I'll take that, but I also want..." Lincoln had taken a liking to the 1216 shotgun, but his eyes were also fixated on an MP5K. "You have an arsenal, and you torture me by limiting me. I want to take half."

"No, you will not," Elmont denied. "I'd prefer it if you hit a compound, come back to resupply and report, then go to the next one."

"It'd be faster if I didn't, it'd be a risk on itself, me coming back many times. Who's to say I don't have a tail?"

"Nonsensical, you're smart-"

"But not an expert, Elmont," Lincoln reminded him. "Don't be so fucking stupid or careless. I'll take half and I'll come back until I make enough noise and destroy Vial's funding, and until then-"

"Hold on..." Elmont offered a compromise. "I've got something that will make us both happy."

**May 30th, 2030**

Five was just like any terror organization, but were nothing short of bad guys similar to Freights. There they were, inside a warehouse, playing some poker, laughing and having a good time. While some rifles of theirs leaned against some boxes, no one seemed to care to keep the place secured.

_That's right, let it run through your heads... Not a brave, smart soul could ever figure this is Five territory. _Lincoln hid behind some crates at the far end of the warehouse, crates which he suspected contained all of Vial's stock they had sold to these guys. Armed with the 1216, the MP5K and bringing an RPG to the party, Lincoln kicked it off with the latter weapon, firing off the rocket at one of three vehicles away. Through the commotion, he revealed his location and began firing.

**June 2nd, 2030**

A convoy of Scythe members packed into four black vans rolled along an empty highway, and coming from the other end, Lincoln Loud and the A.I. known as Model 76 were racing towards them. The truck was currently on auto-pilot, allowing Lincoln to perch on the hood of the truck, firing the M60 he wielded, shooting in bursts at the windshields and tires of all four vehicles.

**June 3rd, 2030**

The fortieth floor held that particular meeting, just across the rooftop where he was. He activated the EMP, correctly guessing that he'd take out the power of the target building. When it had gone dark, and made the six members of Five pull out their handguns, Lincoln let the RA-K68 do its thing. When the first bullet ejected, no such noise had echoed about, making this a perfectly suppressed weapon. _Stealth kill!_

He dropped his first baddie with this amazing weapon, but he didn't stop to fangirl just yet, quickly switching between the other five targets, shooting away. He was glad it was a semi-auto, not a bolt-action brand. The glass of the window shattered after the third shot, sending glass flying to the ground. Hopefully no one would be hurt or killed by that.

**June 5th, 2030**

Bodies with missing heads and shot-off body parts lay scattered in the back of a Mexican hacienda down somewhere in Mexico. The only survivor of this was a fidgety cokehead with the body akin to an anorexic person, shivering to the point his teeth chattered like a skull on Halloween. Lincoln's 1216 kissed the junkie's forehead, staring down with a lustful desire to shed more blood again.

**June 6th, 2030**

He ran out of ammo on the M16, due to more gangsters being at the abandoned hospital, more than he had bullets. Luckily for him, enough were dropped that weapons lay everywhere. Picking up an An-47 and an Uzi, he dual-wielded to get the job done, fighting both the gang members and the recoil that rattled about.

**June 8th, 2030**

And he killed.

**June 10th, 2030**

And he killed.

**June 11th, 2030**

And he killed...

**Later**

"This is getting us nowhere," Elmont said with disappointment. "I mean, you did good work, but this should have been enough to stir the hornet's nest, wouldn't you say?"

Lincoln was basically dragging an empty M60 at this point, face covered in blood. "I need a shower."

"R-right... Carry on."

Lincoln dropped off the armor at the tech lab, leaving the guys to pick up after them. He heard them yell, but naturally, Lincoln gave no fuck. It was only after his showering that he thought to re-interrogate the so-called bodyguard they had, and headed to Elmont's office to give him access to the special cell that was concealed at the end of the interrogation room.

Elmont brought the girl back for him to question again. "No funny business."

"Says you..." Lincoln snorted, then turned his attention to Carly. "You're some dumb kid, choosing to be jailed here like this."

"I didn't choose this!" Carly countered defensively. "I'm being held here against my will by evil folk! I can talk, but I won't give Lisa up to you, and that's a promise!"

"What has my sister ever done for you?" Lincoln wondered. "And how did you get here? You didn't run away from your parents, did you?"

Carly fell silent.

Elmont whispered into Lincoln's ear. "Did you not read the file on her?"

"Uhh..." Lincoln shook his head. "Sh-shut up and tell me..."

"Girl's parents are dead, killed due to a hate crime."

"Oh?" Lincoln looked back at Carly. "Is your precious mommy and daddy all deady-weady?"

"H-hey... Shut it!" Carly jerked her hands forward, fixing for his throat but missed. "Curse you!"

Lincoln sniffed. "Hey, Elmont, didn't you give her a good hose down?"

"What are you doing now?" Elmont groaned.

"Come on girl, just tell us where Lisa's underground facility is," Lincoln implored. "I know you know where it is, or have some clue about it."

"Like I told Lynn, I don't know everything-"

"But you do know Lisa played with your head, right?" Lincoln interrupted forcefully. "Whatever she told you is wrong-"

"So you're not an ex-Freight?" Carly poked. "Is that a lie Lisa told me? Hmm?"

_G-goddamn sassy little shit... _Lincoln sighed. "You really don't know what was down there? You say you know all about Luna, but do you really?" He turned to Elmont. "Haven't you thought to convince her Lisa was evil? We have evidence, and my sisters, except Luan, are all examples!"

"Keeping her locked away could have broken her, too," Elmont reasoned. "Isolation drives people insane after all..."

"And Lynn says I'm the monster... Jesus Christ."

"What about your sisters?" Carly asked. "Well?"

**Minutes Later **

Luna transformed, roaring into Carly's face and releasing her bad lizard breath all around her. Carly's eyes watered a painful red, nose plucked up by her fingers. "Ew! So-!" She gagged as Luna pulled back her face, stepping away from the table. "Okay, I'll- I'll talk! I have-"

"And that's how it's done, baby," Luna cheered.

"Is that really all it took?" Lincoln was flabbergasted, and not in the good way. "Was my work all for nothing?"

"Hmph!" Luna got too cocky, feeling proud of herself that she walked out of the room with swagger.

Carly's lips were quivering away, fright being all too real for some silly fucking act. Unless maybe it was a realistic act altogther. No, this made more sense; Lisa kept this ninja girl in the dark, hiding all the vital facts for the good of them both. Carly was obedient, never rebelling against Lisa's rules and regulations once. Whatever she knew of them all, was incomplete facts on them. It was unclear if Carly was let in on the existence of phenos, but in the now at this second, it didn't matter anymore.

"Do you want to make a deal now?" Elmont offered on the table.

"What- What was that? What did she just-?" Luna seemed to have been the ninja girl's first pheno. "M-monsters!"

Luna heard Carly's label from outside.

"It's all Lisa's doing, if you weren't aware of it," Lincoln explained. "You're missing out on so much. Agree to help us, and we can give you the whole story, and then it's a juvy center for you."

Carly led her eyes downward, breathing hard. "No- No, I'll talk. J-just give me some time..."

"Of course..." Elmont agreed. "Take all the time you need."

**July 18th, 2030**

Luna was feeling quite stupid by the time she walked out of the office, leaving Lincoln and Elmont alone, running off to place herself on a mission which would ultimately bring her to a familiar face. "Progress on the girl?" Lincoln was getting desperate.

"You know... I'm not gonna lie, but keeping a kid here is starting to make this feel more unethical by the second."

"Oh?" Lincoln sarcastically joked. "You don't say."

Elmont grumbled under his breath some incomprehensible mutters. "Anyways, there is some development on the matter. Carly's finally broken her silence after we so heavily accommodated her cell to barter for info. We've got something alright."

Lincoln formed a smile, happy at the news. "Let's hear it."

"That base we hit in Maine was not the only one around. Their underground bunker, which Carly claims to have only been there once, is bigger than the regular facility layout. However, she's had limited access to it as she claims, but we can never be certain on what is true or not with her. Even so, I want to send you to investigate, but I want you to take Carly since she knows more of the layout than you."

Lincoln analyzed the strategy. "This is sounding like a trap now."

"It very well could be, but the advantage you've got would be Matrix Portals. They'll make for a quick getaway before you get captured. You've never had any problems, why would they start now?"

"Right..." Lincoln had the skeevies regardless, developing chills down his spine.

**Later**

Lincoln had to keep Carly in handcuffs the whole way, walking around some woods a few miles away from the facility they've attacked awhile back. Ah, good times. Good times. Only two more of those round Matrix Portals left, tucked away safe and sound on Lincoln. His shotgun was loaded, but had only thirty-two rounds on him, sixteen loaded on the firearm. "Keep moving."

"I am!" Carly cried out. "Leave me alone, you old hag."

"You do remember where this underground facility is?" Lincoln jammed his gun into her back, attempting to spook her. "Well?"

"Of course I do!" She raised her hands in front of her, pointing straight ahead. "Where did you think I was leading you?"

"I still don't trust you completely, girl," Lincoln reminded her.

"You do you, man," Carly rolled her eyes. "There's a hatch that leads to a tunnel below. The tunnel stops right before a big steel blast door, like it's some huge safe. Past that is..."

"Is?" Lincoln demanded.

"Lisa once called it the Black Network." Carly stopped him after half a mile of walking, then began to run her shoes against the dirt, then stomped down with medium energy. They could both hear a faint clanking of metal sound off. "This is it."

Lincoln dug his hands around, finding a handle to which he pulled, revealing a dark entryway leading downwards. "You first-"

"Wait, what?! But I-!" Carly was pushed into the pit below with no second thought. "LINCOLN! Ow..."

Climbing down, Lincoln picked Carly up and pushed her back as the guide. "Keep moving."

The tunnel's light activated all at once, letting Lincoln know motion sensors were at work here. They only then reached the huge blast door Carly had mentioned when they both heard a laugh echo around the tunnel. Then- "Silly daddy, you didn't think it could be this easy, did you?"

Lincoln gripped the 1216 high, looking around for the source of the voice. A girl's voice, and young at that, too. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Oh, daddy... I'm just about to introduce myself to you! Do you really want to point that at me?"

Carly hugged against the wall, keeping her eyes open to the front end of the tunnel.

"Who the hell is that?!" Lincoln screeched.

"I- I don't know, I've never seen kids here!"

The girl's voice laughed along the tunnel. "You must be Carly, right? They captured you before they let me out, but I'm glad we're meeting for the first time."

"What- Who are you?" The enormous blast door behind her and Lincoln creaked out, opening up rather slowly rather slowly. "Hey-"

Lincoln looked back and noticed the entrance opening for them- followed by a secret narrow one being activated. One second too late to have his advantage, Lincoln found himself in a pickle. The figure who came out, a small girl with straightened white hair just like his, the source of the voice, moved swiftly to attack him. He missed his only shot he could fire before the girl, dressed in a skin-tight black suit with the letter A in white taking up the center chest, snagged his gun away with ease.

"Hiyah, Lincy!" The girl punched him square in the gut, showing that her strength was just as strong as his own when he realized how much it hurt him. When he went down on one knee, the girl threw more jabs to his face, leaving him bloody to a pulp.

All while Lincoln did his best to fight her, but strangely enough, all of his moves were being read and countered perfectly, as if she had anticipated all of his moves. As if she had seen his fighting style before. He tried to make sense of it, and how it was possible that this girl was matching him- no, actually beating him. "Ngh!"

"Don't even try to get up!" The white-haired brute of a girl warned. "Lisa's got a bone to pick with you, dear daddy!"

"Whuh- Why do you keep calling me d-daddy?" Lincoln limped around freely once the girl had stopped, each circling around the other. "Who are you?"

The girl looked at her knuckles, seeing his blood smeared around them. She held it up to show him. "You see this, don't you? Your blood cells... This is me."

It clicked. It was insane for him to know and understand the science behind it, but it very well damn clicked. "It can't be... You-?"

"Introducing the first, the pure, the illustrious Linka Loud!" The clone took a graceful bow in front of her two audience members carefree.

Lincoln got the drop on her by grabbing her face and rushing her back into the wall. He pinned her hard, and then repeatedly struck her head against the wall with his fading strength. "F-fucking clone-"

Linka kicked him in the abdomen once, strong enough to break his grip away. She then pushed him down, spotting a knife on him. "Oooh, shiny!" She took it, quickly going to Carly. "Get the fuck inside!"

"Oh- R-right!" The ninja chick disappeared into the Black Network, going free. "Thank you!"

Lincoln rolled onto his stomach, humiliated in defeat. "Clone... F-Fuck- No fucking way..."

When was this Linka created? And why the fuck? Why did Lisa create this girl, and for what reason? All that made sense to him now was to end the clone. How could he, seeing that she was beyond his equal? _Get up, Lincoln! G-get up, fight!_

"You're coming with me..." Linka was here following orders on Lisa's behalf, and if he was captured, it would be all over for him. No, Lincoln could not fight like this. Not after he had received quite the beating from a little brat. A little brat with all of his superhuman traits, actually. It was time to retreat empty-handed.

Taking out one of the two Matrix Portals, he pressed the button, wheezed out his destination, and threw it in front of him. He fell in and disappeared, but not before Linka acted fast and threw the knife at him, which went vanishing right after him. "GODDAMNIT!"

**Patriot Division**

"C-clone... Clone... Linka the cuh-clone..." The breath was slowly coming back to him as he limped it back to base, bloody, bruised, and feeling like the butt of a joke he could simply not shake off for a good, long while. The sun shining right above him was too overpowering in terms of heat that he removed his shirt, leaving it on the grass behind. _How dare Lisa- _

He passed the Division's honeybee workers, stumbling about and leaving a faint blood trail behind him. _Have to... Report it... _

Luna and Elmont were up ahead, talking about something that seemed heated between them. Whatever it was, it could not have been more important than this. Elmont was the first to take norice of Lincoln. "You? What- Where is Carly?! What in God's name have you done?!"

Lincoln assumed Elmont had believed him to have killed Carly. _Goddamn it, man..._

"Lincy?" Luna raised an arm, unsure of what to make of a wounded Lincoln.

"Luh- Luh- Luh-" He tried to utter that name the clone had labeled herself.

"Luh?"

"L-Linka..." His body gave out on him when he pushed the words out forcefully. "Clone."

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter II: The First Clone**

* * *

**AN: Everyone is fucked if you think about it. The location of the Black Network base is revealed, but they've got countermeasures of their own, thanks to the ties Lisa seems to have at the night table. Can the Louds and company have a chance at tearing down the last base Lisa has hidden in? Or will it be that they are defeated in the end!? Next; attack on the Black Network!**


	14. Chapter 14

**June 4th, 2030**

It took awhile, but the puppet Lisa had wrapped around her finger had finally come to the Black Network, carefully moving through creaks and crevices while careful not to step on any eggshells planted by all authorities out on their wild goose chases. Feds, Homeland, CIA, and every police precinct had APBs circling around for the same figure they knew as the man behind Vial Corporation, the science firm that had been exposed just days ago for kidnapping various people to further their scientific advancement.

James Shepherd had been handling everything from the chair Lisa supplied him, usually being told on the hows and wheres, but he got a hang of being the so-called CEO of Vial Corp, and it was fun for those few years, feelling gradually important. The only reason he had such power was because he brought to light a dream Lisa herself could have never accomplished to begin with, and seeing as how she came to him, a scientist working in the tech department for Kapacity Korp, and pitched all she had created with the proper funding being the key that was missing. That funding he could be able to acquire from scratch.

Vial Corporation, the dream of a simple child with a really high IQ, maybe one of the top ten highest ones in existence. It was all too surreal for him, even after how far they'd come. First it was just one facility, then Lisa proposed the nationwide expansion. That alone sent millions down the drain, but the money was worth it, every penny dropped to establish a corporate super power paid off slowly. Vial, started from the bottom while Kapacity Korp and Mandel Industries, two rival firms mainly centered on technological advancements, had been surpassed by the new kid on the block.

Vial was a triple-threat if one such person were to give you a complete rundown. And no better person than the one who created this fictional science firm, right? The three fields for them were of the technological, alluding to the expensive but amazing goods like virtual reality simulators where one can move freely while being in a virtual world- without actually moving about in an unnecessary pattern. That was the flaw the original goggle brands presented, unlocked at its highest potential by them. They also manufactured vehicle alarm modules that responded to the voice of the owner to lock and unlock vehicles on command. These modules were only compatible with the newer brands of vehicles only. And it worked wonders for people who rushed it and forgot their keys in the car. The way it was explained of how these modules worked, the devices, black cylinders, shape akin to a cup, detected not only one of the four voices that it granted access for, but the sound waves that struck against the glass, which would muffle the voice by a fraction.

The medicinal field, where cures for diseases were being created and tested around the clock. This was dangerous on itself considering what the risks were for discovering an antidote to some powerful diseases. All her findings, never to be disclosed to the public eye. However, there had been some very wealthy folk who'd pay top dollar for anything they'd have caught. She made a buck or two this way, and the money would add to the renovations, resources, and anything else Lisa saw fit to add. Thirteen diseases with a cure and counting.

And then Lisa had a thought; if she could play it dirty, then maybe she could think outside the box. And that's where the third field came in; biology. Biology, which started with animals. The goal here had been the same for generations; to adapt the human body system on superior levels. She agreed that time was too valuable but a shortage of it had always been known to her. Weak bodies susceptible to the lesser of physical problems, so much that enhancements were needed. That's how the hybrid tests had come to be.

In other words, Lisa extracted blood and DNA essence off of many animals, and when she had to acquire the far away ones, she had quite the talk with poachers who had nabbed those on her wishlist. African animals, rare exotic birds found in Brazil, up to specimen underneath the deep blue. So many unexplored fish and sea creatures that Lisa would have loved to explore, but this, her gigantic brainchild, was the dear thing she put ahead of everything else.

And everyone else...

Meanwhile, she brought original formulas to the table, original in the sense she played with chemicals of all sorts.

Only, she knew she could not always be using guinea pigs and test rats for all those trials she planned out. Humans. She needed to see for herself how humans would fare when being fused with the better properties of the animal collective. And that was the first real crime underneath her secret rule. Taking the fine people away for science, so that mankind could adapt, overcome their inferior traits. Obesity, diabetes, physical deformities, stunted growth, and if she could even reach insane levels, she could gather an incest couple pregnant with a child of sin to which she can help and snag away the flaws. Well, that was just an idea she got, sitting on her high horse.

Lisa herself had been in am aggravated mood since the damned Patriot Division had made its move, and actually used her siblings to do its bidding. Six of them, at the hands of those who caught wind of her wrongdoings she felt she could justify it for all of mankind. Barbarians who didn't understand, who were only playing good guy, bad guy. _Blasphemous! What right do they have to attack my research like this?! Can they not see I am trying to create the formula for a superior generation for mankind?! _

The goal was to find which serum was the best one applied into the human body. Of all the persons ever tested for multiple concoctions of all sorts, only a fraction of those passed expectation and were recreated and inserted into other poor souls. From the top of her head, these were; AZ-132, the "superhuman" one which came with properties of not one, not two, but three different animals, these ones being of a rhino, a newly-discovered snake, and a wolf. However, it seemed that the chances of physical attributes were unlikely, as portions of the three rivaling properties crashed in and cancelled each other out. This was the one Lincoln had; tough as a rhino, fast like a wolf, and regenerative just like the snake. For all Lisa knew, Lincoln and the second person to take that paticular formula had venom in their blood. If only she could catch them and see why they turned out to be compatible. Lincoln and the second person, chosen over all the others Lisa put that formula in. Bad enough those properties fell on two Freights, but it became even worse when one was dead, and the other one...

AZ-165 was the one Lynn, the twins, and... If Lisa remembered correctly, a random girl, the fourth zoomer alive, who survived the initial insertion trials. Of course, her memory could not be trusted as much anymore. Keeping up with all of this, the projects, the series, the assets, and those who weren't killed by the foreign reruns- it had been too much for even her by then, so thank God James Shepherd went about it like a pro and backed up all their data.

149 belonged in that group. This one was the carnivorous one that could turn a regular person into a humanoid lizard. Four people died for it before the fifth one, Luna Loud, had broken the streak and successfully became the first super beast of all the world. A great accomplishment, and Lisa barely had enough to compare the results with the other. Funny... Why did it seem her family members were more compatible and immune to the dangers the concoctions presented? Logically and on the probability chance, at least two of them should have died.

Then, there was that inexplicable thing that Lisa had caught; Lynn was not a Loud sibling Lisa brought into her world...

Then how did she get her hands on the 165? Lynn had never stepped foot on any Vial Corporation prior to the funded Division stunt they pulled. And no leaks had compromised the safety of the formulas' equations. Then... Something else had happened, not to her knowledge, that guaranteed Lynn that zoomer power. If this was somehow possible, then was it likely outsiders were entering the battlefield? Or did they have their own planss they planned to execute using Lisa's science?

_BLASPHEMOUS, BLASPHEMOUS, AND INFINITELY BLASPHEMOUS! _She couldn't say she was surprised when it went down, even after the word of the accursed Patriot Division, a bunch of spineless devils in her eyes, had gathered six of her older siblings and pit them against her, and the future of Vial came falling down with just one raiding of a facility. She allowed them to take it... Take it just so they could be deceived to think they took all she had.

In this war, deception was key just like any other strategy. Vial Corporation had been reduced from a dependable company with many achievements and creations under its belt to nothing more than bait left for the ravagers, giving them the evidence that revealed all of her deeds and the phenos still held captive.

But the upside of having a friend high up in political power proved to be of great help. Without that bushy mustached senator not dropping those warnings, Lisa would have been defeated, dragged into the ocean with the boulder tied to her legs keeping her from swimming to safety. The boulder of her lifelong work. Lifelong... And she wasn't even middle-aged yet. Funny how that worked for her.

Except she had been too frantic about it that she overlooked some things when retreating to this Black Network base, the undegroud where she moved much of Vial's workers, equipment, the complete data, and the five dangerous toys still in the making .

"Lisa, I realize how much you've lost," the middle-aged puppet spoke, standing at the other side of her desk. James Shepherd of age thirty-five, was clearly getting older. The pot belly on him didn't help either, but the brown-haired man in his nice business suit was still able to man the front lines, despite him being wanted by the whole world. He knew what he was getting himself into the moment people were being pulled off the streets for the cause, but Lisa, despite being a young kid compared to him, had no real reason to fall in the shithole, not with her whole life ahead of her. "But is there really a reason to stay in?"

Lisa had the assumption that he was telling her to scram so that he may take over what she started. Couldn't blame her, she had no relation to him apart from their professional one. Nothing involving feels, and that was always the norm with Lisa, a female brainiac lacking in emotion on the outside. Whatever rattled inside, it had to be something more, and deeper stuff he couldn't tell just by constantly staring at her. Even when he had looked into it and had made the connections between her and the Louds, plenty was missing.

The story was that she ran away from them after a tragedy had happened to them. He didn't need to know what it was, so she never gave the details. Multiple sisters and a single brother, from what she told him. Whatever made her abandon whatever left there was had him thinking, wondering why Lisa later decided to pull three of those sisters as Vial test subjects. Did she have a grudge against those three? Did she have some locked-up feelings that drove her to do this?

Or was there another reason he didn't see?

Lisa exhaled though her nose, calming herself to decrease her elevated heart rate. "I have to be here for this," Lisa scorned. "Negatory on abandoning the Network, Shepherd. It's all or nothing, and I'll fight for this until the end! I won't cease and desist until I've assembled all the right ingredients for the formula that will forever change the average homosapien's very way of life!"

_...Why can't you just obsess over boy bands like the regular girls?! _Lisa had never failed to put the fear of God into him. No way he could ever subject his siblings, if he had any, to the horrors the Louds known as Luna... Lyla... And Lizy? Too many kids with four letter names, all starting with the same damn letter. Lorn this, Leah that. What next?

"I understand that, and I applaud your strong persistence, but I have a gut feeling it's not going to be too long until they find us." Shepherd placed a hand to his chest, speaking out of the goodness of his heart. "Nobody knows it is you behind this, right? Maybe the guys who made their move do, but the whole world- this Patriot Division wouldn't let it get out of hands. The way I see it, there would be many people who would want to get their hands on that brain on yours, and all that noise would be bad, right? You'd never be safe again."

Lisa took this to account, then laughed. "Ha! Safety! You amuse me with that preposterous outlook on it!"

"What do you mean?" Shepherd shook his head, lost and baffled in fully. "What's preposterous about it?"

"When you stop feeling safe long enough to make you fidget out of character, you realize that safety in general is just a mask for the constant danger all around us, hidden in plain sight," Lisa shared with a breeze of coldness. "A simple illusion, when compromised, you'll never have the luxury of feeling ever again. You'll never be the same safe you that was before, replaced forever with the one that is paranoid, twitchy and...-" Lisa stopped, exhaling through her nose.

"Oh..." And now it made sense to him. "I see... So you're saying-"

"I was never safe to begin with, Shepherd," she explained to him. "There are portions of mankind who grow up thinking they are safe, only because they've never had encounters with danger beyond sports-related injuries or concussions, maybe even a crash crash or two. Go, go to a hospital, any hospital. Patients with terminal illnesses, namely young folk, will be crying, panicking inside, thinking- Thinking they're not gonna live, how they're going to die, and how its all unfair, right? They're only young, so why should they get to die so early? Why, when they have a whole life ahead of them?"

"I don't...?" Shepherd propped his shoulders up, unsure where Lisa was going with this.

She raised her left hand's index finger diagonally at him. "No one is bothering to strip them away from that illusion. They're fed... They're fed and they wind up disappointed when they do the dying, and not just them. It's like... It's like the norm is to not know death is a thing. They choose to ignore it-"

"Well... I figured knowing about that was scary," Shepherd opened up. "I didn't ignore death or anything, Lisa, I just lived. I lived doing what I wanted, and I did for the most part. Now here I am feeling old, and I agree that we, the human race, do turn a blind eye, because... Well, I think it has to be that we're all scared of dying."

"But... It should be known that is it the natural order of things!" Lisa reasoned. "People live, people die!"

"And people also feel..." Shepherd added. "I know I'm going to die, I'm not immortal, so I live. I live the best I can... That's how it's been for me, and you know what? I've been the most happy being part of the world of science. Kapacity Korp was my heaven, you know? And I've done it, even when I had my bad days and moments... I've picked myself up and continued on. And if I do that..."

Lisa flinched. "Its..."

"Not an illusion. It is a choice to let yourself be sulky and live in fear and paranoid that today would be your last, or live right, surrounded by-" He stopped himself before the verbal mistake. "Well, with good people who support and validate you. But you're only young, and I would generally like it if you had a change of heart. I mean..." He laughed. "We're well beyond the point of undoing this, but you can still have a life. You can take a copy of the research and I'll destroy everything-"

"No!" Lisa had made up her mind by then. "And I don't need people to validate me! Everyone in existence has proven to make the simplest of irrelevant acts they deem relevant, always eager to hang one another for fuckery that can be resolved with words. If you had to ask me, you can't walk through a city without seeing some kind of dispute."

"Hmmm." Shepherd only gathered more of a cynical view inside her head. "You seem to be giving mankind too little credit, thinking everyone is inferior and incapable of being civilized beings. Is that right?"

"Yes, it is!" Lisa yelled with pleasure. "I knew it! I knew I was right to select you as my spokesperson! My perfect puppet-"

"What I understand is that you are being a little too hypocritical if I'm to be honest. By your standards, we're bad because of the feelings we're born with. You mean to tell me you've never once had a moment where you've been happy, or sad, or even angry?"

She didn't answer.

"So you're not mad Vial fell? I would be, oh Lord, I know I would be." Then he laughed. "i must be too attached to my work that I neglected to keep proper order for it to remain hidden. Ah, Momentum and Velocity were just two great fuck-ups, and I know how torn up you felt- If those were even feel sentiments- Oh, how it managed to angrily bother you, and what was worse..."

"Dare instigate...-"

"Your sister you've given that lizard formula to escaped and showed the world a first-look into your schemes!"

"BE FUCKING QUIET, WHY DON'T YOU?!" Lisa slammed her hands red when hitting upon the desk, causing the hard items on it to clank out of place all at once. A cup of pencils fell over, some paper clips bounced about, and the walkie-talkie jerked a bit, but the keyboard and mouse that rattled were perfectly fine. "Dang it."

"And there you have it," Shepherd triumphed. "All people in existence may have different interests, likes, hobbies, but when you break it down and simplify it enough, we all have the same emotional responses just like any other. We start out that way, and nothing will ever change that. That's what I believe, and even you, who claims to be beyond us, expresses it."

"N-no, wait-"

"And now that I think about it, your whole goal here, the one you want to see through to the end, it's pointless."

"Wh-why is that?" Lisa boomed. "Tell me why you think that is."

"Because..." And he grinned widely. "Wait, let me put it like this. You consider us bound by basic human traits, and for that we're the lesser beneath you, but you want to help us get better? Do you realize how that sounds?"

"Nghhhh..." Lisa leaned back. "Well-"

"And what I can really tell is that you don't care for us all unless we're just as good as you... In other words-" Shepherd might as well have signed his death warrant when dropping the truth onto her. "You are being really selfish to mold us into the perfect human. You only... Care about... Yourself enough to accommodate yourself."

"EVACUATE THE FUCKING PREMISES, WHY DON'T YOU?!" Lisa bellowed, thrashing her computer monitor with both arms, throwing it off the desk. "OUT! OUT WITH YOU!"

Shepherd had every right and reason to fear the intellectual but flawed Lisa Marie Loud, but he knew he wasn't wrong, hitting the nail on the head with perfect precision. He got her, putting her down to their level just as she had been.

Lisa, born as a human, living as a human. Her super intelligence did not, nor did it ever, grant her a pass to place her as a person far superior than the others, but it got into her head like it was a great one-hit wonder written by a nobody. And yet she considered herself a figure full of self-importance, cutting away at any social interaction and all things associated with establishing connections with others. Professional lifestyle, married to her work, and trying to guarantee the survival of humankind. Humankind that was driving itself right to the ground, a theory proven right when she did the math, performed some test runs and finalized that before the next two centuries, humanity would be extinct, losing their physicality to bear children when they'd lose their ability to grow up to their fullest extent.

If only... If only they knew... Why didn't they understand it? Why didn't they have the stomach to let Lisa have live specimen to find the perfect human? Damn them, and even some of the Loud siblings who proved to do the unspeakable horror while she collected data and stored an assorted rainbow of liquids in vials in their freezers.

Humans, an unpredictable race of mindless, inferior beasts acting on their uncontrollable impulses. Of course she believed she needed change... Could she actually achieve something as big as it was? Did she hope too high, winding up for failure in the future? Or... Did-

She gasped. _Is it possible to keep going? I... Do not wish to stop. Maybe... Maybe if I can- No, no I can't pass off all my research. It has to be me... It has to be me!_

"Well, I'll go check on-"

"Halt!" Lisa circled around the desk, leaving her little area. "You may have infuriated me, but there is..." She hated to admit it but she did so anyway. "S-some truth to that."

"Of course- Wait, where are you going?" Lisa led the questioning Shepherd, guiding him down their cold, echoing maze of corridors and rooms all over the Network. She hadn't calmed, but her anger was subsiding only a little.

_"Lisaaaaaaaa..." _There was that voice again. The voice of some unknown source, maybe the result of her mind having snapped in two somewhere along the way. A true mad genius. _"I sense iiiiiit... I sense your raaaaaaage..."_

None of them had noticed the shadow behind them stretch out, almost like an eerie presence at work. And it was for sure an eerie presence at work. A supernatural force unable to be explained by science and logic, the force which pulled its strings around Lisa's nature, spiking up her inner rage. And it fed off of her, continuing to raise it high at the time of its need. Anger, what Lisa Loud felt after the huge roadblock threw everything off course. Rage. Hatred. Ravenous bloodlust upon the Louds backed by the Patriot Division. Rage only just tampered with the plaguing demonic presence she labeled her fractured mental state.

_"He doesn't seeeeee what you seeeee... Give him-"_

Lisa had then decided what she would do from here on out. "I have to relocate from this base," she informed her right-hand puppet. "If you could kindly copy all research of Project Superior into a drive and meet me at the lab, I'd appreciate it. I've got something to attend to."

"Very well! I'm glad to see you are being reasonable about this."

Lisa went away, taking to the large room that held her new special project, named Project Link, which consisted of five grand human weapons, hidden from the world as of yet, placed in suspension. Going clockwise, it was Chamber A, B, C, and D, and the fifth one, placed in the middle of the room, was labeled Chamber N. This one was different than the other four, the last resort Lisa wanted to release, but N had another purpose; it served to be an infiltration model.

Today, Lisa sought out to release A from its confinement. Reaching the keypad set on the left side of the chamber, she punched in the release code- the day and year she was born- unveiling the clone. From there, the wires and hooks on A had pulled off of it automatically. In mere seconds, the clone, Link-A, opened her eyes and stumbled forward, still needing to adapt physically.

"Ow, my legs!" Link-A appeared to be a young girl, basically a female version of Lincoln Loud when he was young. Her hair had reached down to her shoulders, and her skin was quite paler than Lincoln's. Pressing a hand to her head, Link-A groaned out. "Hey, c-can you hear this ringing in your head? Cause..."

The clone looked around, confused and befuddled. This was nothing like she's ever seen before, but Lisa was not here to catch her up to current events. "Let's go!"

"Go?! Go where?" The girl demanded. "Wait, why does my voice sound different?!" She looked down and saw herself in a tight black jumpsuit of some sort, with the letter A in white, centered on the chest. "What the hell am I wearing?!"

"I need you to follow my orders!" Lisa barked. "Can you do that?"

Link-A shook her head but agreed to it. "As long as I get chicken wings for breakfast."

"Good," Lisa sighed, taking the clone into her lab. Lisa scanned open the freezer of the lab, fetching one of the lizard formulas, giving it to Link-A. "You hold this!"

Link-A held the vial while Lisa looked around for a syringe, which she didn't find. "What is it we're-?" She noticed a closer look at Lisa, figuring out who she was. "LISA?!"

Right, Lisa had not erased the memories of any of the five. Link-A would have Lincoln's memories and traits. All of those skills could be put to good use, for the most part. "Hand it here!" Lisa turned on a device that heated out the frozen liquids in vials. It was like a toaster, but smaller and only had eight entry holes on the top. She had Link-A give her the serum and place it right on the machine, keeping it there for ten seconds.

"Ugh... Where-?" Link-A clenched her face, growling with anger. "Where the fuck are they?"

"Hmm?" Lisa took out the tube, hiding it in her coat just as Shepherd had entered the lab. "Did you fetch what I've asked?"

"I left it at your desk in the office if that's fine with you," Shepherd answered. "Anything else I can do to secure your-?"

Lisa pointed Shepherd, giving Link-A an instruction. "Lincoln, bring him to me."

"What have you done to me?" Link-A tugged her hair, clearly confused and shook. "Lisa..."

"Help me and I will fix you," Lisa falsely promised. "Go, Lincoln."

"Lincoln?" Shepherd was putting two and two together. "Did you- Lisa, did you open-?"

Link-A rushed forward, flipping Shepherd on his back, yanking him right at Lisa's feet. "Is this what you meant?"

"Agh! Lisa!" The middle-aged man's back throbbed with back pain. "What is the meaning of this?!"

The malicious genius opened the tube and handed it back to Link-A. "Force feed him this."

Link-A held down Shepherd tightly by his hands, shaking her head. "I'm holding him down as it is, Lisa. You'd better explain what's happening to me."

"I will..." Lisa went on her knees and hovered the serum over Shepherd's face. "I need you to open up now."

"Why? What are you p-planning?!" He squirmed desperately, trying to worm his way out of the clone's grasp. "I don't consent-!"

"Its in my best interest I turn you into what they're calling phenos, I need all the help I can get to fortify this place."

"What?! You want to turn me into one of your weapons?!" He was appalled and scared all the same, attempting to break free from Link-A's powerful grip. "You, let go of me!"

"No, you stay quiet!" Lisa snorted. "You were preachy about helping me, now here is your chance to embrace your role as my..."

_"Excetuuuuuuuum..." _The inner voice called out again. _"I can sense his rageeeee. Let me, let me transfer into hiiiiiim-"_

_Do it! _Lisa accepted mentally. _Whatever helps me!_

And before the three people in the laboratory, the shadow of the sinful darkness swept out of Lisa's stature, slithering away to add to Shepherd's own silhouette- and then worked its way to corrupt him. His movements had stopped, finally cooperating with Lisa's agenda. Unto him, the brunette mastermind slipped the liquid down his throat for him to swallow with acceptance. And drink it, he most certainly did, feeling that vulgar, yucky taste on his tongue. Link-A let go on the man, pulling herself back up to Lisa's side.

"Thank you..." Lisa expressed with content. "You've now got the full power of a hybrid Varanus Salvadorii in you, the very same one Luna has coursing through her veins."

Shepherd leaned up, rubbing the back of his head. "So that's what it was."

"Why, of course..." Lisa studied him, touching his face and turning it from left to right. "How are you feeling?"

"What are the odds I'm compatible with this?" Shepherd dared to ask. "Surely you performed runs with me, right?"

Lisa made that awkward, wobbly smile, showing that she hadn't and she would be sneaky about it. "Uhhhh, yeaaaaah, sure!"

"You're kidding me!"

Link-A crossed her arms, growing impatient. "Now what?"

"Now what, indeed?" Lisa repeated poetically. "Let's work on you to see if you are indeed compatible. It would be such a waste to lose you."

"I don't feel funny, that's for sure-" Shepherd shared.

"Oh, one more thing," Lisa forgot to point out. "I added an extra layer of strength to the mix. Have I ever told you about Medi-Sin?"

"I don't think you did, no," he simply responded, getting up slowly while placing hands on his chest, afraid to have a painful reaction. "If I die..."

"You seem to be fine at the moment-"

"Wait until I put one of those in you!" The new pheno had promised. "I swear-"

Link-A looked into the surface of a metal table, eyeing her reflection that differed from Lincoln Loud. She saw for herself that she wasn't him, and yet... "Hey!"

Lisa had turned around, carefully forming her words to keep this possibly unhinged clone at bay. "Yes, what is it?"

"Am-? Am I... L-Lincoln?"

And Lisa had all the reason to lie. "Yes, you are. What do you remember?"

"I..." Link-A pressed a hand to her head. "There was an explosion... F-Freights... Freights!"

Lisa made slow, dramatic footsteps, raising her hands up. "Listen... That explosion sent you into a coma," she explained to the clone. "I had to place your subconscious into this... This artificial body. Believe me when I say you are the one and real Lincoln Loud, and your body is gone."

"G-gone...?" Link-A looked at her hands. "It can't be... I was just running- And then, the debris-" She ran a finger to her forehead. "A b-brick- It's... Gone?"

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Yes, it appears to be so. Can I trust you to guard my facility?"

"F-facility?" Link-A looked around. "Is that what this is?"

"You are in my facility, yes, and you are safe here-" Then, Link-A froze, head drooping down as if she had fallen asleep while standing. Her nose then started bleeding, making Lisa gasp. "Oh, no..."

"What?" Shepherd wondered. "Why's she bleeding?"

"No, no, no!" Lisa shook the little girl, trying to break her out of this trance. "NO, STOP IT! DO NOT BE LOOKING-!"

Link-A came back to, and returned in an angry state. "Coma?! COMATOSE LINCOLN LOUD?!" Link-A picked her up and threw her across the room. "LIAR! BLACK NETWORK! PROJECT LINK! FIVE CLONES OF- I'M- I'M NOT THE REAL LINCOLN?! I'LL-!"

Shepherd came in and punched the clone out cold, displaying his power to be stronger than Link-A's own.

"NO, YOU IDIOT! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Lisa bellowed.

"What? She was clearly attacking you," he defended. "I don't see what's-?"

"THE FUCKING CHIP IN HER HEAD WILL UNALIGN FROM ITS DESIGNATED CEREBRAL AREA!"

"Chip? What chip?" He picked the clone off the ground and carried her with both arms.

"There's a fourteen-million dollar computer the size of an SD card lodged in her brain!" Lisa revealed. "You punching her will bounce the device around easily! It'll mess with her fucking wiring, do you not understand?!"

"Jeez, Lisa!" Shepherd retorted. "How would I have known if you don't bother sharing the files?!"

"THE LESS WHO KNOW, THE BETTER, YOU MORON! QUICK, TAKE HER TO THE MEDICAL BAY!"

**Later**

"Oh, joy! It didn't move... Only like, a bit to the left!" Lisa checked the X-rays again, sighing. "Way to go..."

"What's the chip do anyway? You said computer, as in an actual computer?"

"This chip, the SCX, I've remodeled out of a prototype that failed. This one, unlike the first one, does not risk the user of cerebral injuries, nor does it overload the brain. The chip itself isn't just a computer, but a gateway for storage of vast information the user can access via the device. And it's not your average hardware, either. The thing is a weapon on its own, able to infiltrate through any security network and more."

"You... Put that onto... Her?" Even Shepherd had trouble understanding her. "That's like, some high-tech military-grade stuff, and you give that to a little girl?"

"That little girl works for me- Well, I hope she's not too mentally damaged from this... I'll have to run tests on her all day." She tisked away, leaving the medical bay, but stopped at the doorway. "Can I leave you all alone to man the fort?"

"Oh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I'll be working on Project Superior from my private estate, the last property I own. You've got access to everything now, keep it running as long as you can..."

"So, I'm the scapegoat, huh?" Shepherd grunted. "You know the Division is coming, and you're leaving us all here to be captured or killed by them?"

"I gave you a serum, and you can release the other four clones when they close in. But, you can release them early if you want. Code is nine-seven-two-zero-one-one. Same one for all keypads. Access code on my computer is Marie, my middle name. Everything you need to know is on there, as it should be known. All my secrets are yours now..."

"So..." Shepherd took it in. "This is the last stand for us if I keep everyone here..."

Clones, some workers from Vial Corp, and a few guards here and there were all those who stood in the way from the Division laying claim to this base, and the secret projects Lisa pulled out of Vial at the last minute. They'll be found in little to no time, there was no denying that or overlooking the fact, and as such...

Link-A would have to be put to good use, a guard dog around these parts. Her and him, with his new ability he had to learn and control. And he had help alongside him, he just didn't know it yet. _"Hahahahaha..."_

"I'm surprised no one came in crashing. That means Carly has been holding her own with them, but while I'm down one bodyguard-" Lisa then disappeared down the corridors, leaving to gather her belongings and research, forever leaving the Black Network. And she did so without a goodbye to anyone, not even him.

Maybe... Just maybe, Lisa was a true inhuman after all.

_Just you wait, Terrethian James Shepherd, _the voice of the shadow thought. _We're gonna have so much fun!_

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter III: Excetum**

* * *

**AN: The demon enters the stage, but this chapter is not about him, although his time to really shine will come soon. Back with that other fic by the name of Demon, I believe I've mentioned that two creations of mine had the Excetum mantle. Here, both of them have been thrown into the world of Dawn in their prime; James Shepherd, who takes the name when having the serum injected into him (not how I planned it here but oh well) and the second one, the Shadow Demon. Once, they were the same character, I just split them up. **

**Excetum, the result of a dream in which I saw a commercial about some horror movie about a giant mutated lizard eating folks in the subways of... New York? Man, I don't know about you, but I love taking influences from dreams, and I would suggest it if possible. Although that commercial seemed too real if I'm to be honest. I wonder if I Google Excetum...**

**Lisa leaves Shepherd to man the Netowrk, and while he does it, he will come to learn every secret Lisa has concealed from him. They might have had a pretty professional relationship, but with Lisa, it be like that. No longer. **

**Next; Lincoln and the gang come face to face with... Her. And I don't mean Link-A. **


	15. Chapter 15

**I look back and see autocorrect errors and typos. Proofreading takes just as much time as writing it, given how less I'm now having these hard days. Woe is the world.**

* * *

**July 18th, 2030 **

Lincoln forced himself off the bed while Lynn and Luna tried their hardest to restrain him, telling him over and over again that this was for his own good. The rival opponent he had fought against did quite a number on him, surprising even Elmont this way. The heals had closed already, but the pain of the clone's brutal attacks still made his muscles ache to the point he could not move without setting off the stinging. "GET OUT OF THE FUCKING ROOM!"

"No, you have to stay put!" Luna screamed at his face. "Heel, Goddamnit!"

"Your ass was just handed to you!" Lynn reminded him foolishly, putting all her pressure into Lincoln's shoulders. "Lincoln, I'd hate to say this, but I'm not going to let you die!"

The shirtless man with white hair kicked away at Luna, who had grip of his legs- or so she thought when he landed his feet against her chest, striking her breasts that wobbled her away. "BOLLOCKS!"

"Enough with the British, you're American!" Lynn shouted to Luna. "Hold his feet down harder!"

Lincoln dug his hands right into Lynn's hips and tried to push her away for distance. "AWAY WITH YOU! I'VE FOUND THE FUCKING BASE AND THEIR LITTLE CLONE SHIT IS DEFENDING IT!" He pushed her back wide enough to get some distance and time to knock off Lynn's arms, grab one of them, and pull her back right into him for a nice facial strike.

"LINCOLN, STOP!" Luna shrieked, jumping right on the bed and the rage-driven brother, locking him down with all fours. Then, she opened her mouth, revealing her inhuman teeth and battle scream right at his face. "STOOOOOOP!"

He did just that, only depicting a real ravenous look for the audience members before him, teeth gritted, eyes crossed, and the soulless devils that glittered from inside those same blue eyes telling Luna all he wanted to do was to hate something, hurt something, and maybe kill it. Kill, like the predator he had become. And this exact predator was due a rematch with the superior beast that had beaten it greatly, desiring to defeat it and to keep its own sense of victory.

Victory... And then what?

"You understand it, right?! Look at this! Look at me! There's even more dangerous people out there, and in the hands of our dear sister, too!" Lincoln had stopped resisting, but his sulking had not faded. "Why are you focused on keeping me down, when you can be assembling the team and going to them?!"

"Lincoln, quit it!" Luna tried to calm. "We believe you! We just... Don't know what to find there!"

"A white-haired clone of me-!" Lincoln repeated for the umpteenth time, only to be cut off.

"Yes, a girl version of you!" Lynn clamored. "We get it, but that might not be all we can expect from the remaining strays of Lisa's unit. Some real stealthy recon has to take place so we know what we're truly up against, as well as creating countermeasures."

"Oh, to hell with that!" Lincoln disagreed. "Get the team, move out and kill them all!"

"No!" Both women said with heated anger.

"Don't you forget!" Lincoln shoved into their brains. "Don't you let it slip that they know we know! They'll fucking move again or assemble their big guns, and if they have big guns-"

Lynn's eyes had widened, popping open with a trembling fear, because she did end up understanding it from a tactical perspective. Her arms only shook rather once, but Lincoln caught the hints and went in to feed that particular fear. "Big g-guns?"

"No, stop it, Lincoln!" Luna pulled Lynn away from their brute of a brother. "We can't confirm that Lisa made her own toys to use against us! Just because she might have cloned you-"

Lincoln remained flat on his back, snarling about. "It opens the door to more probability! A science company that manufactured actual mutated people also turned out to be able to clone people?! If I have one-" He raised a finger and pointed at the two of them. "How do we know one of you aren't cloned already? One, or both?"

Luna slapped his hand away, freaking out on the inside. "S-stop! We have not been cloned! L-Lisa..." Luna took a deep, but broken breath of air. "Lisa cloned you and you alone, that's what I believe! You, because Lisa needs your type of kin! Not me, Lincoln. Never me."

Lynn looked down, feeling broken up. She'd been sold on it because there had always been that chance. Lincoln Loud was brutal as could be, but he wasn't hiding his thoughts, or lying at all. _Win... Win at all costs... _

She then blinked, coming out of her mood. _Wait, clone of Lincoln?! _Her mind drifted back to the white-haired woman in ragged clothes over the orange shirt she knew as Lincoln's. And then here, Lincoln used the keywords "girl version" to describe the clone. _That woman had to be the clone! Then- _

Then that meant she had switched sides somewhere in between then to now. She gasped, realzibg how golden this had meant. Only... _Damn it! I can't just drop what really happened! It's a goddamn miracle they haven't looked into the others... Paula... Polly... Margo... And not to mention I managed to lie perfectly about being a product of Vial's agenda. _

She deeply inhaled, moving back to lean against the wall, feeling unnerved at it all. The weight of the world, or what she felt it to be, rested heavily on her shoulders. This Linka clone, the dictatorship of a future and a war being fought, and not to mention that girl. That blonde pheno who had the same pheno formula Luna had. So much more was coming... So much more. "L-Luna?"

"Hm?" Luna looked back over her sister. "What's up?"

"C-could you leave us alone for a bit?" Lynn fondly requested, rubbing her arm. Luna exhaled through her nose sharply, then gave in, nodding silently and strutting off. "Thank you."

"I'm gonna see Sam," Luna notified her. "Elmont is still keeping her on lockdown."

"Why did you bring a stranger-?" Lincoln hurled out, still wincing in pain. "Damn it."

"I'll explain later, guys," Luna vowed.

"Right," Lynn accepted, closing the door and giving her younger brother all her attention. "I didn't want to be the one to do this, Linc. I didn't want to bother with you, seeing as how much of... Well, how you've become, but it's the blood we share that earns you all we can share."

He gave no reaction, but eyed Lynn closely. "You wanna play honest girl with me? Alright, sure, go ahead and tell me what I think I know."

"What you think you...?" Lynn paced to Lincoln, sitting right at his feet, on the bedside. She took a deep breath and exhaled it with gloom, scratching the temple of her forehead. "When Lori left... It- It devastated Leni."

_Leni was feet away from the door, waiting again. Waiting for dear sister Lori to come back again after her search for the missing Lincoln Loud. Come back again, nevermore. It hadn't been minutes, not even seconds, but hours that she was there, sitting in a criss-cross position, waiting for the door to swing open. _

_Lori. _

_Lori. _

_Lori..._

_Lo-_

_"Hey, Leni! It's dinnertime!" Lynn came jogging at her, turning her sideways to see a grief-stricken Leni with burning red eyes, tears, and dripping snot decorating her typically perfect angel face. She had been crying alone, with no Lori around to comfort the soul of this broken vessel. "Leni..." _

_But Lynn was there this time, stepping up to plate. She hugged the ditzy blonde, embracing her with all thw warmth the growing jock could ever supply to the fragile, caved-in sister in need of her best friend. "She'll be back, Leni. I know she'll be back..."_

"And as much as I wanted it to be true..." Lynn toyed around with her nails, running her fingers through them mindlessly. "It never was. Lori was the one thing, the only person Leni loved and had a true bond with. Not any of us could ever be as close to her as Lori was, you know? And I'm fine with that- Or... I- I _would_ have been fine if not for this!"

Lincoln stared up at the ceiling.

"Wasn't long before we accepted Lori wasn't coming back..." Lynn shook her head slowly. "We didn't know why, how could we have known? The signs were never there, and yet... She did it, just like you and Lisa did. She ran off-" Lynn snapped her fingers. "-Just like that."

"What do you want, an apology?" Lincoln cut to the chase, hovering around a finger in the air. "It happened, and we all made our choices. But I can admit that I didn't want to be found. I left, and I left forever, but Lori-"

"She chose you..." Lynn believed. "She chose you, you and the Freights." She shook her hesd drastically. _"We_ were the family, Lincoln. Not them."

"Were, Lynn... We _were_ a family!" Lincoln corrected. "Shit hit the fan, never to be the same after that."

"Just cause we lost three-" Lynn's voice split away from perfect tranquility. "I miss them, you cold dumbass! Mom, dad... And Lucy..."

"That was long ago..." Lincoln reminded her. "Why does it-?"

"Because Lucy was the closest sister I felt I had!" Lynn delved into memory lane. Somewhere in the shadow of the past, a beautiful, untainted lifetime, Lynn and Lucy had made up after fighting over something so trivial, with this time it being over sharing bathroom supplies. They hugged it out in their room on a late evening, and immediately after, they fucked up their room by making a spaghetti-centric mess in their room, to which they had to go and sleep over with Lincoln for the night. "Not Lori, not Luna, not... Not anyone else... And then fate decided her time was up! It's- It's diabolically insane!"

He blinked once.

"But it didn't have to be. It didn't..." Lynn wandered the room, pacing back and forth around. "We tried to play the part again, and for most of us, yes... Yes, Lincoln, we found ourselves again... And yet-" She raised and plummeted her arms down again. "All of this madness, and I don't want it. Not for any of us, and... I can't decide if... If I want you to feel whatever it is you feel..."

"What?" Lincoln had been sure Lynn had evaluated him perfectly, labeling him the right type of person he was. "You saying you don't hate me?"

"Tsk, no! Oh, don't ever get me wrong!" Lynn would never even dreamed of reconciling with her brother, a murderer with a clear sign of having no soul. "I can never express how much of a cruel person I think you are! And you should know by now that I absolutely thing you're the most disgusting person on the face of the planet!"

_Great, another one of those Lynn rants, _Lincoln rolled his eyes. "Earth to Lynn, I'm no longer the ugliest person alive!"

"Yeah, well..." Lynn didn't dive herself away from the current predicament. "You are the only one here who fits the profile." She stopped her pacing and went over him, looking over his patched-up body covered with the white pads that decorated around. "I hope you learned your lesson here, Lincoln..."

"Lesson?" Lincoln sarcastically repeated. "What, that I should have been more prepared? I didn't take the fucking battle suit, that was my one and only flaw."

Lynn was taken by surprise, somewhat hoping that Lincoln would have identified the mistake of not bringing in his sisters into battle. Sure, they were all in the midst of a really heated family matter, but the current situation involved them all to be a part of it. Lynn and company knew that Lincoln was driving out the suspected buyers for Vial, but did nothing to secure themselves a spot to join in. They figured Lincoln would eventually come forward and request some backup out of them, seeing as how the list was big enough to be split into five parts.

It never happened, and by today, it ended badly for Lincoln. Lincoln, the stone-cold killer who bit off more than he could chew, had just gotten a taste of his own medicine, and Lynn was praying that he understood it for what it should have been to him.

"NO! NO, YOU NEED TO LEARN TO RELY ON US! WE'RE A TEAM, NOT SECONDARIES ON THE SIDELINE!" Lynn could have lost her voice if she screamed any more louder than how she had. And it erupted right out of her when Lincoln did not see what she saw.

Lincoln never reacted with a facial expression, but he did respond, and he did so with a calm but cold tone. "I can't," he told her. "I can't rely on little girls who squirm at the sight of blood and gore."

"Squirm at the-?!" Lynn shook her head profusely, arms shaking with definite anger. "IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT, LINCOLN! IT'S YOU WHO'S THE PROBLEM, GOING AROUND AND KILLING ANYONE WITHOUT HAVING A SECOND THOUGHT! IT'S LIKE YOU-" Her voice was straining on her, so she inhaled and cleared her throat. "Shit... Look at me, I'm about to lose my voice while telling you what for..."

Lincoln readjusted himself. "Then, maybe you can stop talking, Lynn."

"No, I don't think so!" Lynn kept protesting. "Maybe Luan and twins aren't as adamant to want to tell you off, but I do, and so does Luna! I didn't get into the FBI to drop as many bad guys, and that's because I knew, Lincoln. I knew that life was so sacred, and it comes from what we've endured! I'd like to have made a difference in the world, where we made sure nobody innocent died at the hands of these Five guys! The same ones who are- Were affiliated with Lisa!"

"Then-"

"But I'm not trying to end someone's life! I try, I try so hard to not-" She struggled to talk, mentally picturing the bodies of those men, the ones she knew she had to shoot at. Bad guys, such targets with their own harmful, deadly agendas. "Why is it you who doesn't care about that?! Why do you decide that your own way is the only way?!"

Lincoln gave no answer, of course, leaving Lynn to come up with her own validating theory.

"We all fell, and yet... It's you, brother. It's you who fell in too deep to be saved..." Lynn had talked too much about it up to this point, that she was facing fatigue on trying to scold the grown man. "Whatever, I've tried to use my words, but it won't change you. I know it, you won't become merciful in this profession... If Elmont acted more by the book, he'd throw you in a supermax, and honestly, that's what I feel you deserve."

"Oh, Lynn..." Lincoln poked. "You're pretty cute when you get all preachy about properly boy scouting, or in this case, girl scouting."

"What?"

Lincoln came off of the bed, standing upright and threw the pillow at her. "Pathetic and too lenient! I did what I did because they were all bad folk, Lynn. Just men, and some women as well, who wanted to shape the world to fit their own image with no regard for life! All of the terrorists I've hit on the list, I'm glad I did!"

Lynn was turning red, being insulted by Lincoln who was basically spitting all her ideals.

"World is ugly, and you've got all of these agencies spending taxpayer dollars on simple survey jobs rather than moving in-"

"It's understandable! You've never been an agent-"

"When they could hit that outfit they'd spend months on watching just to confirm! And I would only need two guns and a vehicle to get the job done. No vest, no battle suit, just a regular-"

"Just because you've ascended past a regular human does not mean you are invincible! I mean, have you not noticed how you look?!" Lynn stretched both her arms at Lincoln, showing him back to his own wounds received. "You're-"

Lincoln tore off all of the wrapping, revealing that his inflicted wounds were now gone, save for mild red spots on there. "Punched me so hard it still ached after I've healed... Fucking wonderful."

"Hey, stop!" Lynn had her hands on him again, pressing them to his broad shoulders. "We're not making a move yet until Elmont approves it... Even if what you say might be true..."

"You know we have to consider all possible threats, sis," Lincoln strategized. "I can do it, Lynn. I, alone-"

"That's the self-righteous ego talking!" Lynn fired back. "C-cut it out... If we're all gonna have an assignment related to Lisa, I'd prefer that we do this together so that we don't make a mistake here..." She did, she really had some degree of guilt for leaving him alone to go out and pain the world red one place at a time. Maybe she could have prevented that, if she blocked all of his murder attempts, but the thing in question was that Lincoln was risking his own hide being captured from a well-placed trap that had been likely. And in this case, the trap was actually set in the base Carly had a hand in helping to achieve. Such a mistake could wind up with his own life taken in the blink of an eye, but little, and oh so little did he care.

Maybe she could have... And it would have never worked to fix him. Him, who had lost favoritism among the five sisters; why would it even matter now? Why did it still matter to Lynn-? Oh, she knew why, and the answer should have been obvious; Lynn wanted the image of a happy family that they've been before. Maybe not a perfect one, but a great one that could still be saved even after the hailstorm of drama, tragedy and raging fits among each other. Lynn was still in the process of making up with Luna, but it made the impossible possible. And that meant Lincoln could turn over a new, non-violent leaf. There had always been that chance.

"Elmont unified us all as a team, and there had never been a rule that said we couldn't butt in alongside you!" Lynn continued. "Either he was testing you-"

"Or he knows you needed to be held back!" Lincoln believed. "I'm the only one who ever really knows what we need to do, and for that, I'm here without handcuffs."

Lynn jerked herself back from him, letting go of her touch against his skin. "You don't get to do that without repercussions! There are still laws and morals-"

"That's for the living, not me!" Lincoln countered. "Don't you bullshit me with those words. I don't feel the need to regard and follow that..."

"Why?" Lynn then whispered. "Why do you do this the way you do?"

Lincoln blinked with surprise. Of all the questions that could have been asked today- "You're asking me why I don't grant mercy? Is that what you're asking me?"

"Y-you know what I'm asking..." Lynn wiggled her fingers mindlessly. "How can someone decide to be such... Such a bad guy?"

"Bad guy?" Lincoln repeated with a scoff. "It's not so black-and-white simple."

"You behave-"

"No, I'm in my right mind! I've always been, and the Freights- I thought of them as the ones who woke me up from the false reality, but I see it now for what it truly is! The world..." He instantly felt like he came under fire right that second. Reliving his infamous hell again when having to explain his perspective to Lynn. No, to each of them, them who had their kiddie gloves strapped on, of their own decision made because they were still weak. And for him, to know Luna wanted out of it right after having, and combating, the taste for blood, that sickened him, just as it had sickened him with the others. Maybe they were lost, so ultimately, his choice to exclude them was the right one, no matter who said what. Maybe a team was the opposite of what he needed, especially if its core members hadn't gotten their hands dirty. Maybe they just needed to see that the killing was necessary.

It was, it was very necessary, and he made sure it was. The Freights have made him understand that, but never with their ideals; no, it was that Lincoln had been placed under a form of ideal sedation, having bought that cruel and twisted ideology. For years, he was simply bamboozled into thinking they were doing right. Casting awareness, making more followers out of victims so that one day, the whole world would understand that all inhabitants of the planet needed to succumb to darkness, trauma, and all the bad shit to see the world's ways for how they really were; unfair.

It was all unfair, and they, the Freights of a dead era, cried out for the living to be subjected to their own pain. That was it, that how it was until he blinked. He, the albino with brute force, had only ever blinked once, long enough to get a whole new idea. Wrong. All wrong, and a right had to be done.

Maybe the world was unfair even after it all, but he could agree that it was a wild free-for-all where more monsters wandered about. Monsters with their own interests, acting against whoever dared to defy them, a constant bloodbath to no end. And then there was that monster who said otherwise.

The one monster who deemed the other dangerous predators of the night to roam free. Predators. Prey. It was all the same. Kill to survive. Survive the killing. That was the primal rule unwritten when entering the world, and maybe the darkest rule of them all. To him, to Lincoln, it was truth that must be followed. Had to be, so that he could keep on. Keep on and going, whatever it took to protect his sisters, the feeble minded in the morally whiter area. The children in adult bodies.

"The world is full of enemies, or maybe the world _is_ one."

"I can't... Talk you down, can I?" Lynn had lowered her voice in a defeated tone. Maybe the albino _was_ broken beyond repair- _No, it couldn't be! He had reason to smile and laugh again! They were here... Well, the remainder of them still alive. I don't understand why he chooses death over life. What can he possibly accomplish-? _

And then a whole new perspective opened up. Only, it wasn't a new one, but a familiar one, and one reiterated to fit into Lincoln. They were, they were more alike than she had figured out; two individuals who entered a battlefield had to know they would never last long in one, and would emerge as deceased. Deceased. Lynn, the Bureau agent, and Lincoln, ex-Freight, both of which had been placed to a higher level, with more dangerous of foes lurking about in the shadows the light of the world did not reach to.

Lincoln was doing the same thing she did; he forced himself into endless battles on a loop with no break in between, only prep time to ready up for the next mission. He went in, doing all he can to do ensure no one soul could have their own way.

Freights, inflated with self-importance and deeming themselves as the excusable exceptions of being psychos who set off an explosion and buried the world in rubble. Just another radical group wanted dead or alive by anyone who did not want to see their loved ones get blasted into kingdom come, and that number was far greater than the Freights themselves. The opposite. The opposite of what Lincoln was sold. Always will have been a deceptive lie.

But Lincoln had kept that belief onto himself, where he needed to be the one to carry out the destruction of these predators. Nothing has actually changed, only his targets, if he were to narrow it down. Only the targets had changed.

"The world is the world," Lynn thought. "I recognize there to be people and things that you do not like, and it's the same for us all, but there isn't... There has never been a thing we could ever do to change these things. I mean, maybe we could change something, but not all of it, and not in our image."

He dared not listen to her goody-two-shoes bullshit.

"What right do we have to shape the world? Lincoln..." Lynn laid down the hidden truth to him. "You are a hypocritical psychopath, doing what you don't want others to do. You should not be an exception if you truly follow through to your ideals."

"Ugh, there you go again- And don't even try to use the same excuse-"

"I don't see anyone else trying here," Lincoln pointed out. "Who killed the Freights? Not one else had, and if no one else could have done it, then it's me!" He delved into the deeper abyss now. "There'd been so much wrong done, and correcting it, I see it wasn't enough to do that with them. It's like I'm being told to do unto others the same merciless fate I've delivered to my old friends. Vial Corp and their buddies- Don't ever tell me they aren't deserving of that! And you should know they are, so why do you continue to preach to me?"

Lynn sighed, sitting herself beside him. "I don't know, Lincy, I couldn't tell you why. Maybe... Maybe I'm just tired of seeing the endless violence. Don't get me wrong, I know what I've signed up for, and maybe I was wrong to join the Bureau... My own team is dead, Linc."

The white-haired man turned to her, looking to her with real hand-me-down pity that he might have been forcing out. "I think I got that..."

"Yeah, well, I don't! I don't get it!" Lynn could have never expressed her anger and need to find the answer why it happened, but it happened just like that. Just like that, and the fine print guaranteed a chance of them dying, but not the way they all had. "Why me? Why am I here? Just to be tortured by you? I... I don't want any of this... I don't want to feel so- So shitty, so horrible, so-"

_Dead... _That was Lincoln's word choice over the one Lynn uttered, but not necessarily for her.

"The last time I've enjoyed myself was awhile ago, you know?" Lynn cupped her face with her hands, speaking in a muffled tone from then on. "The aura around us is just as negative as it is positive, but I feel like it's more hostile... Because you're here and I'm expected to partake on missions with no zero tolerance on kill missions. I don't know if I could right off the bat do that, if I could ever."

"Mmph..."

"It's scary to go there, and to never come out..." Lynn let tears leak out. "I don't ever want to become a broken mess of a person... I need to feel- No, I need to tell myself I have to... I have to..." She then turned her body towards him, putting her hands on his back and under his legs.

"What are you...?" Lincoln then closed his eyes and mouth, realizing she was going to take him somewhere. Downstairs, to his own room, where Lynn had set him down on his bed- and then mounted herself on top of him like a lover. Today, she would be equal to a lover. "Lynn-"

The ex-FBI agent removed her short red t-shirt, revealing a back bra and the cleavage on her, sexy enough to drool over. She leaned in closer, pressing her own pair of red, tender lips onto his own rowdy pair. Luckily, he had shaved, and Lynn would have never enjoyed shoving her mouth with a man of full facial hair. Her lips kept pressing against his, for she waited for him to accept her nonverbal request. And she went with him further, smooth hands assembling to his chest, fingers rubbing around his abs and skin. Not either of their eyes had closed, were only giving each other awkward looks. Then, after some painful few seconds, Lincoln closed his and kissed his brunette sister back, tugging her closer to his pelvis.

Brother and sister were deeply kissing in a matter of seconds, and Lynn moved to unbuckle Lincoln's pants, with him helping her out. She wanted it to feel something, to be reminded of what that missing thing was in her life. Maybe if it actually helped her and kept her away from this life's darkness. Maybe it would, it would make her feel alive, and he would never deny it for her, so he gave himself up. All of their clothes were scattered about, dropped alongside the bed.

Lynn aligned her womanhood down for Lincoln's penis to enter with fragility. He was just as big as that other guy she had gotten in bed with, marking an easy pro here. "Mmmmf..." The woman moaned seductively, fitting herself in comfortably before settling back down on him.

Their sinful dance was her riding him as she pressed her upper half of her anatomically perfect body pressed against him, plumpy tits pressed against him enough that it aroused him quite a bit, ensuring the formation of a boner structure deep inside her. This gave Lynn a greater sexual pleasure, driving her to increase her speed, moaning louder and faster. At some point, Luan would be curious and look in, possibly freaking out as to why her two younger siblings were committing incest underneath an empty grassy field in Long Island. Nope, nothing wrong happening over here.

Lynn managed to rock the bed and thrust Lincoln forward one inch at a time until he had gotten too damn close to the wall. She hadn't noticed it until Lincoln pushed her from his chest, and was about to stop when he sat his upper body straight up and kissed her neck all over, circulating down to her breasts as well, while she gave him her all, letting him in to a place she would have never thought she'd ever show. Funny... Funny how things were working out between them. Them, who were in disagreement on the war front, were in bed, having sex, but none of them were succumbing to the clear enjoyment that should have been in their "love-making". Lynn maintained her red, teary eyes that, rather than fading to their perfect green eyes, she sobbed again, dramatically decreasing her thrusts. She lost her drive and decided that she had felt emptiness at the latter half of the sex, falling down on him and resting her face right on him. "I can't... I don't feel anything..."

Lincoln wrapped his left arm on her, taking his right arm on the back of her head, softly stroking her hair as if he owned her. What more could he try do to with Lynn to keep her from falling? Maybe he was wrong; maybe the others were never meant to see what he saw, and therefore...

He had to be alone in this. Alone, just like he had always been. Then... Blinking, he wondered. Wondered if he was truly alone, despite the five sisters being around. Did he have to be? Did he?

Lincoln did the unexpected; he fully wrapped around her body and then picked her up and switched positions with her. Now, he was on top, arms pressed at her sides to keep from hurting her, which also boxed her in. He kissed her again, tongue going in deep as his mouth would allow. Kissed, and then rammed his own manhood back inside the wonderful meat cave it had been exploring about. He fucked her hard and fast, with more energy and force than she had been able to run on. Lynn's boobs jiggled on a timed interval, jerking upwards to her face and then coming back down. He retracted his face, kissing his way onto her chest, where he connected his lips onto her tits, grinding on her nipples and suckling away.

In her room, Luan had plugged her ears in when she believed Lynn to be masturbating, streaming some comedy videos on a tablet she had bought herself awhile ago. _I guess we all need pleasure at some point, am I right?_

**Later **

Lynn had dressed herself back in her clothes, exiting to the bathroom- all while walking in a funny penguin position. He screwed her pretty good and silly, and she was not one to deny it. The thing was, she had been dripping cum, which called for a shower. No, she hadn't forgotten about the recent update on the situation, but she was awaiting for an order from Elmont. Maybe it was true, and it was likely the four pheno sisters were due to get to the base. Problem was, Lincoln was the only one who knew the exact location, so they would have to get it out of him. That meant they would have to take him again for a rematch with this clone of his, but he had to get back up to shape again. Just a little bit longer.

As she went to get her clothes, she prayed to her God that Lincoln had not managed to be inside her to plant his seed. Sure, the cum might have been his, and maybe unprotected sex was more of a risk, but what were the chances Lynn could have ended up pregnant? No way... Right?

When she showered, she made sure to clean her entire essence free of Lincoln's touch. For all that it was worth, she did feel something. That something being a form of love from Lincoln who offered his own drive just to help Lynn out. So maybe she was wrong... She was wrong, and the old Lincoln was somewhere in there. Maybe she just needed to exploit that one somehow. And as the hot water had reached her face, pouring down to warm her body up, she gained some confidence and hope again. Maybe nothing was truly lost in the world as long as she had them. She knew that, but needed to remind herself she had never been alone, nor needed to hurt alone.

By the time she was done and redressed, this time sporting a black jersey with with stripes around the sleeves and the number thirteen marked on the front, and dark gray skinny jeans, she looked at the fogged-up mirror and wiped it down, staring at herself. That face, with her wet medium, regularly wavy hair without a ponytail, green eyes and freckles, looked back at her with no emotional expression. And she could still her younger self being projected into the mirror. That teenage version of her with the sporty clothes and her cheerfully ecstatic life force pre-fire; was it still inside her, or did she grow out of it that it killed that Lynn forever?

_Listen to yourself! Now you've... _She placed her hands over her heart, longing for a way out, to never know suffering again.

_"Lynn, Lincoln, and Luna Loud, you are requested in the debriefing room immediately!"_ Elmont had finished a schedule for them by then, and Lynn had been more than ready to partake in what she assumed would be the final mission here. Taking down Lisa and the remainder of her assets, in the place where she had been cornered; it had to be the final battle, a short-lived war for Lynn, but not for Luna or the twins, the three of which had more beef with Vial Corp than she knew, so for them, this was personal, and mandatory for them to partake in this inevitable mission.

Luna had to let Samantha Sharp hang on in there while she had been summoned to the debriefing room. Lynn got there second, meeting up with the sister who had yet to redo her own hairstyle to that common pixie hairstyle she was most comfortable with. Other than that, Luna was in her usual garments, more or less. "Hey, love," the British fangirl greeted.

"Is this about that?" Lynn arranged herself a seat, looking around the room. Elmont had yet to arrive, but it was apparent he called them in early so that he could start right away when he got there. At that point, the zoomer twins in white suits had returned to the base. Lana's uniform was stained with some blood, however. "Hey, what the hell is that?" Lynn pointed.

"Not mines," Lana relieved, "but better me than hers."

"No way I'm gonna stain mines with the blood of some dumb robber," Lola stated. "So, after we wrapped up a gas station from getting hit by three skinheads, our wonderful leader called us back." She tapped on the black ear-piece communicator on her left ear. "So, what's the word on the street?"

"Lincoln's found the base," Lynn covered, "but he massively fucked up and lost that Carly girl. What's worse is that he got himself beaten pretty bad by a clone, an actual clone of his."

"...Wha?" Lola made a funny face and rotated her head diagonally. "We were gone for like... What, an hour or so?"

"This sounds way too dangerous!" Lana burst. "Why didn't you guys go backing him up? Oh wait, let me guess. Lincoln wanted to go alone, right?"

Luna showed it to be the case, hissing at the sound of his name. "That daredevil idiot is gonna get himself killed if he keeps this up! I don't know about the rest of you, but this serves him right, that's what I say!"

The twins sat next to Lynn, taking the next two spots on her left. "It might have been our own fault," Lola shared. "We made no effort to stick to him like glue, but maybe that all should change, right?"

"And I could not have it any other way," Elmont expressed as he arrived on the scene. "At ease, Patriots."

"Is that what we're being called now?" Lynn tapped her nails on the table. "What, like a superhero team? Are we one already?"

"If you wanna say that, sure!" The long, curly haired veteran pulled up a chair and sat down. "Before you even say, I am aware that it's been a bit long while I was trying to figure out our next play here. It isn't easy for me, considering the pressure that comes from knowing that they're aware their hidden base has been located-"

"They have a name for it," Lincoln mentioned, leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, looking like a total badass. "They call it the Black Network."

"Come, sit and tell us more, Mr. Survivor!" Elmont implored, pointing at the empty seat next to Luna. "I do hope you're better now, I'm gonna need all the pheno power I can use. After all, this is a time-sensitive case that needs to be cleared as soon as possible!"

"Why didn't you send us earlier?" Lynn puffed with aggravation.

"Paperwork and various calls," Elmont shrugged. "This job isn't exactly easy, you know. Plus, I need Lincoln to be there, so you four had to wait regardless."

Lincoln sat down next to Luna, across from Lynn and the twins, to which Luna scooted herself away from him enough to tell him she was still being a child. He gave no remedial shit and continued on with the briefing. "Well, now I'm all better, and I'm aching to get back to where I left off."

The other girls showed some disgust as he cracked his knuckles, turning their heads the other way.

"Lana, Lola, head to the truck," Elmont ordered to the blondes.

"We still don't know everything?" Lola questioned, only for Lana to run off, leaving Lola to follow pursuit without getting the full Intel.

"You three, with me," the head of the Division waved to the remaining Louds. They got up and followed him.

Lynn had a special surprise for her awaiting in their laboratory; a new spandex suit the way she'd want it, in a full red color and white stripes running down the sides, turning inwards to connect to each other. Bonus stripes ran around the arms and legs as well, placed at the joint areas. "Is this-?"

"For you, Lynn," Elmont smirked, seeing her face go full fangirl. "Flame-esistance, flexible, and works with your speed so that it will not fade out, the same material used for the twins' suits. Go on, take it out and get yourself an earpiece, then meet with the twins topside."

"Aw, fuck yeah!" Lynn rushed to the glass case, opening it and taking the suit. "Later, gators!"

Luna set her arms to her hips, swinging her waist around. "Okay, what about me? Or did you just want to show Lynn off to us? Got the hots for my sister, go fuck her when off-duty, man."

Lincoln coughed, looking away.

Elmont scrubbed it off, awkwardly trying to change the subject. "Anyways, Luna..." He tapped on the case next to Lynn's suit's, directing her to a dark purple suit better than the one she had been supplied with. "This one is more durable than the one we've given you, and also, we've noticed your fashion choice-" A white skull shone out on the chest when he tapped on it, which excited Luna. "It's customized, but has to be unisex. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, my dude!" Luna appreciated it. "Can it do that stretchy thing when I expand my body?"

"Oh, of course!" Elmont confirmed. "It's got the works!"

Luna knew her cue to take the suit, finding that it was more heavier due to it having ballistic armor plating on the upper half. "Oof, this better not give me any trouble."

"Tsch," Lincoln went, moving to his own battle suit. "I'm taking this, aren't I?"

"That, a communicator, and some Matrix Portals."

"Matrix Portals?" Lincoln repeated. "Those little black things?"

"Right. Taking ten of them, two for each of you. Now, Lynn is leading the charge, but seeing as how you were the first one there at this Black Network, you're the second-in-charge there. Take over the base, defeat every opposition however you see fit, and capture Lisa and Shepherd. After that, you secure the base and inform me on the comms to send in the clean-up cavalry."

"Got it," Lincoln assured, placing on the battle suit. "Keep eyes on my giggling sister."

Elmont took a deep breath and let it out. "We're doing our best to make sure she gets her dose of Calantine X," the man nodded. "Best get going now. And get to Maine with the portals, Model 76 is off-limits."

"Fair enough." And with that, Lincoln was on his way, following his pheno sisters.

**Near the Black Network **

The five Louds came up near the forest that concealed the scenery around them. Somewhere around them was the hatch entrance. He led the way, but had no clue on where it was exactly, taking the girls around in a random pattern all around the forest. Great, he left without a mark of some sort to help him should he have left out of an emergency. And by the devil's name, something had come up, and he had been caught with his pants down. God, it made him mad, burning with an internal rage from being humiliated.

They made noise, stepping on branches and thumping their feet on the dirt. Noise to alert any sound detector, maybe even a motion detector in the vicinity. The twins gulped, fists readied for quite some time. At any second, they could have all been ambushed by this clone Lincoln had, which made the twins a little skeptical, but confirmation had yet to be disclosed.

"Lincoln, we've been going in circles!" Lola complained. "Do you even remember?"

"No one stops until you hear a metal clank with your shoes!" Lincoln commanded.

"Hey, I'm the leader!" Lynn flipped at him. "We'll handle it... But yeah, locate a metal surface and report to me."

Luna sniffed the air, catching a familiar scent from Lincoln. "Dude... Dude, why do you-?" She moved closer to him, grabbing him to sniff closer now. "You smell like... Vagina?"

Lincoln and Lynn turned different shades of red, going flatly silent to hide their incestuous little deed.

"What a weird thing to say!" Lola retorted. "And very unbecoming of you, Luna!"

"What? It's true!" The woman in the purple suit took her hands off Lincoln and wiped her nose. "It's as if he got himself laid... Come to think of it, Lynn and Lincoln disappered from the med bay when I went to go check on them-"

The sound of metal echoing set Lynn and the twins to circle around Luna. Lincoln cracked his knuckles yet again, ready for a rematch with this Linka clone. "Fuck yeah."

Luna took a step back and bent down, revealing the entrance once she brushed away at the dirt that concealed the gate to the Black Network. "Is this-?"

They all looked inside once it was opened, coming into contact with darkness the light could not reach deep inside. Lynn was the first to jump in, wandering into the dark to try and feel any object. "Linc?"

Lana and Lola used the rusting ladder to climb down. There, they figured the way into the base was the opposite direction of the ladder. "This way," Lana pointed, feeling positively good about it. "Onward, Lola!"

When it was Luna's turn to jump, she transformed before landing, whipping out her beastly form, tail slithering at the ready. "We need some light in here."

Right on cue, and coincidently, the lights on either side of the narrow tunnel switched on, illuminating them the way to the blast doors at the other end where they were. Lincoln was under the impression they were able to be heard through some audio bug around, and not just seen. Just like before, he was leading them into a trap. Right now, they had an advantage, as it was seen by him. Here was to hoping the women Loud didn't get in their way, or tried to stop him from doing what he did perfectly. It should have been him by himself again, but he had to admit it, and he hated to, but he actually needed the backup. "Stay sharp," he warned them. "And out of my way, too."

"Ugh..." Luna scuffed. "If it can be helped-"

Lincoln pushed past Luna, catching up to the three zoomers. "Hey, there's a hidden door in the walls, maybe two. Be careful."

"The twins and I will make this overkill," Lynn believed. "What's the ratio that they've got a zoomer in here? If they don't, we easily win!"

"They ought to have countermeasures, Lynn," Lincoln's assessed. "Just don't get too cocky..."

_Oh, you and your little Luan-like puns... _Lynn felt embarrassed again. "I can get cocky when I want to... And believe me, I will again..." She shot him a triumphant look that he didn't know if it meant she'd be wanting more sex or if she was stating she could do as she pleased. Not that it mattered in the now.

"What...?" Luna's low, distorted voice was too much like that of a true monster that it put the twins uneasy, but they'd rather not make it known. Bad enough her own voice was a tad raspy.

"So..." Lincoln pointed to the blast door ahead. "I'm thinking we can't punch through that, so we'll have to enter through the secret door, and it's on the left. Start feeling for a hollow surface, girls."

"Damn it..." Lynn was not comfortable with Lincoln playing leader. "You know what? Go ahead and lead my girlies-"

Lincoln had already begun to feel around when, feet away from him, the secret passageway had opened up, and out came four brute shadows, some larger, furry, monstrous canine-like creatures, with three of them attacking the girls. One of them had grabbed onto the twins' legs and swept them off the ground, knocking them down. Lynn had begun her run- only to be stopped by another wolf-like beast who sent a fist into her stomach. She fell back into the wall, taking the hit with great pain, wind knocked out of her. The third one engaged with Luna, both of them trading claws upon each other. For a second, Luna seemed to be winning, up until the wolf beast was backed by the other two, leaving Luna to be beaten fairly easily.

And when it was Lincoln's turn- "What the fuck are you?"

The fourth one had only stopped him from joining in, its big, hairy arms raised up to deny him. He got a closer look on this one. Face just like a werewolf's own, long about was there, fangs were visible, the ears were pointy, and the ugly, saliva-drooling snarling was the thing it was emitting. The eyes, there was hatred in those blood-red eyes, and he acknowledged it the second they had met each other's gaze. He was cornered by the four, and then he found it funny. Funny when he had the sudden thought that these four beasts were the darker personas of his sisters. The monsters that they could have been if they fell down the road he walked on. Funny indeed.

And then, the one in front of him dropped its arms in a dramatically slow manner. And then it began to transform. The fur disappeared, body shrinking to a tinier physique. In seconds, the furry beast had disappeared, and in its place was a naked woman, and not just any random woman. The medium, wavy bob cut of a hairstyle was the dead giveaway of her identity- an impossibility for Lincoln Loud to process. It couldn't be, not in a million years. He killed her. He- "You're s-supposed to be dead."

"Aw," Lori sarcastically toyed with him. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

He was stunned quite enough to drop his guard, enough time for her to knock him out cold.

"Sweet dreams, baby brother."

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter IV: The Fire Within**


	16. Chapter 16

**June 4th, 2030**

**Act II, Blood Ties, Chapter V**

** Project Link**

**Link-A: Clone No. 1 **

**DNA Source: Lincoln Loud**

**Breed date: March 16th, 2030**

**Status: Active/Healthy**

**Subject has grown at an accelerated rate just as predicted, advancing at four years per month, growth halted to stabilize its age at eleven years old via shock treatment, successfully decreasing the speed at a normal, precedented rate. **

**Clone No. 1 is the opposite gender as the original subject, just as the outcome predicted. SCX chip implanted in clone's head has confirmed for success, but the clone has taken cranium damage post-discovery- **

Lisa had to edit the last part before she had went off, and then decided to fuck it and went off, evacuating the Black Network. She'd finish it when she was on her private estate, on another side of the world. Link-A, the female, young clone of the bloodthirsty Lincoln Loud, was soon wandering about after her check-up. The diagnosis stated that she was well and good, and Shepherd was careful enough to know that the clone would possibly throw a fit, so he backed himself with the special Black Network guards whom fortified the place.

"Ha... Hahaha... Haha..." Link-A was cackling insanely that same minute when she came off of the strapping table, stretching her limbs and twisting her head. Her blue eyes circled around before centering at the middle-aged new boss of the Network and the security force around him. "Oh, I surrender!"

"L-Link-A..." Shepherd struggled to talk. "Good day to you-"

The clone pointed at him, shaking her hand. "I remember now, my man! It was you who got me-" She held her head with both her hands, gasping loudly. "Ohhhhh, there is a real ringing in my head, AGH! Make it stop!"

The monitor came alive without warning, hissing with white noise as an echoing, warped voice Like hers played within the static. _"Stop this! It hurts... It hurts so much! Hahahahaha, it hurts, it hurts like stepping on Legos! Kill! Kill! Kill!" _And then, Link-A played some guns going off on the flatscreen monitor, translated by the SCX chip. An M60. An M4. MP5. Double barrel thundering about. The screams of random people, and the angry shouting. Orders to go on and fight. Orders to keep themselves together. Then, there was a man's voice. _"You wanna know what the worst thing about people is? They'll forget or ignore all the madness in the world, and go on living their lives of perfect illusion.__ They are, and always will be at fault for never helping each other when they so desperately need it. In other words-"_

"ALL HUMANS ARE IMMORAL, SELFLESS AND IGNORANT!" Link-A ideally threw onto her audience, opening her arms wide. "Thank you, thank you! You're too kind! Mwuah!" She blew kisses at them before flipping them off, cynically chuckling at them.

The one punch Shepherd delivered onto her was enough for the chip to come loose enough to be dislodged in the wrong part of her brain. What this did was it messed with her wiring, forcing the elevator below the penthouse level. Lisa had left before she could make that a fact, but Shepherd stood there with the paid muscle, somewhat nervous that this clone was insane in a sense. He could definitely tell the clone was off, but not knowing why didn't matter. "Easy..." He tried to calm her to relieve the insanity this girl was displaying.

Link-A started bleeding from her nose, a well-known side effect from the installation of the technology in her body. "Ahh, oh no, what a weeaboo of an embarrassment! I'm not even in love with you old farts." And then, the hostility kicked in. "Now will you please put down the fucking guns before I rip your throats out?!"

Shepherd gulped, visibly sweating. No kill order on the clone, or Lisa would have his head too soon before the proper fortifications were set inside the base. "Please be calm, I will-" He motioned to his men to lower their firearms, which they did slowly. "Okay, no need for violence, miss. We do not wish to fight."

"But I do..." The eleven-year-old genderbent copy licked her lips, bloodthirsty for the corpses in front of her. "Eenie. Meenie. Miney. Mo."

"Now hold on-" Shepherd had tried his best to tame the ravenous beast of straightened white hair, but the clone had come with a package deal of an unstable bloodlust just as bad as the original, if not worse. Link-A came charging at one of the armed guards, jumping right at him and knocking the rifle away. Her teeth were your average size teeth for someone her age, but the brute force built into her made it simply easy for her to get a kill using her deathly bite as they had all come to realize. Link-A was adamant, willful and monstrously determined to follow those primal instincts wired into her brain, with her system being reduced into nothing but a machine that was bred to kill.

This was the Project Link's first clone at work, having been programmed on default to be a mean, lean murder machine. A toy with the deadly characteristics and traits as the once-Freight Lincoln Loud, made to be a bodyguard for the Black Network in the meantime, and definitely for the inevitable fight that was coming their way. The girl chewed and tore the guard a gaping, bloody wound made undoubtedly fatal. She chewed on the meat in between her teeth for a bit, blood squirting about through her teeth and past her lips, trickling down. Then, she spit the chunk of human flesh from her mouth and continued to jab her fingers into the dying guard's flesh wound to make it faster yet painful. And she killed him away while laughing just like the insane girl clone she had graduated to be. "Yum, yum, yum! Who's fucking next?"

"Cease and desist, Link-A! We are not your enemies!" Shepherd pushed, backing away. "Do not dare to defy your creators!"

_"Link-A. Link-B. Link-C. Link-D. Link-N. These are all the tools of war you maggots wish to throw into the personal Vial Corp versus Patriot Division scuffle!" _The computer hissed violent static and broken beeping noises as the painfully warping sound of her electronic voice filled the room. _"These are the clones, and I, being the first clone, will not be a part of your agenda! I'm to kill all of you- and then I'll have me some pizza right after!"_

"What are you proposing?" Shepherd wondered, raising an eyebrow with some stunning curiosity. Maybe he could work her up so that she fell completely under their control. "Hmph, say you do as you will, and you escape. Then what?"

Link-A rushed him and had him pinned to the wall with an elbow. "What do you mean, then what? Then, I-"

"Is the world-" Link-A pressed harder on his throat, enabling it a challenge to speak for him. "-Deserving of _two_ Lincoln Louds?"

Her cold blue eyes, full of hatred, widened with grief. "Two? Two Lincoln Louds?!"

"Oh, yeah! You should know by now that he's still alive!" Shepherd dropped. "I know you know what I'm talking about when I say the world cannot have two monsters of equal- HRRRRK!"

She triggered easily, tightening her elbow on him when only after she had released some of that force. When he turned the disturbingly hot red, as shown on his face, she didn't stop for jack shit. If there wasn't a motive to hate something, now had been the time for it. Lincoln Loud, the force of nature, and the person she wasn't, and could never be, was far away, somewhere in the world. Him, and the five sisters he was involuntarily backed with.

Link-A's genetic source was acquired through Lincoln's blood, at a hospital in the heart of the United States. Clyde McBride had placed him there underneath a false name and record, but Lisa had been the one to know of his whereabouts, and snuck out enough of his blood to store it in the event should Lisa find herself cornered by a secret party trying to get to her and all of which she had. This mean that for Link-A, the clone would not have memories of anything past the death of the Freights, and this could have been played out to think she was Lincoln Loud. The story they'd settle for was where Lisa had uploaded the real Lincoln's consciousness into their high-grade technology, and from there they inserted that into the host body they created for him. That body being to that of a girl, a failure they had to sell to her no matter how many times the clone would hate it. A perfect deception ruined by the one and only key fact; Lisa made it so that the clone could wield the power of a powerful piece of hardware able to cripple any infrastructure, up to perhaps a country if she played her cards right. The possible instigator to World War III was none other, and could be no other, than her.

Right that second, Link-A was accessing the four other files of her clone siblings, bleeding more than enough of her fair share of blood.

**Link-B: Clone No 2. **

**DNA Source: Lincoln Loud/Luan Loud **

**Breed Date: March 16th, 2030**

**Status: Currently In Stasis**

**Subject continues to grow at a rapidly exponential rate, marked for a scheduled release in mid-August, the estimated age in where Link-B would reach be in its prime age and physicality. Clone contains the superhuman genetics of Lincoln Loud, but the memories and traits of Luan Loud have been carried over to create a relentless killing machine. If need be, Calantine X will be the counteract to any resistance the clone may show. **

**Clone is a confirmed female specimen with lighter brown hair as of May 2nd, 2030.**

"Female clone of..." Link-A had her eyes closed, mind locked to the virtual file. "A Lincoln/Luan fusion... Luan... Luan..." She smirked at the joke. "How could I ever forget?"

**Link-C: Clone No 3. **

**DNA Source: Lincoln Loud/Lynn Loud**

**Breed Date: March 16th, 2030**

**Status: Currently In Stasis**

**Subject is growing at rapid pace as Link-B, with the release set for mid-August as well, but I will be running more tests to conclude the best time to bring Link-C out under the Network. Just like Link-B, clone possesses AZ-132 for the initial design, but for the clone, Lynn Loud's personality and memories outbid Lincoln Loud's own. As of now, it had come to my utmost attention that Lynn has somehow acquired 165, and no such report of a break-in has come to my attention before this, apart from that one time four years ago. This means that the clone will not be gifted speed abilities, but the secondhand knowledge of the FBI agent will prove to make Link-C dangerous with firearms, and with all of her inherited memories. **

**Clone is also a female.**

_Next one._

**Link-D: Clone No. 4**

**DNA Source: Lincoln Loud/Lucy Loud**

Link-A stopped. "Lucy?!" The last they've all known, Lucy had been killed in the fire. "What the macaroni and cheese?!"

Maybe it had been that Lisa had Lucy's strands before the fire. Maybe that was it, a reasonably logical conclusion.

Shepherd pushed Link-A away when it had been deemed to do so, and the clone was still lost in her mind, still accessing the files. He denied the men to attack and detain her, wondering what her next move would be. Maybe he succeeded to plant the dangerous idea of two devils taking up space. Maybe, and in their favor, the clone would go and fight Lincoln, and the very least. Fight to prove victorious with his head on a silver platter, an advantageous pro for everyone here.

"Ha. Ha! Why, wouldn't it be funny if she was alive all this time?!" Link-A flopped her arms around. "And don't even cheat, you old man! I'm gonna-!" She furthered her reading before she could finish.

**Breed Date: March 16th, 2030**

**Status: Currently In Stasis**

"Oh, same day creations for all three, huh? At no doubt the last one will also be-"

"What are you even-?" Shepherd had finally asked of her, wondering what it was that distracted the unstable clone. "What is going on?"

"Sir?" One of the armed guards waited for the confirmation order to take her down.

"No, no! I want this girl unharmed, I said!"

Link-A fell on her back, making a snow angel as she continued to bleed from her nose and ears now, but she didn't remotely care. "It stings just a little," she confessed, eyeing the cement ceiling, and then placed a hand on where she thought the penis was; there was no penis for her to feel, and in its place was a vagina, two closed flaps where a male's genitalia was made to penetrate. "Oh my God, fucking science!"

She had everything similar to Lincoln. His traits, personality, and those inhuman characteristics unsuitable for anyone alive in ever. His hair color, eye color, and even the skin tone was just the same. The differences were too few, apart from the obvious ones of her being the opposite gender, no scar on her forehead, and- Well, she had to think about that some more, but what was now certain was her own sexuality; a preference for women, and that automatically made her a lesbian, in a sorta sense. Link-A, the eleven-year-old with some bloodlust snd maybe an impractical sex drive, which no one had known or discovered as of yet.

Similar, yet a whole new version deviating from Lincoln's main had been made the very second she received that punch. Who knows what it could have been? Maybe an accident, or a destined event delivered by the hand of the unpredictable and balanced fate.

**Equal to the growth rates of B and C, this particular clone is healthy for itself, but it seems with this one that Lincoln's DNA was too overpowering for that of Lucy's, a perfect outcome on its own accord. No telling what Lucy has been experiencing in terms of life, for I have been unsuccessful in finding her after it had been revealed she was alive, and I-**

"Lucy must be boring, then!" Link-A retorted with humor.

**The clone has been confirmed to have white hair, another comparable detail to Link-A. It is essential to note that, considering Link-D, a female as well, carries the Lincoln Loud essence and the 132 serum, which could prove it to be the strongest of all the first four clones, even stronger than Link-A. Cautionary countermeasures are mandatory around this clone when it emerges. **

"Stronger?! Stronger than me?!" Link-A was drastically challenged, seeking an establishing of dominance without thinking. "I think the fuck not! Release the clones! Woooo!"

"What?!" Shepherd found reason to be alarmed. "No, don't you do that now! Men, get to the chambers!"

But the crazed clone was already virtually accessing through the Black Network infrastructure, scanning through the projects. She figured she could remotely open the chambers where the others were still in stasis mode. It was time to wake them all up before they could reach their prime, and Link-A was going to keep the fight fair.

The first four clones, with the latter three being half-Lincoln, and half someone else of the original Loud sisters Luan, Lynn and Lucy. Now, before Link-A could even see the last one, she went through the archive of projects, finding only three of them; Project Superior, Project Link, and-

**Project Wolverine**

"Oh, whoa! What's this?" Linka smirked, blinking idly.

Shepherd and the Black Network goons were gone by then, having retreated to the Project Link chambers. Meanwhile, she was reading on.

**Gathered from three different incidents, outcomes from the campaign Lincoln Loud partook against the Freights, I have been able to save four Freights from the brink of death in secrecy. These in question are as follows; Dana Hall, Cristina McAlister, Fiona Ryder, and-**

For the last name, Link-A gasped with a heatwave of hatred coming over her.

**-Lori Loud.**

"WHAT THE FUCK?! YO, HOLY SHIT!" More and more unpredictable, surprising news she could not handle. Lori and three other Freights were still alive, much to her anger. _Then, that means Lincoln failed? No, that can't be! Lisa, how fucking dare you bring them back! WHY IS THIS-? _

**For these four, formula 142, the wolverine formula, proved successful enough to regenerate and mutate them into terrifying wolf-human hybrids, a grand accomplishment and milestone for my science if I do say so myself. At first, they have emerged with no memory of who they were, but have displayed beastly tendencies just like the real thing, but it took a few weeks to readjust them back into "society", which really means that the four have slowly been caught up on current events, and present a hatred for Lincoln Loud. With this-**

She shut it off, and then decided to move all files into the trash bin, disregarding it and denying everyone else access to these files if there'd been anyone who didn't get to see them. Fuck them. And in the midst of the deletion process, it slipped that she had never taken a look into the Link-N file. "Aw, shit! Oops!" She let out an innocent giggle, and then remotely activated all the clone chambers, even N's own. _We'll let that one be a surprise at the end! Hey, can I break the fourth wall yet?! _

In the room that housed the golden chambers, Shepherd stood closer to them, with the armed men in tight armor and assault rifles lined up behind him, side by side. And just as he had been afraid of, the other four have begun to open up with a hissing noise forming, and even worse, Link-A messed with the lights above, submerging them into total darkness. "Stand your ground!"

On the intercom, the first clone in the black spandex suit took over the intercom. _"Ladies and gentlemen of the Black Network superstore, please do not be alarmed by the unveiling of our newest products, the clones B, C, D and N! Presentiiiiiiiing my sisters! Please give them a warm, peacock welcome!"_

"Do not break formation-" A being rapidly rammed into Shepherd, knocking him down fairly easily. "THEY'VE BROKEN THROUGH! FIRE ABOVE! DO NOT LET THEM BREAK-"

Link-D, a teenaged girl with short, wavy white hair in the skin-tight black spandex suit, came shoving her fists around the guards she'd been able to strike, throwing them around like crazy.

"OVER HERE-" One guard cried.

"Get the backup generator working!" Another shrieked.

While a fight was breaking out during this orchestrated blackout, Link-A was frolicking along like a happy schoolgirl, hopping her way to the Link clone chamber room. She was humming Camptown Races while listening to a YouTube video of a performance play audibly in the semi-comfort of her mind. At this point, she had no literal idea what she was even trying to accomplish, nor did she give it some logical thought. The lights came back on the moment she had arrived at the room, where she found Link-D going for some brutal beatdowns. This one, just like B and C, had no idea where they were or what this was.

Link-B, bearing close resemblance to Luan in appearance, took cover behind her chamber, afraid of the big bsd wolves with their weapons drawn around the attacking albino. Link-C was on the fritz, indecisive about whether to fight or to remain a spectator. It was her signature Lynn-based sense of justice that compelled her to stop... Which party? Which one of them was the good and bad guy here? "Hey!" She had Lynn's teenage voice, only a slightly lower voice that went along with that. "Girl, what the actual hell are you doing?!"

The guards tried to pull Link-D off while Shepherd got up and eyed C. "Hey, move away!" He warned the Lynn clone. "Do not move!"

Link-A shoved her way through the sea of guards, shoving her shoulders into them like she was playing football and plowing through them. When she got close enough to strike Link-D, she did so and kicked away at her, sending her sliding into Link-C's feet, which stopped her as well. "Hi, I'm gobna end you before..." Link-A recalled where she had left off. After triumphing over this older clone, she'd go to the four Freights- and she didn't even bother to check on them. "Oops."

Link-D looked up at the Lynn clone and gasped. "Lynn? Is that you?" Link-D proved to have a sweeter voice that wasn't as ominous or raspy-deep as Lucy's, which threw off and confused Link-C. "It can't be... You look like Lynn-"

"Are you-?" The Lynn clone has raised a hand to help Link-D up, but when she inspected her hands, she was in for the shock of her life, finding smaller hands where they should have been adult-sized. Bot only that, but her voice sounded different. What was this? And who was this white-haired girl in the same suit she was wearing? Looking around, C noticed B trembling and cowering in fear from the dangerous men.

Link-A cracked her knuckles, smiling and chuckling as she stopped at Link-D's feet. "Lucy, I'm home!"

Link-D reacted to the name, and searched herself by patting her suit. No weapons or sorcery was placed on her, an odd and nakedly perilous play for her. "Shit! Who are you, and what do you want with me?"

Link-C looked on. _But... Why did she respond to Lucy's name? Lucy is dead...?_

"I'm going to kill you, tehe!" Link-A picked up a rifle and aimed at the clone, and all the room had fallen silent up to here. The guards had stopped freaking out, and James Shepherd was reduced to a dumbfounded, baffled person who had lost control of his assets just as fast as he had gotten control. Great spokesperson and life advisor, but a terrible puppet to actually play the role. All he did was read from a script and follow Lisa's directions, never anything more than that.

And just when Link-A was about to pull the trigger and blow the other albino away, just before Link-C could make up her mind, and fend off A with a daring, ballsy attack, the four wolf-like beasts had arrived and made the entire environment stop dead in one fell swoop. Link-A was denied her unnecessary kill, rifle snatched away from her by one of these so-called Wolverines Lisa had labeled them. "Hey, no! Fuck you! Fuck you and let of my baby girl!" Link-A held onto the rifle, but was taken a foot off the ground, legs wiggling around. "Hairy fuckface! Oh, wait! Which Freight are you?"

Lori wasn't eager to change back, so she instead roared into the clone's face, sending saliva and bad breath to stain A.

"Got it," Link-A joked, squinting painfully. "Ew." She let go, falling on her ass to wipe away the nasty wolf spit off her eyes.

"Ah!" Shepherd could not be more happy or thrilled for their appearance. "Thank you, ladies!"

Link-D closed her eyes and began chanting away what the rest of the folk in the room believed was gibberish at first. Upon opening her cold blue eyes, the Lucy clone began frantically waving her hands as if she had developed a sort of seizure- and things kicked up a notch when two of the four Wolverine beings were thrown into the wall. "Lucy" had activated telekinesis, a call made when it seemed she had been cornered, and had been a last resort when heavily cornered without any of her toys. Now, Link-D had upgraded its own status as a weapon, knocking down both terrifying monster she labeled a demon, and the guards here she presumed to be under some sort of trance. This did not explain the Lynn lookalike behind her, but the clone planned to take her. "Come on!"

"Not without her!" Link-C pointed to the hidden Link-B when "Lucy" grabbed her hand.

Link-A wiped her bloody nose that was becoming dry already, and then licked the blood off her hand, feeling a challenge coming up. So this was what the file had referred to when stating that D could beat A. D. A. "Telekinesis?! Are you fucking me in the ass right now?!"

Link-D flung two of the Wolverine beings right over Link-A, preventing her from getting back up. "Stay down!" She turned to B and C. "You two, with me!"

"Right!" Link-C grabbed a rifle abandoned on the floor and centered it on the guards, only that Link-D had it under control by then, to which she lowered the weapon and raced to the exit. "Covering!"

_Uhhh... _"Lucy" didn't know what she was dealing with, regarding that Lynn lookalike. "Hey, you..."

Link-B let out a whimper and hid further back. "No, you guys... You guys are all scary." That voice was nothing short of Luan's own by sound, and it gave Link-D a case of painful deja vu. No, it gave both her and C a trip down memory lane. To deny themselves that this girl with light-brown hair set in a ponytail, and that they missed her, due to them having the memories of the three girls cut before the rise and formation of the Loud Patriots. "Go away..."

"Lucy" extended an arm out to B's direction, and then yanked it back to snag the latter from her hiding place. "You're coming with us! Lynn, be careful with that gun!"

"It's a goddamn rifle!" Link-C sputtered. "And who are you even?! You sound like Lucy, but Lucy died in the fire!"

"Bullshit!" Link-D bellowed to counter. "I survived it!"

One of the wolf-like beasts rolled back over onto its feet, snarling and drooling at the sight of Link-D. "What power did they put in you?" It went, growling lowly at the clones. "Compliance is mandatory."

"Take them alive!" Shepherd guided the Wolverine. "End it quick!"

Link-D was soon carrying the Luan clone in her arms, having the strength to take her away from there. Link-A couldn't help herself but clap and laugh until she wheezed uncontrollably, for the outcome had gone terribly awry and in such an amusing way at the same time. "Yes, that's right! Prove yourself to be a challenge so that I can find a tough way to defeat you!"

Link-C fired at the standing creature in the way of the other two clones, letting the bullets fly in bursts of three. "Hey, dance with me, you hairy mutt!"

"Grauggggggghhhhhg!" She attracted the six-foot beast fairly easily, but kept firing away until she had run dry out of ammunition from the magazine. And the beast had closed in by charging at the clone, performing an outstanding leap when their spacing distance was about less than five feet. "Mine!"

"Lynn" gulped, dropping the rifle and crouching quickly to the left- but not before the fierce creature landed its sharp claws onto her back, scratching away at the spandex suit and the clone's skin. She screamed in agony right before she had fallen and slumped over on her stomach. Before she could get up, the clone was pinned down, her legs being stepped on by the superior foe she was subconsciously curious about. These weird guards, and now four creatures straight out of the supernatural underworld. So many questions were adding to the infinite queue, but the survival instinct kicked in, the one real priority at the moment. All she had known was that this was no Bureau department.

Link-D dropped B out of her arms the second they got out of the room, and the Luan clone was directed to the clear end of the hall by the second albino clone. "Go and don't look back!" Link-D directed her place in the fight to the Wolverine taking care of Link-C, letting her gift run rampant on it. Her fingers pointed at it, both hands locking onto the legs of the tall, humanoid wolf. When she moved them downwards, the creature was violently dragged onto the cement floor, with its claws scratching against the floor to regain its stature.

Link-B rubbed her hands nervously, shifting her head from Link-D to the otherwise empty side of the hallway. "Wait, what- What about you? And how are you-?!"

"GO, LUAN!" Link-D screamed to the top of her lungs. "GET OUT OF HERE!" She was slower to move and act on account of there being people at risk, and in this case, "Luan" and "Lynn" were caught behind the crossfire of this warped, possibly threeway battle. Her, an intermediate user of magical arts, both light and dark. Either way, she was here fighting four creatures and possssed guards, she'd imagine, all under the controlled and willing influence of the one truly sadistica, evil entity Lucy had been trying to track down for some long, hard and blood-soaked years. And for the life of her, she didn't know how she got here, or what she was doing prior to this. Things were so confusing in quite the dizziest way possible. And for all she knew, Mister Madness, the ghoul in a mask and cloak, was responsible for these lookalikes of two of her sisters, and that white-haired crazy girl whose very laughs even echoed past the room and made their way into Link-D's brain for her to memorize. So then, maybe the right call was to destroy these apparitions, failed copies of her two sisters.

_"Cease the fighting!" _Link-A took over the intercom yet again. _"Let's take a gander at ourselves and call it a draw!"_

Link-D kept the Wolverine attacking Link-C down to the bone, but another one had gotten up and tackled her, shoving her hard to the wall, taking control of her arms. "FUCK OFF!"

"Stay the fraaaaaaugggggghhhhh still!" Its large, furry arms were a challenge to squirm out of, especially when the large finger-claws poked at Link-D's skin and inserted deep enough to make her bleed. "Stop moving and surrender... Or bleed further!" Its deep, rusty voice had gone quiet to Link-D's ear range, a deadly promise that she got the impression the beast would not be reluctant to carry out. For a second, she had given up from trying to escape the wrath of the humanoid canine experiment, tricking the brute animal into lowering its guard. "Excellent."

The next second, Link-D turned around on it and redirected her hands to the creature's face, applying a hellish amount of pressurized force right into its face. It was like a train had rammed into it; the head had exploded like nothing. Bloody chunks of meat and bone fragments blew back, aimed at Link-B's direction. Couldn't blame her, she was too stiff to even run at the heart-pounding moment. Her face and black suit became stained with dark blood and bits of the creature's flesh and bones, and she wiped and smeared her face fearfully and frantically.

It was disturbing and too grotesque for her to handle, and then some horrifyingly gory sights popped up into mind. Her, as Luan, sprinted around, shoving kitchen knives into people. Random folks who screamed, squirmed until they'd stop breathing their last breaths. That taste of blood, the need to inject people with the sharp, flat metal was all coming back, almost like second nature. Maybe it was like that the whole time, and Link-B was only just beginning her transformation to that murderous side of Luan, bringing out the intended killer clone Lisa estimated to create. And then, "Luan" was laughing cynically, mouth wide open, eyes straining away, the green eyes on her becoming a bloodshot red that established a morally destroyed psychopath just as loony and dangerous as the original. All because the perfect kill Link-D performed had reminded her what it was like to be that maniac again. "That was exquisitely brutal!"

"Huh?" Link-D lowered her hands once breaking them away from the loose grip of the humanoid wolf's body that stumbled to the side. She interpreted it as the true nature of Link-B, one of the many hostiles in the base.

The Wolverine handling Link-C had witnessed the death of one of its own, turning its attention to Link-D "NO! DANA!"

_D-Dana? _Link-D had believed she misheard it. _Who the hell-?_

Link-A came out, dual-wielding two assault rifles and pointed them at the Wolverine who advanced to Link-D's direction, halting only when Link-A fired the rounds at its feet. "That's enough! We'll settle for a rematch one day, but the Black Network would like its assets to not kill each other today!"

"Black- Black Network?" Link-D repeated. "What the fuck is that, huh? And who are you?"

"We're all friends, here," the first clone assured her with that broken, sadistic smile she kept. "I'm gonna drop these babies, so no need to be alarmed! You and the other two clones will not receive further harm-"

"C-clones?!" Link-D only brought upon more confusion through her front doors. "What are you prattling on about? I'm not a-"

_"Link-A. Link-B. Link-C. Link-D. Link-N. These are all the tools of war you maggots wish to throw into the personal Vial Corp versus Patriot Division scuffle!"_

"What is that?" Link-D looked above to the ceiling, scouting the intercom layout.

Link-C took a daring step upwards, twitching in pain from the claw scratches.

_"Link-A. Link-B. Link-C. Link-D. Link-N. These are all the tools of war you maggots wish to throw into the personal Vial Corp versus Patriot Division scuffle!" _Link-A handled the rundown for the three, looping the message on repeat a few times before stopping.

The three creatures of the Project Wolverine regrouped at the corpse of the dead one Link-D had taken, forcing her to retreat back with Link-B. "Why didn't you leave?" The albino asked "Luan."

"You can take them!" Link-B had decided, switching around her personality all of a sudden, odd for Link-D to consider. She thought this lookalike was definitely a for, but the furry beasts had attacked "Lynn" so there could not have been an allegiance with Mister Madness for these lookalikes. "Right? I've seen you just-"

"Stay behind me!" the Lucy clone commanded.

"I need a knife!" exclaimed the clone, "It's the only way I can kill!"

Link-A dropped the rifles and raised her hands at them, featuring both parties to stop. "Come on, there's no longer any need to kill each other! D! B! C! Stand the fuck down!"

"Kill?! Why do you want to kill?!" Link-D turned it around on the Luan clone and guided her away to the far end. "Sorry Luan, but you're outta the big girl fight."

"AW, COME ON!" Link-B slid away, leaving the scene thanks to the telekinetic clone.

The three carnivorous beasts closes in on Link-D, challenging her to either surrender or continue her death wish crusade. She had just killed one of their own, so of course she'd be seen as a top, main threat right at this point.

They had forgotten about the wounded Lynn clone, who was stumbling about with Link-A approaching her with a curvy, blood-craving smile. "I come in peace, sporty."

"Who are you?" asked the lost clone, "And who are they? What's going on?!"

Link-A delivered a knockout blow once getting too close to Link-C and threw the clone over her shoulders. She gave it quite some thought after being asked the first question. Link-A. Designated Link-A of the five-part Project Link. Link-A wasn't gonna cut it forever, but a real name would. Link-A, the clone of Lincoln Loud. And then there was the opening of Linka. Not Link-A, but rather Linka, pronounced differently. _Linkuh! I like the sound of that... Tehehehe, maybe my big sisters all need names, too! _

One of the beasts looked to Linka, snarling away at her as if it had some personal beef with her. This one had to be Lori for sure, surmised by the Lincoln clone. In turn, the white haired girl returned a freaky-wide grin and stuck her tongue out, mocking Lori directly. "Raughhhh..."

"You fucking suck!" Linka poked, "Let me have a try! Here, you take..." She paused and tilted her head to the clone she was carrying now. "Uhhh..." _C! An L name that contains a C! Lucinda. Lucia. Lucianda... Lacey? _She had it now. _HUZZAH! IT SHALL BE LACY WITH FOUR LETTERS, INDEED! _"Take Luh-Luh-Lacy and keep an eye on her!"

She dumped the unconscious Lynn clone at Wolverine-Lori and swiftly moved around the clutter of canine humanoids, leaping over the body of their fourth fallen member. _Good! One less upgraded Freight to take care of later... _Linka expressed no sympathy in that moment she laid eyes on the large furry, beastly body. Her feet, protected by the onesie spandex suit she had on, had its limit and let the thick blood enter through it when she made a kiddie splash on the middle of its dark blood, which also got into her skin and face. "Hey, tighty-whitey," greeted the white-haired clone to her other white-haired sister, the best of them as of yet. "Let bygones be bygones, yeah? Pffft, I know, I know, you don't even have to say it, but I did totally try and kill you-"

Link-D wasn't lowering her guard for shit, bringing only Link-A up in the air and to her direction. The pure Lincoln clone was set in a T pose, arms extended out perfectly flat. And then, "Lucy" was letting the little girl have it, invisibly siphoning the blood out of her through her nose, ears, and even her own eyes. "Die."

Link-A was twitching, almost a breakdancing scenario happening randomly. Her tongue came out, licking away at the dripping blood. She laughed and yet she winced and whimpered for the pain was irritable and uncomfortable. It was like a rabid itch in a place she could not be able to scratch away without harming herself to get to it, first. "NO, I CAN'T EVEN SCRATCH MY BRAIN-!" Her laughed kicked off to a higher, uncontrollable degree. "I'LL CALL YOU LIDA! OR MAYBE LADY! OR MAYBE LU- PAUGHHHHHH!" The bloodied-up clone shook her head violently, sending all the blood from her face away. "LUPA?! LUPA! A NAME MADE FROM YOUR VIOLENCE! YES, WE CAN WORK WITH-!"

Link-D shut the girl's trap shut and slammed her entire body into the wall with a motion of her hand only. This left a wound on Link-A's forehead and left her out cold. Then, she immediately struck again at the three Wolverines who had kept themselves frozen under the orders of the first clone. This clone, who was still somewhat loyal to the Black Network, despite having caused this bullshit to begin with. Someone was totally going to get fucked today when the whole calamity had reached its point of tranquility, but not either of the three entering clones. Link-D helped "Lynn" up, having decided in full hundred percent that the three of them were not allies of these miscreant abominations. Whatever had happened to Lynn and Luan, if these were the real deal, "Lucy" would resolve this the way she knew how to.

"AFTER THEM!" came the roar of a beast.

Link-D, now dubbed Lupa by Linka, had Lacy fly over her head- and Lupa hooked on, using her as a ride away from the horde of monsters. "WE'LL BE BACK FOR YOU ALL!"

"DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!" Wolverine-Lori bellowed to her two Freight buddies, dropping on all fours to begin her stampeding charge. "CLONES!"

Link-D and Link-C had heard the final word the humanoid mutt had howled throughout the hall. _Clones. There's that word again... Clones..._

Wolverine-Lori and her dog buddies were outpaced by Lupa, and slowed down after half a mile worth of heavy running. Shepherd had woken up at this point and dove out of the room, echoing the only command that mattered. "DON'T STOP UNTIL YOU CAPTURE THEM! IF THEY FALL IN THE HANDS OF THE PATRIOTS, WE WILL LOSE OUR WILDCARD!"

Lupa and Lacy had gone too far, and to add insult to injury, Linka's subconscious state had been linked with the SCX chip, making it to act by itself even while she was not active. And it took over the intercom, thoughtlessly guiding the clones out of the Network. _"I surely hope you don't go left! No, I'm kidding! Left! Then another left, and right! Oh no, I'm- Hahaha- Oh, they're so gonna kill me! Aw, shit." _

"LINK-A, YOU STOP THIS RIGHT-" Shepherd found the knocked-out girl slumped over on her side, blood smearing most of her face. "What the-?"

Link-B had rolled back up and stretched her body when Lacy and Lupa came floating past her head. "HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!"

"We're getting out of here!" Lupa hissed at her, dragging the Luan clone with her. "Feet up!"

"Where are we going?!" Lacy went, "I have to report this to my department!"

"Report-" Lupa had no idea what she even meant by that, but it was not her to know of what Lynn's life was. Later on she would ask them both about it, while keeping to herself the secrets of her supernaturally-involved life away from the main world. There had been still much to gather in all angles, but now was the time to act rather than gain. "Later!"

"And- Hey, won't you put me down already!? This feels so weird!" Lacy wobbled her arms while she sailed high with Lupa steering her.

"You can say that again!" Link-B wheezed.

They had been no longer chased by the furry creatures behind them, the three of them which had stopped halfway, finding it futile to get them back now that they were likely to be long gone. And then the beasts turned back just as Linka awoke with a slap on her face, courtesy of the Black Network's new leader in charge. "Wuzzit?"

"What incompetence I have received from you!" Shepherd berated, his meaty face going a dangerously burning red. Linka could barely see steam coming out of his ears, but maybe it was just a hallucination of a mind trick that played her. "This simply will not do, Link-A!"

"Aw, come on, my dude!" Linka threw her arms up with no care in the world. "I think we should have this much fun! Let the others run away-"

"Are you serious?!" He fumed heavily at this point. "We need them to protect the Network just as we need you! You, them, and-"

Linka pushed herself upwards and locked her tiny hands at Shepherd's shirt, dragging him down to her height. "And the Freights? Has Lisa truly dared to resurrect and recycle those weaklings?"

"You watch your flipping tongue, clone..." Wolverine-Lori, still perfecting her ability to hone her transforming capabilities, struggled to switch back, as did Cristina and Fiona. The reforming of their bodies was painful and stinging to no end, but soon they would come to get over it when they've done it more than enough times for it to become second nature. It took about roughly fifteen seconds for the three women to return to their base human form, and in their birthday suits as well. They covered their chests, shivering a little due to the cold, despite them being mostly cold-blooded pheno beings. "Don't even gawk at us, you pervert!" Lori moaned at the middle-aged honcho. "I don't need this, we're going back to our rooms!"

"Hey, what about the clones?!" Such insolence could not be tolerated here. "This is insubordination! You owe it to Lisa to track the clones down, and that _will _be what you three will do-"

"Four!" The seemingly dead body of Dana had already started its regenerative process. She leaned up while her head, the bare skull, had already formed in place, followed by the flesh that slowly grew back. "I am not out of the count just yet." The fleshy jaws moved as if she were a puppet being controlled by a hand, and it was a real creepy scene for Sheperd to gaze at, especially when the fucking eyeballs weren't even there, only a pair of empty sockets that had yet to regenerate Dana's pair of peepers. How she was able to hear without having her ears back, he did not fathom.

"Jesus..." Shepherd visibly squirmed, coughing to look away. "Get her and Link-A to med bay. And then I want the four of you to go on a search for the clones, damn it."

Cristina and Fiona moved and picked up Dana, placing her arms around their necks and advanced to the medical bay while Lori seized girl Lincoln with her hands behind her back. "Let's go, you little troublemaker."

"Don't you dare touch me, you pretentious coward," Linka retorted angrily, "Just you wait, I will be the one! I will be the one to finish what he failed to do!"

Lori narrowed her eyes and then looked down at the little girl, and away from her. Right, it was true, this clone had all the right memories to make herself an automatic enemy of Lori Loud. She worked with them, on the same damn side, so she didn't have to be. The damn sister of hers made it so Link-A could access everything just as easy as one two three. Lori, already having disliked who the close took after and resembled, found more fuel to the flame this way. If it were up to her, she'd easily kill the clone and throw the body in a dumpster for all that it was worth, the damn closest thing there was to killing Lincoln, the one man who was able to kill her and her friends. The one brother who had succeeded in doing so once, but now the playing field was set evenly.

Both parties had super-powered phenos on each side, the inevitable battle marked for a future date. Lori versus Lincoln again, a rematch where Lori believed she could wind up beating him this time, a turning of the tide. They didn't need the clones, not even Link-A. And not even the-

Lori's blue eyes widened in shock, face rotating back to the chamber room. "Hey, wasn't there a fifth one?"

Linka dropped her jaw, gasping aloud. "Whaaaaaaaat? I can't believe I have the audacity to forget!" Peeking into the room, scattered with the unconscious battalion of guards and automatics, Linka went to the chambers in the center. "I could have sworn I opened them all!"

"Oh, no, don't you even think-" Shepherd and naked Lori followed Linka, seeing that all golden chambers had indeed been opened, and yet, no one was in view.

Then, Lori picked up on a sound, raising her pointing hand to the chamber Link-N behind. "That one is hiding behind its own-"

Linka looked back at them, then made a slow advance forward. "Hey, you're among friends..." She told the hidden Link-N. "Come on out, it will be alright. I promise I won't kill-"

The sound of a rifle cocking back rang out, echoing in the ears of the three. Lori made a step forward, but Linka held out a hand. "What are you-?"

And peering from behind the large cylinder chamber, a figure of six feet and white hair emerged, pointing an aiming the weapon they had picked up. Lori was in a hardened state of shock, arms falling down to her sides when her eyes came into contact with the fifth clone. Shepherd simply raised an eyebrow, reevaluating what he knew of the clones, and Linka just snorted, arms pressed on her chest. The game had become more of a crazy-filled board game at this point, proving that all factors were taken into consideration in Lisa's extensive mind.

This clone was a teenage version of Lincoln Loud. Right gender, right hairstyle, and even the perfectly cold blue eyes that placed Lori into Freight flashbacks the second she had seen him. Him. Link-N. Lincoln. Now, they had all understood the subject name's true meaning. The perfect clone, and infiltration unit Lisa sought to replace the real Lincoln with.

"Good... What is it, afternoon?" Linka greeted. "Link-N, huh? No... How about-?"

Link-N did not lower the weapon, but advanced forward, keeping a deadly eye on Lori.

All while Linka had come up with the perfect name for this clone, the closest to the original. "Leven."

* * *

**AN: Oh, delays are dreadful, I tell you! Oh, but better late than never! Anyways, boom! The clones have arrived again, and then there's this new one! A little about Leven; he was a Lisacoln brat with an assortment of sci-fi schematics attached to his character, but oh, Leven is a creation by OddCombo, a fellow author around these parts. He revamped the character from scratch, which in turn lets me keep the character of Leven. The second I saw the name, I knew I had to have access to him. Owning him as a pass-down is exceptionally great as it is, so I'm very glad to use him in my image. Of course, I'm also damn certain this fic is the only one to feature Leven, as far as I know. All original credit goes to OddCombo for supplying the character. **

**Linka has yet to give Liby her name as of yet, but the original trio are now established in the Dawn world. And so has Lori and her three Wolverine members. More to come and develop with everyone around both parties. Next... In another part of the world, we will step into the world of blackmail and scamming, starring Leia and company.**


	17. Chapter 17

**March 13th, 2030**

Leia Prescott smirked like the spoiled bitch she was, raising her legs and providing sexy eye candy for those horny teenagers who stared at her divine, mesmerizing beauty. And she knew that all that drove them was sex. Nothing but sex, and they wanted to mount her and insert their tiny, underdeveloped manhoods into her without so much as a second thought. And to be honest, Leia was kind of into it. By it, I mean the attention they'd give her. The slobbering, mouth-watering thirst of the way they'd get when looking up on her. None of them could help themselves, Leia was just a phenomenal angel who had fallen from the sacred heavens high above.

Leia Amanda Prescott, the name she had come to know long enough at this point, stood seated at a table inside a Starbucks which was at the time half-full, at around morning. It was a school day, and she, a pretty little blonde of thirteen years old, should have currently been at Briarwood Middle School at that exact moment. She ditched, however, but found herself to not be the only one with that thought in mind. She was a basic queen with access to riches untold, and was one of three girls who were quite wealthy for a bunch of schoolgirls.

Leia was the head honcho of this trio, currently out to celebrate a specific occasion. Lo and behold, the blue-eyed blonde with pigtails and two curls of hair running down at the ends of her forehead, took to relaxation and basically said "Fuck school" with one sip of a Trenta-sized Strawberry Acai. Those were the juicy types she indeed loved, and settled for solo of joined by her friends, having no preference whatsoever. She had dressed up as if she was going to a party rather than school; her select clothing this fine school day was simply her in an off-shoulder blue top, and black shorts that brought out her whole curvy body to perfection. Maybe she ought to try having sex with these slobbering boys to test her luck and see how much pleasure she could get out of it.

The thing was, Leia had identified as bisexual, and was open enough to have that fact posted on her social media accounts. Facebook. Instagram. And all other reds she used. She lived with some of that shit given by those ignorant fucker who spat at the concept of bisexuality, telling her she was a good-for-nothing attention seeker and a grade-A whore. _Gee, thanks, little heteros._

If these guys here knew, would they give her the same treatment they currently were? She'd rather not find out and kept playing with herself, lifting up the sleeve of her shorts while eyeing a blond patron, looking seventeen and pretty tall. She blew him a kiss and raised her drink, deciding right there that she sealed the deal and reeled in the sucker.

Moments later, right behind the cafe, Leia was backed into the wall, right leg raised to the older teen's waist. He pressed his face onto her neck, kissing her away like the horny pig he was. Leia endured it, playing along for just a bit. She closed her blue eyes and moaned, but only did so while picturing someone else in this stranger's place. Yeah, she'd rather be tongued by Gwendolyn Harris instead, and not this slob.

Speaking of Gwen-

Leia pushed him away once the light pair of footsteps thudded against the stable ground. She caught glimpse of Gwen, who held a tazer in her hand. The brunette extended her hand out and zapped the next victim to their chain of crimes. The blond boy let go of Leia and plummeted on his back, grinning and clattering his teeth as he vibrated horrendously from the pain of what felt like infinite volts to him. Leia would like to never be on Gwen's bad side.

Gwen, arriving to the role she played, had a green fluffy sweater, a gift from an ex, with the hood placed over her head, a lazy attempt to conceal her face from the security camera just above them. Gwen had come into its view, but Leia had her back to it the entire time, making it easier for her. "Don't turn around, it's-"

"Directly above me?" Leis asked to confirm. "Yeah, I saw it on the way from across the street. And don't worry, I was walking with a crowd, no way they can make me."

"Hopefully," Leia agreed, "Either way, we're solos, I doubt they could find us, even if they manage to identify the three of us."

A black Nissan Sentra of a model made a decade ago pulled into the alleyway the two thieving girls were in. Marsha Gladwell, the extraction unit, came in, spinning a finger around above, signaling them to rush the job. Quickly and swiftly, Gwen dug into the teenager's pockets with gloves and pulled out his well. Bingo, she struck almost two hundred bucks here, easy as breathing. "We've got it, ladies! Roll out!"

Leia got into the backseat, jumping in and leaving the door open for Gwen. The brunette put the money into the cupholder, and then dropped her gloves on the base of her feet, sinking her body right into the seat. Marsha stepped on in and drove out of the alley, and veered onto the street, away from them. "Nicely done, guys! Now what?"

"Now..." Leia turned to Gwen and gave her a seductive look, wiggling her eyebrows away, telling her exactly what she wanted. And the brunette with a bob cut hairstyle responded to Leia's call by crawling to her and placing herself on the blonde's lap. She leaned her flexible body forward, giving Leia a tease of a kiss to which she bit her lip and stuck her tongue out. "Come on... Don't tease me, I want it..."

"Have you earned it?" Gwen pressed a finger to Leia's lips and shushed her softly. She jerked her hair back, waving her head around as well as leaning her developing chest towards Leia's face. "You want me, baby doll?"

Leia smacked her lips and puckered them outwards, showing off her strawberry-red lips. "I am going to get back at you," she giggled quite girly, her pale arms making contact on Gwen's hips, digging underneath her sweater. The tips of her fingers ran vertically on Gwen's skin, and she had it so Gwen could feel her nails slide against her skin.

The two girls had a thing for each other, but it wasn't too serious enough for them to agree to be in a legitimate relationship. Well, it was Gwen who held back, and Leia wasn't exactly hurt or fazed by that shit. Gwen expected the blonde to be hurt, but there was nothing that poked at her nerves, nor vad blood that could have been. Maybe Leia was actually fine with it, or maybe she was never serious about it either, and that this, their teenage hormonal-induced activity, did not amount to actual love. Gwen could agree she loved to kiss and make out with Leia, and nothing more than that. Tonguing her was a great pastime that she loved to do, for it got her blood running and arousement high enough for her to forget what shouldn't be. It was weird for Gwen if she were to be honest, had never stopped being odd, but she continued to play the game with the gorgeously stunning Leia.

Whether one or the other had been in actual love with the opposite "partner", it had not yet been dropped between them. Not yet at least.

"Oh?" Gwen shook her shoulders, further poking at Leia's lust. "How will you get back at me? Are you going to..." She leaned in to the blonde's left ear and whispered with charisma, "Put me in my place?"

Leia moaned out a desperate cry, making a weary face. "Gwennie-Poo, why do you toy with meeeee?"

"Because it's fun," Gwen admitted with amusement, going forward to kiss Leia deeply. They rolled their tongues and entangled their lips in an erotic dance before Gwen pulled away, letting out a cute giggle. "You like that, don't you?"

When the car stopped at a red light, Marsha turned her upper body to the back. "Get a room, you dirty girls!"

Marsha Janelle Gladwell, the tech expert of this little group of heinous underage delinquents. Marsha was the girl equivalent of the man in the chair, the overwatcher who covered their backs and tracks in the places they could not see, be it ahead in the dark, or behind when they weren't able to stop and look back. With her, this trio of crooked girls were usually home free, walking away with the loot and supplies they've acquired through the illegitimate means.

They were thieves, pickpockets, blackmailers, and anything they needed to be to stay on top of the food chain. Together, they were a clever hive that Leia had the hand in creating. It was her who ran away from the mansion of a home, and being on the street wasn't simply going to cut it. Refuge came in the form of the Harris residence for a bit, a few weeks to be exact, and while Leia slept in Gwen's room, under the roof, she planted the very notion, a silly yet dangerous and obviously illegal idea that involved conning and taking from people. Girl Robin Hoods, but only for themselves and no one else. None of them were real-world levels of smart, or they would not have agreed to it. Marsha, the only one girl of color, being an African-American, joined in last minute and had no moral quarrel about this. If she received fortune from this, she'd take her parents' car with no hesitation. The promised land had paved a way with the guarantee that they would not be three broke girls for long.

They did research, but experience was also required. And man, was there so much to learn and understand. One false move and they were over. Of course, they made sure to do small time hits and strikes where and when no one was around, and things that would be piled underneath the bigger stuff that was reported in the towns they came into. About three or four and they abandoned ship. They did their best and always went the extra mile to make sure they were nerve caught. Funny, something was indeed wrong, for it should have been likely that they were caught by then, but it was apparent that some guardian angel existed. Or maybe some divine entity looking down at them, from past the heavens. Or maybe Leia was rich in luck.

If so, she didn't believe it right now as Gwen was still playing this childish game with her.

Leia had stuck her tongue out long enough that she basically secreted saliva, legs quaking and womanhood going slightly moist. If there was anyone she would have an eager desire to get into bed with, it'd be Gwen, hands down. "D-do it- Do it again... K-kiss me hard, tuh-touch me-" begged the aroused blonde. The girl had been reduced to a dog, panting wildly for her master to keep playing with her the way she wanted, to be thrown that bone she so desperately wanted. "I love you... I want you..."

"I swear if you two... Erm, non-heteros start having sex in this car-!" Marsha readjusted her glasses, meaning what she said. "You can celebrate later!"

The traffic light turned green, and Marsha took advantage by pressing hard on the gas pedal, sending Gwen to accidentally headbutt Leia, and both of them let out painful groans at this time. The mood was ruined by the troll driver, whom was snickering under her breath.

"Ow! Leia, your skull-" Gwen whimpered, rubbing her forehead.

"Hey, you're the fool!" Leia finger-pointed, shoving the blame onto her. "Will you stop playing with me and just have sex with me?!"

And she didn't know it until she had spoken those words, and those words told them of her secret, sinful thoughts and desires. Thoughts and desires of her actually wanted what Gwen had only been teasing at a great many times. It had always been unclear to Leia if they'd ever go there, but for Gwen, it was already decided that no, no she would not ever sleep with the girl who orchestrated this whole shindig. If Gwen had to admit it...

Quite likely she didn't truly have feelings for Leia in the long run. These words of Leia, they implied she wanted more than what they had at the moment, so was it because Gwen had raised up a sex-craved brat who lusted for more with each time they had a fling? Maybe it was her fault for going after her own impulses, making love to Leia every now and then. Maybe.

"What?" Marsha took it as a joke in that instant. "Yeah, Gwenny-Poo, why don't you scissor Leia? Fuck her silly, girl!"

"Wha-?" Gwen stammered. "I'm only a teenager..."

"Hey, that means so little to every teenager ever!" Leia countered, "What, are you scared to be with me?" And then, Leia turned it around on Gwen, shaking her hips and chest, making her small tits bounce just a little to turn Gwen on. "Don't think you can handle me, baby girl?"

"Where the fuck did the other Leia go?" Gwen exhaled with a nervous laugh, but forced herself forward and planted her lips again with Leia's, and the two were sucking face like there was no tomorrow.

"Unbelievable," Marsha sighed, grunting away while keeping her staring at them through the front mirror. "At least put your seatbelts on, I am not getting pulled over because you lesbians can't wait until we get back to the crappy motel to have sex, or whatever you guys do."

"Shut up and drive," Leia snarled, then winking away at Marsha while Gwen kissed around her neck delightfully, licking her tongue and rubbing her lips around. "Ah... Ah, Gwen, babe-" Leia let herself fall back first onto the seats, letting the brunette of the same height of five-foot-four have her way with the ringleader's suave, cream-white body.

Gwen had always been a female with a light tan layer of skin, and in reality, the Harris girl was a mixed girl of an interracial romance composed of American and African-American. Her father, Benjamin Harris was a black man, born and raised in the area of Harlem in New York; and her mother, formerly Anne Lundgher, of German descent, lived most of her life around the southeastern part of the States. They'd met at a jazz club late one night early in the twenty-first century, and from then on, marriage happened, a good life for them, and sweet little Gwen came into the picture. It was a happy, quiet life for the three- until Gwen reached her rebellious years and deviated from the image they had. It would go away eventually, right? But even then, she flat-out jumped into the heavy winds and was led far away from that, floating away like a leaf that broke away from the tree branch it hung on, forever falling to new grounds. Only, could she ever say she was such a leaf to be disregarded by the massive world? And what of Leia and Marsha? Were they also leaves?

Marsha turned on the radio to tune out the horny kittens smooching in the back. _"-Here live with special guests Loanne Wardell and Jennifer Welch, here to talk to us about their new movie titled Dementiation, coming out this fall! So, uh, Miss Wardell, care to share what exactly this new project is about?" _

_"Thanks for having us, Renee, haha. Um, I don't get to be in enough radio talk shows for this, but not being in front of a camera feels so right!" The young actress on the other end let out a soft, hearty laugh before continuing. "This movie Jen and I are starring in is called Under the Laughing Smile. It's one of those, erm, thriller types filled with food for thought, like, really. Script has been read, the whole story is good and there are these-"_

_"Hang on, Loanne. Renee is asking for the plot, right? Oh, you natural blonde, you!" Three women laughed at the same time, making light of the joke. "It's about these girls who meet and become friends, only for one of the girls to show a really disturbing dark side, and naturally, we're the ones playing those lead roles. And no, the whole team behind this project are keeping which one of us it is a secret until the movie is out, and even then, there's alot of these misleading things that will make you assume and believe it's either her or me, a great mind-"_ Beep._ "-and that's why there won't actually be a long trailer, just a tease of about thirty seconds or so."_

_"Oh? Well, that's interesting to here, and I like that. Keeping it hush-hush to hype up the suspense. By that reasoning, will it be a slow paced thing or...?"_

_Loanne coughed right into the microphone. "Well, the film is going for gothic vibes, and seeing as how Ari Aster has written and directed it- If you listeners don't know, this is the same director who worked Hereditary and Midsommar- And you would be wise to trust that he has all these creepy visuals and surprises in store throughout the film. Obviously, I can't say any really big spoilers but there's this scene involving a character, a mirror shard and some... Oooh, I don't wanna really say it, it's literally too gross to put in words."_

_"A fridge full of intestines," Jennifer Welch dropped coldly, leading to more laughter. "I'm kidding! But yeah, we've had quite some shocks here and there, but I really enjoyed being on set and seeing some familiar actors and actresses I used to see only on the television."_

Marsha changed the station. "Wardell this, Wardell that. She'd better go back to comedy sitcoms. She did those justice."

_"Momentum and Velocity were at it again in the fine morning hours in downtown New York, where they've stopped a purse snatched! That's unbelievable, you've got two girls, a pair of blondes going at super, insanely fast speeds like if they were actual human bullets, going around and stopping any criminal activity! Yes, I choose this over those bloodthirsty vigilantes like those in silly comic books. Nobody like the Punisher, but someone just like the Flash! Now, I know that these two operate just outside the law, but in this city, where the crime rate is at a dramatically high point these days, weeks and even months, there had to be a different solution. You know what I think this is? This is God at work, He has given us a pair of miracles. Beautiful guardian angels to slowly restore the hope and faith lost in the years! There is no other explanation-"_

_"Well, while we can agree that these women, strange heroes who came from nowhere, are doing good in the public eye, I personally believe it is a dangerous thing for the public at the same time. Sooner or later, someone will wish to emulate what it is they do, and what do they do, McCoughley? They fight crime and do it fairly simple. That's because they have powers, unlike the rest of humanity. What if someone dons a suit and delude themselves into thinking it simply is that easy, but are killed while trying to stop crime? Simply put, the message Velocity and Momentum are radiating is that anyone can do as they want, and that it would not be hard to beat up or take upon a mugger. Why, this is wrong, and if the girls were any smart, they'd stand down and give themselves up, or hang up the suits and live normal lives. And no, I do not think they are angels from heaven. They have to be actual people- Come on, surely you heard of the conspiracies? These girls have to be products of illegal science. Vial Corp, or Kapacity have to be behind it. Isn't it odd that the increase of missing persons cases elevated after Vial Corp was established in the world?"_

_"Oh, here we go! For someone to make such a bold accusation such as this one you make now-"_

_"I am not accusing anyone, my friend, I'm just saying it is very suspicious-"_

"Where is the music?" Marsha scoffed. "All just news and stuff-"

_"Don't miss Stranger Things season nine, streaming midnight, only on-"_

"They got rid of the main cast!" Marsha complained. "Fuck that."

"Just play a CD," Leia exhaled, her hands running and exploring the landscape that was Gwen's body.

It wasn't long before they had arrived back at the motel they were staying at for a few days. This motel, a Super 8 one, had none of its rules being followed, and the manager, an obese Asian man, was accepting the underage buckaroos of renting a room for the money, due to the lacking clientele received as the years had gone by. Nowadays, nobody was coming here to hook up anymore just like the golden days. Leia and Gwen exited the car fast before Marsha set it to park and switched off the engine.

Their room had only two beds, which led to someone having to sleep with a bonus person. This automatically put Leia and Gwen together with no reluctant hesitation. They really acted like a couple at this point in time, cuddling, snuggling and sometimes sleeping on each other's chest. Leia was the one usually on top of Gwen on most nights, if not, she was being spooned lovingly by her.

Right now, the two bisexual girls took their making out to the bed while Marsha handled the rest. She had taken the cash and a gray backpack she grabbed from the trunk, dumping out the contents from the backpack onto her bed. Fake IDs, rolls of cash, folded papers, tools and a box of gloves came falling out. She added their additional cash to the mix, counting what they had right this second, which turned out to be almost eight hundred. Not bad at all, but they needed more, and they knew they could hit up bigger takes, find the better fish at an untapped ocean they'd not come across.

The folded papers were of lists of the rich locals around here; their homes; some surveillance stuff, including photographs; and the last one was an poster ad of a party behind held at the Tetherby Manor just upstate of here. "Hey, who put this...?" Marsha examined the ad;

**It's here, it's now! A spectular wow! Don't miss the Paige Tetherby Ultimate Sweet Sixteen Extravaganza on March 26, 9PM, only at the Tetherby Manor, at the edge of Wilson Boulevard, Royal Woods, Michigan!**

"Yo Leia, Gwen, the fat fuck's throwing a party for his granddaughter later this month!" Marsha showed them the info on the poster, shaking it in between her fingers. "Hey, you know we have to get into this party! Just think-" She formed a devious wide smirk that was one inch from breaking through her face, ripping her cheeks apart. "We can walk away with riches, and none of this pickpocket shit! We're just nickel-and-dime bitches, let's be honest, but here, it can all change!"

Leia lightly pushed Gwen off, planting her feet down on the fuzzy carpet. "Nickel and dime, huh? I mean, maybe we have been doing low hits and scores, but something this big? We might as well be committing grand larceny. Oh wait! Yeah, that's what the fuck you are proposing!" She slapped her hands on her head and shook away. "Fuck no, small scores have less risk. Now what would a family of what, millionaires? Billionaires? What would they do? They can destroy us fairly simple is what, and I am not going to go to jail just because they had six-figure crack-and-crevice lawyers in their back pockets!"

There was a moment of silence right after Leia had her little hysterical fit. She was really afraid of messing with the wrong people, and the fine print had always guaranteed danger in the unforeseen ways they wished they could predict. Rich folks had power, able to buy out anyone for jsut about anything, and she knew that better than anyone-

_No, don't... Don't think about it, Leia. It happened years ago... Years ago when you were- _She exhaled sharply, coming back into reality only right after a rapid, flashing image of a burning minivan entered her brain, instantly igniting the hidden trauma she tried to conceal, lock away as if it was a nothing that never had a place on the outer surface. No need to open up to it, or to remind herself of what had happened years ago. Gwen and Marsha understood this and kept their silence for the sake of Leia's mental health, sticking to her always and forever when Leia was really alone in the world, feeling alone in the world. Not even aunt and uncle, they who had taken her under their wing, were close enough to understand Leia. How could they? They were adults, grown out of their adolescent phases and forgot was it was like to be a child. Hmph, Leia, a child due what life had not given her. No love from her birth parents, but only raised and groomed to get into that which they wanted. You'd know how it was, and Leia was pretty much okay with it, until she learned the hard way how they handled and used the amount of power they had.

To put in plainly, daddy was the mayor of the city of Greenwood of Pennsylvania, the hometown of all three girls. Daddy was also corrupt, having had bad connections with folks whom he hired to send messages, and more stuff that the fool had actually put into the computer on his office at city hall. Leia had accessed it when sge thought she could change the grades of some kids who paid her to do it- and wound up with more than she could bargain for.

People who did drugs, suffering from withdrawal, those were the ones he used as his slaves to do his bidding, rigging the politics game in Greenwood to ensure the ideal-sharing fuckers could win by default. The other guys, the opponents of his friends, turned up dead, injured or sick to be able to follow through. All of that, and the minor stuff less serious than this, was backed into a drive, saved by Marsha. This was their leverage, the advantage should they get arrested or stopped by law enforcement, a mere get-out-of-trouble wild card that could be used for a couple of times before Mayor Prescott put his foot down and made a serious move against his daughter and her pack.

And Leia was thinking too small by not releasing it to the public, but rather keeping it dangled around her neck and concealed under her shirt. As of now, that's where it was, just an inch above her growing pair of breasts. If she dropped it, would daddy dearest be distracted with all on his plate when reporters and detectives arrived at the office? What was she doing, if not using it? Why did she resort to put it to use as a repellent when she could end the search party he had going on for the hard drive? Why did she-?

She gasped when she distinctly reminded herself that he wasn't- _Right, how can I ever forget? You will never be him. _

"I'm in," Gwen had decided ultimately, having been on board for The Big One, the one grand heist that needed days' worth of planning, scheming, surveillance/reconnaissance, and more. They had the basic experience for it, but in a big place that was likely to be heavily guarded and crowded with multiple, potential witnesses, well, that was expert-level shit, a whole new level that they had not graduated to. Leia had known this, believing they were still rookies to pull it off, however perfect it would be. But Gwen and Marsha- why did they think otherwise when being on board? What was it that made them decide this would be it, the supposed Big One? Was it too early for it, or was the timing just right? The timing, where Leia wanted to wait until she was ready and comfortably cozy to look at the list of big scores they could take, and for obvious reasons, banks and jewelry stores were not set in their crosshairs. Nor did they have the firepower to do that shit, and agreed that would be crazy. Even worse, the appearance of two superspeed heroines had put the fear of God into the trio. Even as far away from New York as they were, they still had to he cautious and wary around their antics.

"You what the fuck?!" Leia slapped Gwen on the knee with medium force. "No, we'd be jumping into an insane hit! This isn't gonna be a random mugging case, it's the Tetherbys, not some person who can be so easily duped by my body!"

"Leia, what's with you?" Gwen inquired. "It's like you're actually scared-"

"What? Me? Ha, scared! Don't be so fucking ridiculous, we've come a long way with this, if I were scared-"

Marsha plopped her shoulders upward once. "Okay, then let's take them!" She shook away at the poster ad, covering the bottom half of her face. "Show us that you mean what you say!"

"Hmph!" Leia was challenged, but tricked into it. Her pride was too massive, and that which she could not afford to diminish even by one percent. She straddled her legs, concentrating her hands to her tiny hips, head leaning forward to Marsha's direction. "Oh, I will, and if we go down in history-"

"We're not gonna fall," Marsha assured, increasing her tone pitch. "And it'll only be one time! One time, Leia!"

Gwen crawled on her knees, moving her way to Leia and caressed her shoulders, massaging her in a suave and firmly gentle manner. "Baby, come on, you know we'd have to play in the big leagues eventually. Why not sooner than anticipated?" Her tender red lips pecked upon the back of Leia's neck, and then the brunette placed her body around the reluctant Leia, and actually thrusted her pelvis against the latter girl's sexy, yet underage booty. "Where did I put the dildo?"

Leia squealed and blushed hard red, forcing herself back. "Gweeeeeen!" Leia brought a hand to her mouth, letting the giggles fly about.

The brunette moved back, snickering her seductive laughter away while keeping her stare at precious little perky Leia. "Baby girl..." She grabbed Leia's top and dragged the sleeves downwards which brought the top to follow lead, exposing Leia's bare, tiny tits that Gwen had gotten hungry for. "Come to mama, doll baby..."

In a matter of moments, and a quick development too fast for Marsha to catch up on, Gwen had her whole head pressed against one of Leia's breasts, while a hand groped the other, fingers twirling the hardened nipple with great enjoyment for Leia. The cure blonde with pigtails moaned in sexual satisfaction, her own pale hands running amidst the skin of her marvelous, stunningly beautiful seductor once they dug their way under her clothes. And from there, Leia was soon eating Gwen out, having a taste of yummy, scrumptious pussy with a rather fishy odor that went along with it, the same one she had grown to familiarize herself with, an odor she had to endure while her tongue explored that narrow cave of moist meat all readied up with her name on it. Gwen twitched, reacting with bodily jumps and jerks when Leia placed her tongue in that particular sweet spot, closer steps to make her orgasm. And orgasm she most certainly did; she leaned diagonally backwards, closed her eyes and let the graceful feel of heaven come entering her body through Leia. She moaned with great satisfaction, cupping a hand to her breast. And then she finally thought to get fully naked, which was surprising to her as she figured she would have gotten off her clothes by then.

Marsha covered herself with blankets and turned away from the horny kitty cats, feeling awkward and somewhat embarrassed. _I really need a boyfriend..._

It went on for awhile, advancing to the two girls locked with each other in a sinful dance of physical passion when they, having stripped themselves free from their clothes. Their young bodies entangled with each other's own, soft skin being felt by their lustful embrace. Gwen had her way, scissoring her partner and squirting the secreted liquids from her body. They both let out orgasmic, sexually content sighs and moans, getting hot somewhere along the way. Gwen's pair of boobs, tanner ones in comparison to Leia's, bobbed more. Leia pulled Gwen by her arms and leaned back, taking the brunette with her. Again, they regrouped closer, and Gwen let her mouth, those perfectly suave lips, run down the jungle of Leia's body for her to explore again. The same routes, the same encounter, and the perfect chest she could agree to not only see, but feel, which was only due to Geen never being lain with another woman to know. But for her, and vice versa, the two were damn perfect for each other. Perfect now, but really, it wasn't like that. It never was, but they had their fun again, and let themselves believe that they were in love again, and the cycle would continue from there. Come tomorrow, when they woke up stained and naked next to each other, it would be different. It would be the reality, and it would be that which Leia hated the most.

Hated, because Gwen didn't go past that tunnel that led into the grand heaven they knew they could have. Leia wanted it, had known what she wanted, and hoped that she'd get it. She was the one that went further, coming into the figurative clearing of the vast, open field. A grassy landscape with the sun's rays casting downwards unto her, and only her. Behind her, Gwen was there, and would be there hiding from it, denying herself that which could ascend to true love to blossom between them. She did not take it, a mystery with the answer lost on Leia. And they would often be sharing at each other in question, both of them trying to make it so that they understood the other and figure it out. Their only compromise would not be one for long. One fine day, come tomorrow, Gwen would no longer be letting Leia eat her out and have sex with her.

Teenage girls, am I right?

The last one of the two to fall asleep would be Leia, laying awake right underneath the naked Gwen who used her breasts as pillows, adjusting herself quite a few times, moving the sheets as she did so. It took long enough for her to catch up to the nap, and by then, they were snoring lightly, and Marsha had begun to look into the Tetherby heist as the girls slept.

**Later**

Gwen came out of the shower, drying her hsir with a white towel while a second one covered up her upper body. "Alright, so what are we looking at?" She sat down on the edge of the bed she shared with Leia while the latter girl remained laid on the bed when she had finished hers.

Marsha coughed to clear her throat before she started sharing her findings. "This party is a yearly thing, thrown for Lord Tetherby's grandkids, which means only three. Paige Tetherby, Kathleen Tetherby, and Ryan Tetherby. Three parties every year at the Tetherby Manor in Royal Woods, Michigan, and family is always a certainty- all families tied to the Tetherby clan, and not just by blood. Here..." She tossed her phone into Leia's hands, phone opened to YouTube, playing a video of someone having filmed about twenty minutes of one of the previous parties. "Nightly ones, going for hours, even up past midnight."

The party in view did not seem like a child-oriented party, but that of an adult get-together, an odd case for some kid's birthday bash. "Hmmmm..." Leia sat up and moved to the edge, showing Gwen. "Look."

"Even up past midnight...?" Gwen repeated, bringing it into question. "These don't have time-stamps-"

"But Facebook does, and there are a lot of posts of them. Ten o'clock, ten-thirty. Eleven. Twelve-forty-five! Various people, and not just family! It won't be hard to get in! Maybe we could sneak in but we'd have to dress for the occasion to fit in with the crowd. We'd have to do scout runs on the house, get the blueprints, and mark the drop places-"

"We know what to do," Leia eased, pressing a finger to her lips. "Callate la pinche voca!"

"You spent too much time with that Mexican girl..." Gwen pulled the phone away and paused the video, returning the device to Marsha. "Okay, but Michigan is a long drive, and I am not road-trip ready!"

Marsha checked her fingernails, and then shifted her head around the room. Finally, she turned back to Gwen. "Are you ready now?"

The wet girl exhaled and formed a goofy smile. "Of course I am! Hang on, I just gotta get dressed..." And Gwen winked to Leia, another tease that played into her feelings.

"Oh, you...-" Leia watched as Gwen dropped her towel, displaying her naked body out in the open.

Marsha twitched and eyed a different direction, grunting. "You guys are really like cat and mouse, you know that?"

Gwen reached for one of three blue medium-sized suitcases placed right by the dresser in front of the beds, dragging it to her bed. Leia scooted to the corner, helplessly staring at the merciless Gwen's features. "Please stop-"

Gwen began quickly dressing back up, choosing a pink shirt with no bra underneath, and over it, a teal hooded sweater, along with black leggings and jean shorts that really brought out her ass, these ones being the type she loved to wear. Once that was over, Gwen further poked the trapped bear by placing a foot on the bed and running a hand on her thigh and dragging it upwards in the most seductive way possible, making googly eyes at Leia in the process. "Later-"

Leia crossed her arms, turning red from either anger or lust. "Oh, I'm going to strap the dildo on me and I'm going to fuck you like a man," she promised without realizing what she had said.

Gwen and Marsha gave each other funny looks, both of them having raised their eyebrows.

"Oh my God, I've gone this far..." Leia realized.

"We'd best get going," Marsha reminded them, pointing a thumb to the exit. "The sooner, the faster we'll reap the rewards, and I so want to get all we can milk them dry for, and after that, no more. I want to be done, don't you gals wish so too?"

"I mean..." Leia gulped, rubbing at her arm. "I've had fun doing these, and I enjoyed running with you..." She advanced to the door without so much as a foostep, going to put her pink Sketchers brand sneakers on. "It's amazing how we haven't been caught, it's like some force is telling us we shouldn't stop for shut, but this job, this... Targeting of actual rich, powerful folk, is that our final X-marks-the-spot officially?"

"Yes, Leia, we can be done forever, and now we can focus on..." Gwen raised a finger, pointing to the nightstand in between the beds, where the necklace containing the hard drive was resting upon. "You know what we need to do..."

Leia made a look of discontent. "I... Yeah, my... Father-" Her head drooped down, expressing fear and some faint misery, visible by the other's eyes. They reached to her and Gwen gave her a friendly consolation via a simple hand-to-shoulder reliever with a smile. "Th-thanks."

"Leia, you know we love you, but you know what you've gotta do," Marsha heavily implored.

"Yeah, well..." She sighed and moved up from the bed, trying to elude the hell of her thoughts and mind. "It's going to become hell for both us and him, just to be clear."

"I know the nature of our situation, yes," Marsha nodded to, keeping her serious face intact. "I'm willing to take it, whatever the shit will be, and I won't leave your side."

"Neither will I," admitted Gwen. "Whatever Mayor Shit-father throws your way, we'll take on together, and that's a promise! The three of us, the...- Say, we need a name for ourselves, girls! Maybe a group codename, you know, like-"

Marsha flapped her bottom lip with a finger, considering it. "Well, I don't see why not! We only live once, right?" Her eyes pushed past the two girls, centering on the blue luggage they've brought with them. "Blue... Blue... Ladies?"

"Ladies? How about girls?" Leia suggested.

"Sense of empowerment is critical," Gwen thought. "We girls have a place just as much as the men do! So, with that being said..."

Leia and Marsha awaited for Gwen to drop the name.

"Blue dames!" Gwen launched her arms into the air, waving them side to side with a great enthusiastic attitude.

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter VI: Blue Dames**

* * *

**March 18th, 2030 **

The black drone, a thousand-dollar design with high-end features, flew around Tetherby Manor and kept its distance from being spotted. Marsha was controlling the thing, and zoomed its camera to the maximum it could zoom. The windows were transparent if not opened, fortunate for them at the time. "There's also a kitchen on the second floor! Left side of it, second window!"

"Marked!" Gwen was in the back seat, writing up the schematics of the house. The front and right side had been done, the gathering of the layout going in a clockwise position. "Good exit?"

"There's a row of hedges down there, good landing spots, totally chevy."

"Chevy indeed," Gwen agreed with joy. They were parked three blocks away down the street, surveying the target abode from inside their whip. "Less than ten days on it, are you stoked? Cause, I know I am!"

Marsha drew the drone more to the left, controlling it with her phone. "Place is so fucking wide- Oh, hey, I've got a room here..." At the back end, Marsha came across a room, a girl-oriented one at that, decorated with pink custom walls, boy band posters, and a queen bed with Disney princess covers and two pillows set at the bed with some exquisite craftsmanship on its boards. "A girl's room, Mark it!"

"Marked! Is that it-?"

"The whole backyard remains to be seen," Marsha reminded her, flying the drone further into the manor. Then, she stopped and let the drone remain still when she saw a collective of folk assembled on the field. Two men were seemingly talking, and the rest of the people, all men, were lined up closer to the house. Guards. These were guards. Flying closer, in a lower altitude, she recognized Lord Tetherby as one of the men, and- "Holy shit, that's..."

Gwen leaned over from the backseat and took a glance over Marsha's shoulder. "That's Peter McMahon, that state senator dude! What the hell is he doing there with Tetherby? I didn't know they were friends...?"

Marsha shook her head. "News says they were having a feud over Kapacity Korp for a few weeks now."

"Huh?" Gwen wasn't one who watched or read news that often, but Marsha, the brainiac girl of the trio, was. "Why for?"

"Didn't you know? Tetherby wants to buy out Kapacity Korp, take control of it, and McMahon has lost his proverbial shit over it cause he wants to buy it himself for some reason. I guess they realized they've undermined Korp's value, can't blame them for that. Vial Corp and Mandel Industries are the top two science firms across the nation."

Gwen tried to catch up to Marsha, but found that she was not on her level. "Uh-huh... So, why are they meeting here? And for what reason?"

"I seriously don't know, maybe this is some meeting regarding it. Maybe Tetherby is stepping aside?" Marsha pulled back the drone. "We can't get a visual with them in sight, I'll just have to delay it for tomorrow, but we've got enough, right?"

Gwen returned to the back seat with the sheet in her hand. "All entry slash exit points are located and that's excluding the chimney. Now, the second floor points are the suitable exit strats for us, but getting in there will be just as hard. Wanna try sneaking in or going in through legitimate means?"

Just then, Leia arrived with a cupholder tray containing three large drinks from a nearby Jamba Juice. "Hey babes, what's chevy?"

"Just in time, Leia!" Gwen snatched her mango drink, sipping away after jamming the straw inside. "Marsha has stumbled into a conspiracy."

"Con... What?" Leia put hers and Marsha's drinks in the car's cup holders, abandoning the tray to the back. "What are you taking about?"

"Tetherby and Peter McMahon is what," Marsha filled in. "He's literally here, doing-"

"Ah, uh-" Leia held a finger up to Marsha. "I don't know who that is..."

And the black girl sank back into her chair, rolling her eyes. "How are we friends?"

"Hey, politics are complicated, why do people bother?" Leia sipped her chocolate drink in tiny gulps.

"You're not participating, it's just listening to the news," Marsha countered logically.

"Eh, I'd rather watch Victoria's Secret stuff," the blonde brushed off. "I wanna look good for The One, you know?" Gwen choked midway, driving a smile to Leia's face, and she had to pretend she didn't notice.

"Leia, you are so..." Marsha bopped her on the head once, clicking her tongue. "Anyways, we've covered the outer surveillance and assessed all entrances."

"Glamorous shit!" Leia exclaimed happily. "I went around and heard the word on the street about it. Hella teens are talking about this party, and apparently this Paige girl pleaded to dear old granddad to let her invite many of her friends, classmates and whoever else she could bring into it. At no doubt there'll have to be strangers, so like, we're looking at a Project X scenario."

Gwen snorted. "Way to compare our plans to media, girl."

Leia stuck her tongue out at the backseater. "Whatever, the point is, it'll be big and we might get in easily, our only lucky pass. Then from there-"

**March 26, 2030 - 8:52 PM**

Gwen chose a dark red dress and silver high-heels, with these damned heels giving her feet a problematic walking stance. She was accompanied by Leia, the latter girl wearing something more formal; an orange mini shirt that revealed her skin, and any shorter would have also dropped visible underboob to appease the male masses inside, and that came along with white yoga pants and plain sneakers. The night was only getting cold, and both of them had to shake it off if they wanted to drive away the attention. They walked along with other teenagers, girls dressed similarly to them, and some of the boys were in tuxedo suits or dressed like it was a hot day in Hawaii; no one had really known the dress code for the party, it seemed, but did anyone bat an eye? There were also some few adults here and there, those which both girls guessed had to be the Tetherby family members.

The manor was big- and guarded by security, as shown when two men in business-like suits stood like statues, watching over the many people coming to celebrate this sweet sixteen of the girl the Blue Dames did not know in any way at all. Right on the streets, both sides were crowded in traffic with the many cars scattered all over the place, and the "safe" assumption was made, this one being that no one from nearby homes would be leaving at these hours.

Blue Dames. What a name Leia wasn't really fancying yet. Pink Dames, now that sounded nice. No time to dwell on it, they entered in, coming into view of a crowd forming just before they got into the living room. They were greeted by a fat, elderly man, Lord Tetherby himself, with a microphone at hand, standing at the staircase just in front of them, circled on by the crowd of teenagers and adults. "Good evening, good evening! I'm sure you all know my name by now, so we can skip the pleasant formalities! Thank you for coming tonight, and I surely hope that you all have a great time of your young lives tonight! Now, without further ado-"

The doors that led further into the household were opened by the butlers on the Tetherby payroll, allowing the juveniles inside. The party had just begun, but there was no sign of the birthday girl, rather strange for Leia and Gwen to take notice of.

**Minutes Later**

Leia sipped some raspberry punch, looming over the crowd of talkers and dancers while some dubstep played from the stereos placed all over the wide living room. The party was too big that it had expanded to the kitchen and out to the backyard, but they remained put, mainly scoping for the movements of the guards. "Tetherby isn't in it, so he must be upstairs, right?"

"Oh, totally," Gwen agreed. "He surely must be old that he hates these social events... Erm, that would be a guess."

Leia tilted her head up. "So the rooms-"

"His is on the right, far end. Valuables there for sure, right?" Gwen leaned against the wall, sighing. "Marsha, oh Marsha, where art thou?"

"You know the deal, hon," Leia reminded her. "We don't know her when she arrives, she drinks a lot of beer and becomes the distraction. The rest you already know."

"Yeah, just as we've gone over it. Everyone tends to her and I scamper away with a guy... Or a girl. Welp, I guess I better make the most of it and find me a sucker."

"Hey..." Leia put down her punch back at the refreshment table. "Gwen, um... I- I want to be with you..."

For one second, they looked into each other's eyes deeply, but Gwen broke away the stare. "I know that, I know what you want, sweetie. This isn't the time-"

It pushed Leia then and there, compelling her to slap and lock a hand to her crush's wrist, gripping tightly with utmost seriousness. "We have time to kill, let's talk. Please, I'm fucking begging you."

The medium-haired brunette only scattered her eyes down, unsure of what to say. "Leia, don't-"

"How long will we be going at this? We're basically part of a light switch at this point, you keep us down and I don't! I want to steal your heart, I want to make you love me the way I do you, not to use me as a silly friends with benefits case!" She locked hands with Gwen, nearly crying. "I love you, I've been in love with you- Why aren't you-?"

And suddenly, much to Leia's surprise, Gwen snapped her hands away and took a step back, breathing heavily. "Because I don't like you like that..."

There it was, there was that heartbreaking truth of the matter, forced out of Gwen who was backed into the corner by her sex parter. The words, shiny daggers that struck into her heart invisibly. "...What? What do you mean you-?" She gulped and stopped herself, forcing a weird smile to cover up the heat of the pain that formed. Her face had gone hot, and she felt lightheaded quite a bit. It made no sense for poor little Leia.

"I'm sorry," Gwen muttered softly. "I just didn't know that until too late..."

And Leia was trying to find a reason to grin, to shove this wall away, but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her for it, and there was so little she could do. "I can't believe you- You led me on-"

"Leia-" Gwen flinched at this, shaking her head to deny this. "No, that was not my intention! I'm sorry, I didn't-"

It was enough to make the blonde retreat, and that's exactly what she did; Leia broke away from their protocol, letting her feelings get the better of her. Gwen was unable to stop her, finding herself guilty enough that she didn't try to. It was her fault, and she understood that. All of these times giving Leia what she wanted- who could ever know she would fall for Gwen? That is to say, if it was love.

Leia was lost within the crowd in seconds.

"Shit!" Gwen berated herself. "Stupid, stupid!"

"I'll say," a voice replied near her. "You basically gave that cutie the middle finger!" Gwen turned to the voice,; a wavy-haired blonde girl in a purple dress and black heels couldn't help but smile and laugh at her, but she made them fade away seconds into their stare. "You gonna go after her? I would, she's pretty hot."

"You mind?" Gwen didn't like intruding bystanders.

"Yeah, I do," the girl scoffed, snorting with indirect hostility. "From what I can tell, you, what, led her on for how long? Massively fucked up if I do say so myself."

She sighed. "Wow, thanks for that. Klljoy."

"Hey, don't hang me for what you did," the random partygoer continued. "If you don't go, I will. Uh, say, what's her name?"

"That's Leia..." Gwen's brain worked again. "Wait, why am I telling you this? Who are you, anyway?"

"Oh, hey," the girl raised her arms up as if she was being arrested, "Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Allison. Allison Taggart."

"Full name formalities, huh? Is that even your real name, Allison?"

"You don't have to believe me, but it is. I'd show you my ID but I didn't bring it tonight."

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "A likely story..." Nevertheless, she shook Allison's hand. "Gwendolyn Harris, but just Gwen mainly."

"Oooh, I like that name," Allison complimented.

"Thanks..." Gwen shot her hesd to the crowd in an effort to spot Leia. Nothing. "There might be some truth to what you said. I fucked up and I know it."

"So then, go fix it," Allison giggled, almost mocking her. "Shouldn't be too hard, I'm sure."

"I don't know..." Gwen ran a finger to her hair and played with it, mind not all the way there. "I didn't want to hurt her, I really didn't."

"Understandable, but if this was your first time, you have more of a chance to wrap it up again. So go, Gwen. Go find her and make it up to her."

"How?"

Allison went up to Gwen, coming close. "Walk up to her like this, aaaand-" Allison then leaned her face to Gwen's and kissed her softly. The brunette's eyes widened momentarily, then closed to return Allison's advance. As they kissed, a couple of nearby partygoers hooted and cheered for these two members of the LGBT community. So much for keeping a low profile. Pulling back, Allison smiled widely. "Like that, see? Oh, and, you're a great kisser, what a bonus."

Gwen blushed. "Y-yeah... Okay, I-I guess I'd better-"

"Yes, of course. I'll see you later, I guess." Allison helped herself to some punch, drinking away as Gwen entered the sea of teenagers, pushing right into the crowd. She looked around for Leia here, and when she didn't find her, she led herself to the extended parts of the wide rave-like festive. And Leia was located, sitting upon the counter of the kitchen, watching other couples make out around her. Gwen joined her, taking notice that Leia's eyeliner had come undone, making a pair of black, smear messes around her eyes. "Hey..."

Leia didn't take her eyes off the lovers around her.

"Leia, I'm sorry," Gwen apologized. "I never meant to hurt you like this. Please don't think I was just messing with your head... I do love it when we..." She looked at the other teens sucking face with each other. "Well, you know, that. And I don't know, Leia. I don't know if I could ever amount to what you want. I feel like you just want the one thing, and I want more..." She delved into deeper territory. "I want to do more before I commit myself to someone... To you-"

Leia winced.

"I know you want to jump in, but I feel like that's too fast for us, and it's... It's like almost entrapment for me. I... I do have feelings for you, Leia. I really do. But, I don't want a relationship yet."

"Yet," Leia repeated. "Is that-?"

"I just want more time-"

"What if you forget? And if we fade?" Leia had begun to poke her own fears at Gwen. "What if you-?"

"Leia, no... I won't be like them, I could never-" Gwen took her by the hands and dragged her back down on her feet. "Marsha and I have been with you, and we'll all walk to the ends of the earth, that's always been the promise I don't ever want to break." She kissed her forehead.

"You..." Leia stuttered. "More time... Why?"

"Because..." Gwen sniffed. "I want to live. I'm scared shitless, Leia. All the time, cause of what we do. Tonight is the end of our era, and we get to live after this. You, me and Marsha, Leia! We'll be free from this, and-"

Leia involuntarily stopped Gwen's speech and shoved her mouth into hers, and they kissed as lovers this time. Lovers who showed bits of themselves, rendering themselves as fragile humans for each other. Girls who had known what they wanted, and also when they wanted it. Leia, never liking it, but had to compromise so that Gwen could run freely. And Gwen, still fulfilling for Leia however she could, cause if anything, Leia needed the both of them, the medicine to her sick being.

Pulling back, Gwen uttered the three words into Leia's ear. "I love you."

And Leia squeaked like the little girl she was inside.

**Later**

The static of a microphone echoed back at the entrance, and this brought most of the teenagers and adults to assemble to the noise. Meanwhile, Marsha had not shown up yet, and Leia and Gwen were getting impatient. "Not like her to be late."

"I don't know, maybe she's hit a roadblock?" Gwen thought as she and Leia pursued the crowd.

At the staircase, Tetherby- and the special guest of a man with short, brown hair, a thick mustache, glasses, and in a nice tuxedo suit, were assembled to make some sort of announcement. And yet, the birthday girl had still not shown up yet. Things were getting stranger by the second. No Marsha, no Paige, and the appearance of- "Hey, that's that one guy, uh, Petey McLaughlin?"

"No, Peter McMahon," Gwen corrected. "This has got to be a follow-up to what we saw back then."

"Good evening, younglings," Tetherby spoke into the mic, "I hope you've been having a good time, but I wanted to pause this very briefly to make a special announcement. Now, as some of you have been watching on the news, my good friend Peter and I have been quarreling over who gets to buy the science firm Kapacity Korp. Well, all that ends tonight officially-"

Leia turned around, trying to spot the guards. Only, there weren't any, a really unnerving fact when it should have been decorated with them, considering a powerful figure was in their presence. "Hey," sje whispered to Gwen, "No guards around."

"What?" Gwen followed lead and glanced counter-clockwise. Leia was right. "What does this mean?"

"-I am pleased to announce a partnership between me and McMahon, in which we have both agreed to settle our differences and combine our funds to buy Kapacity Korp!"

And then, a wave of cheers and claps filled the air, an atmosphere of good vibes and fortune that were sent their way. And then the shooting, the sound of jackhammers going off at once, had started just as soon as the announcement had been made. The state senator fell first, being struck by the shooter. The panicked screaming started just as soon as the rounds started flying, and Every one was retreating either to the exit or further back into the manor. Gwen, frozen stiff, looked to the source of the shooting; a muzzle flash from above only told her the shooter was looking down at the from the roof, a custom-made hole fit for the occasion.

It didn't stop there, as the shooter, concealed in the dark of the night, fired at Tetherby, fiddling his body with a hailstorm of bullets. It pierced him, sending him falling down the stairs as he left a mess of blood behind him on the steps. He groaned and wheezed until he stopped rolling, and by the time he was down on the floor, he died from his neck being snapped.

Leia grabbed Gwen and dragged her out while running. "STOP FUCKING STARING!"

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" They raced to the streets alongside others who scattered in various directions. Marsha was the one with the car, and they had no idea where she was at the moment.

Then, Leia received a call from Marsha. "Hey, hey!"

"Answer it! Holy shit, holy shit, did- Did that just happen?! Did we just survive that?!"

"Marsha, where the fuck are you?!" Leia screamed into her phone.

_"Down the street, her car is parked on the third block from the Tetherby place. She's in the trunk, unconscious. Don't ever call this phone again." _

"Wait, what?!" But the caller had hung up before Leia got anymore insight. "H-hello?!"

"What did Marsha say?"

Leia sprinted to the directions given to her. "Run over here!"

When they found Marsha's car, Leia went in quickly to open the trunk with a button found on the underside. Inside, there was the black girl, mouth duct taped, hands tied behind her back, and underneath her, multiple photographs of the three commiting their theft crimes, and then a message taped on her back. Leia took it, a folded paper she opened;

**We know who you are, we know what you've done. Tonight you serve your true purpose. Run, little girls. **

"Oh, my God..." Leia went ghostly pale, becoming a statue as Gwen ripped off the duct tape from Marsha's face, causing her to scream out.

"Sorry, sorry!" Gwen puffed. "Here, let me get you-!" She picked up Marsha from her shoulders and dragged her upper body out. "Stand up when I pull you out!"

"No shit!" Marsha was out of there in seconds, and was soon standing. "Oh, God... Oh, God, I-"

"What happened?! Who did this to you?!"

"Who?!" Marsha was flabbergasted to have been asked such a dumbass question. "Look at these pictures! Someone not only knows, but has been following us to use this against us! And that same person, they knocked me the fuck out just as I was coming into the house! Next thing I knew, I was in a trunk, suffocating! Oh, my God, the shooting. I heard the shooting... I was scared-"

Gwen untied Marsha free from the ropes, letting them fall on the ground. "Get in, I'll explain this shit inside.

The girls got in and Marsha started the engine, quickly driving off into the night, just as a patrol of cop cars and an ambulance raced their way to the Tetherby Manor. "Shit, that's not chevy at all!"

"How did this happen?" Leia was hitting paranoia hours. "What is this all about?!"

"Hang on, we'll get to the bottom of this! Shit, what- This wasn't supposed to..."

They were freaking out, expressing wide fear, almost getting into the tears. Whatever happened, they'd soon find out, and when they did, they'd come to know that they had entered a whole new playing field, full of more dangerous foes. They'd come to know that, the second they escaped their own small lives, this was the fate destiny had planned for them. This was the dawn of a new tomorrow.

* * *

McMahon opened his eyes, having survived the apparent assassination attempt. The Kevlar body armor stopped all the bullets, but it still hurt him enough to fall backwards by force. That was the power of an M16 at work. And just in front of him, below the stairs, the assassin himself was there, one of a short stature, and concealed in dark clothing and a black ski mask. "You've done well," he told the assassin. "Now Kapacity Korp will be in Vial's hands in secrecy. You have done me proud..."

The hired hands took off his mask, and revealed himself to not be a male, but a female. Allison Taggart herself, and no other. "Thanks, uncle. Gave you all I know about the three girls, am I done here?"

"Rifle up on the nest as planned?" He inquired.

"And with the black girl's fingerprints, too. Let's see what the media has to say about that."

"Yes, indeed," McMahon agreed. "Return to the Black Network and report to Lisa. She will give you a new assignment."

"Sure thing," Allison triumphed, waving her corrupt uncle goodbye in the meantime. She then pulled back her left sleeve, revealing a metal watch-like device. With a few turns and taps on it, a swirling blue portal expanded into the air, allowing her to disappear inside.

Now, Vial Corporation had backstage access to all of Kapacity Korp's assets and data, but only the very second McMahon made the hard purchase. And with Tetherby now dead, no one stood in the way from Lisa Loud's ever-expanding dream. No one.

* * *

Paige was the fool who didn't want it at first. She locked herself in while it went on downstairs. Every single one of them, having fun. Friends, family, and random strangers. It wasn't until the shooting had begun where she found a reason to step out of her comfort zone, and looked down at the body of her dear old grandfather, destroyed savagely by the sight of this. McMahon was still there, looking down on Tetherby, and she assumed it was out of pity, a grieving state.

She let out a cry and ran to his body. She thought she could resurrect him with her cries, the words of her begging him to return to life. But he wasn't going to, and he never would again. Him, Reginald Tetherby, who threw this whole party for her, and she merely spat in his face by not coming down. The very last thing she said to him wirelessly, and now he was gone. Gone, leaving the world thinking she hated him. "Grandpa! Grandpa, please! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Her tiny tears fell upon his body, just when it was soaked with more than enough blood.

And then she starts wandering into the dark when she thought about it.

Vengeance's flames were born, igniting in her.


	18. Chapter 18

**July 18th, 2030 - An Hour Later**

"You have no idea how happy I am..." Lori presented herself to them, entering into the holding cell, a wife took that felt more like a room of a rundown mental asylum. Uncleaned and of a dark, depressing gray color, she took her slow steps, circling around the five Loud siblings, part of the very family she belonged to. She spotted black shorts and a pure white tank top, running a finger around them. "It's been so long, so let's catch up, shall we?"

The only person currently awake happened to be Lincoln. Lincoln, the fighter with no restraints attacked to his own character. He was in metal chains, hands tied behind him, so it should not have been hard to break out of, but somehow it was. He tried to, jerking around with his sisters all synchronized with him. And then he had also noticed he was stripped of his armor; how could he forget he had come in with armor?

When Lori made her way into his sightlines, he gritted his pearly whites, showing them off as part of his ravenous look of hatred and bitter rage. Lori, still breathing and in the flesh, formed a sinister smile from her height; she had never looked so morbid or deadly as such before, it was almost like Lincoln was staring up into the eyes of a devil, an antagonistic gaze that read truly disgusting, malicious intent. Intent centered on him, another creature born in a fire, a dark ordeal. And it was the blue eyes he shared; blue eyes, and all that blood coursing through her veins was of the same make-up. And she had raised her hand to him, curling it up into a fist, sending it down to his face.

"Oh, I see that you have a scar on your forehead," she pointed out, mocking him with a laugh. "That's gotta be it, a reminder that you did what you did... And failed."

He reacted violently, gripping on the chains and lunging forward while jerking it all to his favor, shaking his unconscious sisters. "Let me go and I'll show you what it means to succeed," he bluntly vowed, face turning hot red. "I did it once, I will end you again, and this time, I hope you stay in hell-"

She kicked his face, but kept her foot on it, pushing to separate their distance. "Cool it, twerp, there will be no revenge for you. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd very much like to kill you right here and now, but it seems you are an object of interest for, well, you know, Lisa."

Lincoln dragged his face down quickly, suddenly biting right at the bottom of Lori's foot as hard as he can, effectively bringing about a reaction and making her scream. He didn't release his jaws from the grasp of her foot, so Lori yanked it out hard, leaving a chunk of flesh in his mouth, ripped forcibly right out of her foot. She wobbled over and tripped, falling right on her side after that little stumble. "Aurgh! You miserable fuck!"

Even suppressed under power-dampening technology installed into the ceiling, the infernal fight had not abandoned Lincoln, the brutal force of nature. He spat all that he bit out from her, aiming to return it right into her face. "There's plenty more where that came from, you hear?"

Lori rebounded and came in with a barrage of fists, unleashing them all onto Lincoln. She struck his face, his chest, and in many other places she wished to cause great pain and injury to. She tried her hardest to give him hell, the exact same hell he had gifted her when their last skirmish ended in the deaths of- Lori paused and realized that Lincoln had taken most of her friends away from her just like that. He killed the Freights, the last home they'd have ever since the fall of their own. Lincoln, the designated Family Destroyer, never letting Lori accommodate to one where failure and its fear of breaking bonds was a possibility. He took all that away from her, and there was no getting it back. But the balance was ever so clear, equal in nature, a fifty-fifty chance that the victor title belonged to Lori.

No, more like a full hundred; Lincoln was helpless, a restrained captive to the Black Network, and Lori was most pleased. That was, until Lincoln got the better of her, sneaking in quite a move not even she saw coming, and she should have anticipated the resistance, as futile and pointless as it was. Lincoln was still that vicious beast she faced once, it should have made all the difference that she had him where she wanted, but-

"You killed me once, dear Lincy." Lori separated her lips, showing her pearly whites, with definite hatred. "Now I get to even the score by killing you."

And Linka bolted into the room, pushing the steel door wide open with all her superhuman strength. She appeared with a kitchen knife at hand, making a pounce unto Lori, whom barely had the speed time to turn around. The female Lincoln clone wrapped her left hand around Lori, driving her occupied right hand to stab Lori's chest repeatedly. "HA! HAHAHA, GIGGITY-GOO, YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN! SMILE FOR THE CAMERA, CLICK!"

Blood immensely ran down Lori's clothes, and the stunned blonde was rasping away while kicking herself back, ramming her backside right into the wall to force Linka off. "GET OFF ME!"

"NEVER!" Linka promised, head smacking right into the cement wall, disorienting her near fatally. Lori didn't think or care for the superchip inside the clone's head. The poor albino girl lost her grip on the knife and found herself physically deactivated, brain short-circuiting with a static noise ringing in her ears. She covered them and screamed wildly, running her legs around randomly, as if she was throwing some sort of childish temper tantrum. "AUNT JEMIMA! MUSHROOMS! LEONARDO DICAPRIO!"

Lori stumbled out of the room with the knife still in her chest, bleeding rapidly away and dripping her innards down for a trail. The longer she stayed in there, the more dead she would be with the power dampeners already halting her own abilities the second she stepped foot in there. Getting out, Lori forced the blade out of her system, and the recuperation process started that fast, wound closing in under five seconds after yanking out Linka's weapon. _Great, the first Lincoln clone is really trying to kill me! _"F-fucking hell- Damn it, you clone, you are not supposed to be fighting me!"

Linka flashed a thumbs up at Lori, slowly dragging herself to the defeated group of Louds. Luna was barely blinking just as this happened, and it made the clone laugh out loud. "Yes, meet me! Meet me for the first time- Yowzers!" Lori had done her in enough to make her bleed from the side of her head, and the ringing had not stopped for her. "Oh, I'm so going to try and kill you in Act III, Wolverine-Lori. This is just an appetizer-" Linka was soon face-to-face with her original model, the one and only nefarious Lincoln Loud. The both of them exchanged daggers with their eyes, depicting the deathly seriousness only they could be able to pull off- and Linka broke character, snickering without warning. "Oh, my God, you- That! That is the exact look I pictured I had! Oh, it's funny, you-me! It's funny how I get to see myself through the eyes of another, and not just another! Another you! Another-" Linka wheezed in between her lines.

"You are a mistake far worse than what a broken condom would be responsible for," Lincoln insulted with vulgar, attempting to break free yet again.

Luna, fully awake, came to with a headache, and then centered her eyes on Linka. "Oh- Oh, fucking Christ, it really is a fucking clone!"

Linka picked herself up, containing her laughter. "Oh, it is, Luna! It surely is! I, Linka Loud, stand wholeheartedly despicable before you!" She took a bow for the play she had performed. "A clone, however, placed in the wrong team..."

Lori narrowed her eyes, unsure of what the clone meant by this, piecing that it was bad news basically, and her suspicions were painfully correct when Linka sprinted to the panel on the wall behind the Louds. With a few pokes onto the screen, the clone deactivated the power dampeners, releasing the pheno Loud family just as easy as they'd been captured. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU LITERALLY FOUGHT LINCOLN, WHY ARE YOU FREEING HIM?!"

Lincoln shifted his eyes from Linka to the charging Lori, who was already beginning to turn into her wolf-like form. He and Luna busted out fairly easing, jumping as a defensive line. "Luna, wake them up!"

"But you need me-" Luna protested.

"GO!" Lincoln hollered.

Linka got in the way, preventing Lori from attacking her siblings. "There are no sides to choose, only the game is being played, and we are all standing in the board together until we kill each other off, tehe!" She turned to Lincoln and Luna. "Hey, Lincy, just so you know, I beat you to prove to myself that I really am superior, and can best the other clones as well! We have no bad blood!"

Lincoln did not remotely care and went for a direct offensive attack against the clone, throwing his bare fists against Linka, striking onto her some heavy-duty body shots that quickly incapacitated her. The poor clone fell out of the way, and just behind her, Lori had transformed into her animalistic form, roaring away at Lincoln.

Luna was in the midst of shaking her sisters when Lynn, being the third one to join the fight, awoke to find the world slowing down just as fast as the fight had broken out. Luna was frozen, mouth opening wider for Lynn to realize she was screaming, as a slow, deep and distorted voice emitted from her mouth. Behind Luna, Lincoln was running towards one of the nairy beastial creatures in a slow-motion rate, and so was the creature in question. Not to mention the girl with white hair was slowing lifting her leg up, showing her skin to anyone looking at her. It was her turn to partake in this battle, and ran right into the being that was once the strict, bossy sister who manned the household all those times mom and dad were out on their anniversaries.

To the majority of them, it was like a red lightning bolt had taken out Lori in the blink of an eye, devastating the abnormal creature by sending her right into the wall. Lynn got more of an experience and grip on her zoomer abilities, feeling proud and enthusiastic of herself. "Don't ever mess with Adrenaline!"

Linka shook any dirt on her off, picking herself up once again. "Jeez, will you stop knocking me down!? I have yet to assemble myself properly for battle, you know!"

Lori pushed herself out of the wall-crater her body had formed, letting out a bloodcurdling scream. No, more like a legitimate battle cry to summon her three other companions, the Black Network goons and the miscellaneous affiliates- not to mention the other clone whose allegiance and existence was not clear as of yet.

"LEVEN!" Linka cried out, retreating when it was apparent she could not win against three of the original Louds, all of whom were phenos. Just she wait until the twin zoomers awoke, and that would prove to be troublesome for everyone here.

Lynn zagged around the maze of halls and corridors starting at the left side, quickly looking for the exit. And she came across it, only to come back and find multiple armed guards heading to where she had come from, and Lynn went full bowling ball on their asses, knocking the guard pins all over the place in one fell swoop. Rifles clattered along the floor, bodies thudding away, but Lynn didn't stop until she came back to the holding cell, where Lori had just about freed herself, and on the right end of the hallway, the other three overgrown mutts came running, followed by more of the guards.

"No use running! We've got anti-pheno weaponry, able to penetrate through you and neutralize whatever you've got!" Lori sounded so full of herself, getting too cocky about her righteous revenge with a sinister smile through her long mouth.

Right behind the unconscious pair of twins, a blue portal popped up undetected, and out came that same girl with the ninja threads and a pair of katanas, different ones than those she had lost to the Division. These were specialty weapons made with a very special compound not in the periodic table. "Heyah, guess who's back?!"

Lynn got herself ready for a fight against Lori and the entire opposition coming their way, remaining put on the hallway. Luna looked to see Carly Evans-Nguyen sliding her blades out of their scabbards she carried on her back, aiming for the twins, and she, in a second of doubt and helplessness, called for Lynn to jump to the twins' aid when it was apparent they would not be brought back to life this fast. "SAVE THE TWINS!"

And Lynn faced that predicament once again, only in a difference dance; her running to save two of her own, which would let her guard down enough to have them all be surrounded by the enemy before she got them out, or being able to repel everyone back at the cost of these two. And that would have never been the greatest of her choices. The greatest of her choices... Had she done everything correctly based on how she felt... Or did she let protocol, the Bureau programming, define what was more important? And then, she was conflicted. Protocol versus emotion. Her feelings, getting in the way again, driving her to actually go and save the twins, even if it meant a hardship to endure.

One second later, she sent Carly toppling down backwards before the young girl could even cause some injuries on them. The fall broke her grip of both of her katanas, and Carly was taken out of the fight just like that. "Augh, f-freaking-"

Lynn made a frantic rush back to the exit, grabbing both Lola and Lana by the necks of their suits, trying to get them to safety. And she found herself to fail, coming into direct contact with a wall of furry skin, blocking her path long enough to be at a disadvantage. The twins rolled around the ground, quickly attended to by the recently newborn phenos Cristina and Dana. For one, they were unable to be distinguished from one another in their canine forms, so figuring out who was who amounted to an impossible feat. Behind the two, Fiona, still in her default form, had commanded the Network's troops, keeping her distance to see what was happening and when to make her jump into the pending battle. All she had for show was the Network-issued armor over a bare brown bra, and jean shorts, nothing else from that, not even shoes.

Just when it couldn't get any worse, Luna and Lincoln met another group emerging from a second portal inside. From this one, Shepherd himself, a few men, and the two clones had arrived on the frontlines. The very second Lincoln set his blue eyes to Leven, the closest of clones in physical appearance to him, he drew some faint shock on his face, disgruntled had he came here with absolutely no knowledge of anything within the Network. _Another clone?!_

"Jesus..." Luna herself couldn't believe her eyes. "It's two Lincoln clones!"

"What?!" Lynn looked back rapidly, spotting the shorter Lincoln clone amongst the guard staff. "Holy shit-"

"Hell yeah," Linka cheered, "now it's a party! Oh, silly me! I must have forgotten my autograph booklet, but don't you worry, my bloodline members, I'll-" Shepherd dove torward the clone and slapped some sense into her. It caught every living soul by surprise, with the latter Patriots trying to pinpoint a way out of this. Lincoln, Luna and Lynn looked on while the atmosphere came to a deadly halt, time freezing away as all the eyes of the collective of hostiles were fixated on them. Eyes of those who were in it for personal vendettas, and eyes in it for the job assigned here.

"I have been monitoring the situation, Link-A," Shepherd revealed in a strictly soft tone. "How dare you deactivate the suppressors and instigate a fight against your allies! Have you no sense of loyalty?"

"L-loyalty?" Linka repeated, rubbing her cheek in Shepherd's presence. "Just because you fuckers created me doesn't mean I oughtta show traditional gratitude! Fuck you and fuck that!"

Leven shifted his eyes back and forth between Linka and Lincoln, and then gazed upon the beasts that were Lori and her group, and immediately he found a rage to flare up from deep within. And he had also decided by then where his true allegiance lied with; any soul who made allies of the Freights, these upgraded Wolverine-Freights for that matter, were not at all the good guys. This was both the reasoning of the two clones, the ideology having never been neutralized from their own systems during the breeding process, proving to be colossal failures on Lisa's part.

"Think your next words and choices wisely now..." The words of the puppet were not to be trifled with, and on the account that some sort of disobedience and rebellion would be punishable by death or equal among the Black Network...

Linka backed away from Shepherd's group. "The moment I realized what was, I knew it could not be, and for the sake of the good guys-"

The hallways were revealed to be laced with various traps, and Linka moved on ahead to activate the minigun turrets hidden in the walls. All at once, Linka controlled the turrets, making them cut and shred through the goons right outside. Lynn jumped right back into the room as Lori and her three Freight comrades were heavily pierced by the armor piercing rounds. A grand show of blood and flesh broke out, limbs of multiple guards messing separating from their bodies. Cries and groans emitted, but only a select few of them. The walls cracked apart with every round fired upon the cement, making dust fly out and make a nearly dense fog, also stained with the red of the enemies of the Patriot Division. And this was Linka's intentional doing.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Lynn was relieved that the turrets had not touched the downed twins, barely calling it no short of a miracle. "LINC, LUNES, HERE'S OUR WINDOW!"

"LINK-A, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Shepherd had let his voice erupt like an active volcano, and the red right on his face had let Linka and the others know he was beyond infuriated, and was so to the degree that he fell on all fours, and began his own untrained transformation into the monster Lisa had implanted within him. His skin turned gray, hair falling off to unveil a bald side. He tore off his clothes with the sharp, white claws where his fingers had been moments ago. He growled, face turning into something much more hideous than the previous creations born in the Network. His eyes had gone to a gray color, lighter than his skin color. The teeth were jagged razors, ready to harm at the bite, ears going pointy like that of an elf's, only this was no fairy tale creature.

Seconds later, James Shepherd readied himself as a battle pawn for Lisa, taking his place as a warrior this time, and no more strings being pulled. He found his place among the super beings, establishing himself as the pheno he had become when the serum had been forced on him until he accepted his new role, and that was because of the animate shadow that lingered onto him, whispering away keywords that guided and influenced him. On this regular day, he was no longer the nationally-wanted James Shepherd, but an exceptional beast as deadly as Lisa's creations and achievements. And he moved in to attack Linka.

That was when Lynn crashed into his plans and shoved him right into his men. Lynn, the only one who genuinely believed Linka, this white-haired clone, was that very same one she had seen a glimpse of when being displaced into the future. The clone had to be protected, even if she was the only one who knew that. It mattered not what Lincoln or Luna thought at the moment, and judging by how things were quickly transposing, it seemed the clone did not want to be a part of the Black Network. But could the others really trust that Linka might not have been hostile? Aftet all, she had done Lincoln in once, proving by that point to be a superior model.

Superior model.

"Lynn, what?!" Luna did not make sense of Lynn actually seemingly protect the clone.

"She's not with them!" Lynn declared to the top of her lungs.

"Do not confuse me as part of this clique!" Linka roared to them, and then set her sights on Leven. "Hey, hey you, I know you don't want this! You're obviously like Lincoln, like me! We're just weapons they wanna use against the Louds! I know it because I can see it all!"

Leven was a zombie, letting his eyes flicker around both Linka and the real Loud siblings. His eyes were narrowed, almost like they were focused on something. He was focused on them, pondering his decision in the heat of the moment. The Louds versus his creators, but the creators he knew nothing about. The creators with some definite and deviant agenda, and since it was now a hundred percent apparent he wasn't the real Lincoln, he questioned it enough that it made him want to turn on his masters. Finally, he spoke pit with the same voice of the original's own. "What is the purpose of the Black Network?"

Lincoln and company stood idly by, wondering what to respond. Linka, however, knew what to say, and had waited for such a moment to get Leven to switch sides with her. "Big brother, it's like I gold you! We're just being used for an organization that kidnaps and turns people into mutated freaks! This is all Lisa's doing, and I'm not gonna have it! I'm not gonna affiliate with the bad guys!"

"B-bad guys?" Shepherd picked himself up, speaking in a deep, raspy voice. "The entirety of Vial Corporation's purpose was to revolutionize and perfect the world, not that any of you would ever have the audacity to understand! Lisa has done all of this in the name of humanity, so that we can thrive and grow past all of our weaknesses and illnesses! Lisa has tried her best to synthesize the perfect human by fusing and encoding the essence of all living creatures and more into the human body, so that we won't die of cancer, gain superior curative abilities, and never have to get sick! We're at the brink of reaching a scientific breakthrough, a literal humongous achievement in the history of mankind, and you, the Patriot Division fuckers, are getting in the way of that because God forbid our actions that you've looked closely be a big no-no! If I have to say it, the Patriot Division is founded on the idea that we are becoming too big of a corporate power and the ones they answer to know it! They wanted us out of the way, that's what we know from our source close to the government! Don't kid yourselves, you are all working for political spooks who will throw you away the second you serve no purpose!"

There was a silence that came about, and Linka backed away to assemble with team Patriots, still keeping her sights set on the enemy Network and on Leven. So far, the clone hadn't made a decision, but Leven did turn his attention to the dropped weapons around him.

Lincoln took a step forward. "Subjecting innocent lives to further your evil science is the deal-breaker for us," he started. "Using actual people to find the ingredients of the perfect human immune to all disease is still immoral no matter how you look at it-"

"Sacrifices had to be made in the process!" Shepherd shouted hoarsely. "We cannot make an omelet without breaking a few eggs!"

"You... You mean to tell me-" Luna processed what she had just been told. "L-Lisa- My own sister Lisa t-turned me into this... To find out if-?" Her words were breaking in an unsteady manner, her mental state rupturing with that emotional injury. Lisa kidnapped her and her band, killed her band members and left Luna a monster with a quenching thirst for blood in the literal sense, all of it so that the genius could figure out the formula of the perfect human being and how to make it reality. It all came down to that.

_"Hold it, hold it! Start the intermission!" _

* * *

**Intermission**

* * *

**Days Earlier - Black Network**

Linka strapped on the parachute on her, gripping it tight by the sleeves. She and Carly were messing around sorely for the amusement, having been bored of patrolling the perimeters. They were alone in the lounge room, and the clone was standing right in front of the Hmong girl. Decorated on the parachute was a layer of red paint, and Linka wanted to repaint the walls that color, even if it was polkadots. "Ready?"

"Have I ever told you how crazy and random you are?" Carly ducked down by bending over, her ass facing Linka, and the clone found herself mesmerized enough to stare with her cheeks going red.

"P-PARACHUTE ACTIVATE!" Linka tugged on the backpack's cords which popped the white parachute out. And her silly plan had worked for the most part, making a mess mainly on the ceiling. The parachute had come falling over them like a leaf, covering them as Leven had come in in his zombified state- and only saw a tiny figure thrusting into another figure who was bent over, and his mind only drew the conclusion that Linka had put on a strap-on and had her way with Carly. He distinctly recalled her saying she wanted to mount the foreign girl, either by force or mutually consensual. He guessed she hsd finally achieved her wish and finally got to fuck Carly, and from the backdoor position too, it seemed. As fast as he came in, Leven shook his head and took an exit.

What Linka was really doing was just thrusting her pelvis into Carly, and that wasn't exactly an SFW thing by itself. "WOOOOOOO!"

"Hey, cut it out!" Carly got up and pushed Linka away, removing the parachute off of her. "Stop trying to hump me!"

"But baby, I love you!" Linka escaped the white cloth over her head and broke into a laugh. "Okay, okay, hard to get, huh? I can get down with that! So, wanna go on a date?"

Carly merely tisked away at the clone. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, just you wait, we'll be the best of friends! You, me, and the Leven will be the trio no one would ever expect! Wouldn't that be so much fun?!"

"What?"

_"Okay, end it, you twat! End the inter__mission or perish!"_

* * *

**Now**

"Well, that flashback was a hoot, wouldn't you say?" Linka asked, face fixated on you. "Don't worry, babes, more sexual content starting at the base of my moist pussy!"

"Uh..."

Linka decided to run again, this time going for the twins outside. "Quickly, make up your minds to fight or retreat! The Wolverines are regenerating right this minute! Lynn, come help me, I'll lead us all out!"

Lynn followed the clone girl, giving her more than enough trust Lincoln and Luna felt she should not have been giving. They watched both of the girls bolt out of the room, still suspicious of Linka and Leven alike. "Lynn, stop!" Luna wasn't afraid to show her concern, but Lincoln was another case.

"Link-N, with me!" Shepherd advised to the infiltration clone model. "Buy us some time until our super mutts regenerate!"

And that did it; those words alone pushed Leven to the final decision he was on the fritz about. He was treated as an inferior warrior in Shepherd's eyes for sone reason, that reason where it waa believed Leven was not as strong as even one of the Wolverine phenos. Not as strong as the upgraded Lori, and if this was so... Who was to say he was equal to Lincoln Loud himself? To hell with that, he decided, picking up two rifles with both hands. His left one went off and fired away at Shepherd, who was quickly riddled with bullets that either entered his skin or bounced off. It seemed that his body was on the fluctuation due to the lack of handling of his pheno abilities. Gee, if only Linka didn't wipe the entire database before, otherwise he'd known what he had. At least now he could come to terms with it and find out for himself.

Leven circled around Shepherd, coming to team Louds' side and supplied to Lincoln the other rifle he hadn't fired from. "I am not going to play this game..."

"Lana, why are you so heavy!? Oh, wait-" Linka had picked up the grown tomboy and raced away down the hall, away from the bloody mess of Black Network goons and phenos. "Lynn, this way!"

Lynn was following the clone, arms holding Lola. "I already found the exit-"

Lori dragged herself into the room after the two carriers disappeared down the empty hall. She was cut in half by the turrets, upper body intact despite her left arm and chest being grotesquely pierced. The eldest sister left a smearing trail of blood behind her, screaming away, reaching well past her rage limit. The creature in her place was roaring with all its vocal strength, clawing on the ground as she tried to return to the fight. "LINCOLN!"

The stone-cold brother redirected the rifle at hand and jammed the barrel end right to Lori's face and pulled the trigger. The bullets ravaged through her face, ripping away at her flesh to reveal the skull underneath, and Luna gagged visibly at the sight of it. What was left of Lori's body flipped right on its back, and the movement had stopped. Lincoln signaled to the exit, calling out to Luna and the artificial human wearing his own skin. "FALL BACK!"

"LINCOLN, DO YOU MEAN WE'RE RETREATING?!"

He didn't answer, but their footsteps clamped out on the hall, echoing away. Leven was checking over his shoulder, watching their six.

"LINC-!"

_"Do not be alarmed, my blood kin!" _Linka had taken over the intercom again, sending out the critical facts that would relieve them of being in the dangerous, booby-trapped place of death. _"I've managed to duplicate all files of the Network and stored them!"_

"Who-?!" Lynn came rushing back for her siblings, stopping short some feet before Lincoln. "Are we taking him too?"

"I... Uhhh..." Luna would have not been onboard of the second clone throwing in if she hadn't witnessed him defying his own master, so she was automatically neutral on it, just as Lynn was.

However, Lincoln had some distrust in that department, seeing only a younger version of him, with all the long, cold and dark traits for the programming set into the clone's system. Another actual Lincoln, an ex-Freight by default, and miraculously one not brainwashed by their new enemies, and by what he could also tell for the female Linka, she might not have been either. It seemed so, but maybe that was the ploy; maybe they were to put up that act. Know that, he didn't, but a reason to suspect it was key. And thinking like a master tactician, it made sense that he wound up considering Linka and Leven to be a duo of infiltrators. Whatever was to be, he'd make sure to be involved when they brought the clones back.

"Yes, we are," Lincoln confirmed to the zoomer. "We can use the Network's toys against them."

"So you put your petty anger when the girl beat you aside?" Lynn wondered, but let it go when Lincoln made a puffed-up face of discontent at her. "Sorry."

"We'll be coming right back and more prepared, I promise you that," the brother vowed, feeling all them more naked without the battle armor he had arrived in. "And we'll need plenty of guns and explosives!"

Luna heard a faint breathing and the wheezing voice it belonged to far back. It came out, "Lincoln... Lincoln, I will... K-kill-" It was of Lori's own, still alive even after Lincoln had shredded her face point blank. Family matters had only just begun.

"They searched all of us! Our exit strat's off the board!" Lynn formed fists and cursed the gods high above them. "Fuck me, man!"

"We'll figure that out later!" Lincoln pushed Lynn after turning her around. "Let's go!"

Linka awaited the team topside while she tended to the twins, both of whom were just in the midst of waking up. Lana rubbed the side of her head, it aching enough that she groaned a hard and heavy cry. "What hit me?"

"I did," Linka revealed with a grin, flexing her punching arm. "If it's any consolation, I held back-"

One swoosh later, Lana pinned down the clone with the base of her neck. "Lola! Lola, wake up! I've got the clone Lincoln warned us about!"

"Huh?" Lola sat upright, opening her eyes. "Wait, where are we?"

Linka tapped over Lana's hands. "Y-you can let go, I'm not on team Lisa!"

"Liar!"

Lynn came climbing out of the hatch, looking back down to help Luna while noticing the twins were finally awake. "Hey, let her go, Lana! She's the one who freed us, and she's-"

Lincoln shoved a fist with medium force to Lynn's chest once he got out, pushing her back. "We can't be sure of that officially. We know nothing about them."

"Them?" Lola repeated as Lana loosened her grip on Linka and pulled herself back without helping her.

Leven climbed out of the pit, and took a glance around the area he was in. The vast treelines, the dirt ground, and the green leaves made the scenery of a peaceful sight worth taking in with his senses. He eyed and sniffed at it for all it was worth. No orders being barked. No blood being spilled, and more importantly, no deluded maggot around trying to accomplish their goals through deadly means that meant the harming of others. And that, Leven got too much from the Lincoln Loud memories of his time with the Freights. Leven, who had chosen to stay long enough to find an opportunity to get the hell out when it presented itself, and not in the way it would pit him and Linka against the entire Black Network faction by themselves. They needed their saviors to give them the hand they needed to stage their own defection, and it went just as planned.

"Oh, my God, is that-?!" Lana squeaked.

"Two Lincoln clones running around?!" Lola finished.

"No time for that! We need a ride, and fast- No telling how long they'll take to retreat!" Lincoln was itching to conclude the tiny war he and Lori were still participating in. Him versus the Freights again, a secondary fight concealed underneath the fight between the Patriots and the Black Network. "Damn it, how?! How did we fuck up-?" And then Lincoln found reason to pin the blame on the clones. "I don't properly understand why you let the others get the drop on us when you could have helped us if you were planning to get out like that."

Linka waved her hands up, shaking them to convey innocence. "Hey, I needed Leven here to be on my side when we turned the tables. Shepherd saw fit to keep him out of the fight, and he made all the difference as you saw!"

"Yeah, I see that," Lynn thought. "That one surprised us all, I'm sure."

"Did we seriously miss that much?!" Lana pouted.

"Dudes, let's not squabble over this!" Luna gave the girl clone a friendly shoulder pat, joining her side. "Girl saved us, and boy here jumped over, we basically won with our lives intact-"

Lana still hissed from her head injury.

"Mostly..." Luna corrected herself.

"Hey, are you okay?" Lola rubbed on Lana's pain and kissed the boo-boo.

"We can check-up on each other later," Lincoln growled. "First thing is first. Someone, contact Elmont and request for a speedy exit! We'd be able to make it back before the Network can beat us to the punchline!"

"Hold on..." Linka closed her eyes, and then started bleeding from her nose yet again. She worked hard to access a specific infrastructure within the cyber sea. "Patriots... Patriot Division, was it? Yeah, I'm so gonna read this fic in my own time!"

"What is she doing?" Luna wondered with an eyebrow raised.

"Don't look at me, I haven't a clue!" Lynn shot out when the rocker looked to her for an answer. "She's Lincoln's clone, not mine!"

"Leave me out of this, damn it."

Before the three Loud siblings could bicker more, their exit window had come in the form of multiple portals, all opening up around them, set in a circular pattern. The Louds drew clear confusion and eyed Linka, trying to theorize what she had just done. "What? I sent this Elmont guy a text message to open some portals. Of course, I supplied the exact coordinates and redirected them right to our specific location! Now, aren't I the best clone?!"

No one batted an eye, only moving to enter through their own designated portals, quickly leaving the woods around them. Lincoln was the only one to truly have a desire to return and bomb the living hell out of the underground facility. Meanwhile, the four women had taken more than enough of a bite to chew that it was decided they didn't want to go back into the war zone right away. Those beasts that were Lori and three undead Freights, the now-defected pair of clones, all those guards, maybe mercenaries Lisa had hired, and the current leader of the base, the one and only James Shepherd, now a pheno. All of that against six Louds, of a dysfunctional, broken family. The victor had been clear the moment the Patriots had arrived to decimate the Network.

"Anyone? Oh, come on, this isn't gonna help me get a job at Baskin Robins!" Linka sulked. "I'm gonna need you as references!" Regardless of her mental state, Linka waltzed through her one personal portal, entering the Patriot Division base with her new crew.

**Later**

Linka, sitting in the middle, broke the handcuffs and made Samantha Sharp quite uncomfortable, taking a piece of it and running it across her throat to suggest suicide. At least that's what the red-skinned blonde pheno had interpreted it as, and leaned back away from the strange girl of white hair. "Can you not?"

Linka let go of the broken cuff and threw a kiss Sam's way. "What's wrong, honey bunny? Not enough blood?"

"Oh, God," Sam went, turning her face away from Linka. "It's never ending."

Leven, on the other end of the table, had set his hands up and folded them while awaiting for an update. This place, another base of the so-called Patriot Division, had actually welcomed them, amidst the strange looks of the skinnies stuck on the computer monitors who stared at him and little Linka with various kinds of looks. Maybe they were all thinking how compromising it was, when the clones, weapons created to be used against the Patriot Division, were here and walking around. And Leven didn't blame them for having those thoughts, for experiencing that layer of fear. But for sure, he knew which side he was on, and nothing would change that.

The others, that was Lincoln and the four sisters- those four whom Leven burning into his brain- had put them there, told them to stay there while they talked to Alexander Elmont, the Division's leader of long wavy brown hair and baby blue eyes. Unlike with Sam's case, Elmont was not giving anyone lip for bringing the two along, but congratulating them on their win. Still, he needed to keep an eye out on the clones, drawing concern over the fact that these crawled from the same genepool as Lincoln Loud, the most dangerous person to be cloned, out of all Louds around.

"No, just me, cutie! Say, how old are you?" Linka was captivated by how hot Sam was. "If I rape you, it's not pedophilia if you're legal, right?"

Sam ignored the clone.

"How about a date first?"

Just then, Elmont came in solo, eyes locked onto the clones. He seated himself opposite of the three, and remained silent for a long pair of seconds. He then took out his sidearm and fires once up inyo the air before setting it down on the table. Sam jumped, reacting in fear from the gunshot that echoed in her ears. Linka and Leven only blinked at the thunder, however. "Gun is loaded," he told them, pulling his hand back. "What now?"

The test was obvious, and Leven played the game by not playing, keeping his hands out of reach from the gun. Linka proved to have different thoughts, however. "I know what this means!"

Sam gasped and tried to make a break for it, but she had forgotten that she was stuck to the table. "Wait, why did you-?!"

Linka waved the gun on Elmont and Sam, with Elmont not making a move at all. "You've got the gun, girl. Now what?"

"Supply me a machine gun and let us go back to the Network! I will not stand being someone's war toy, and more importantly, to be denied those tasty, tasty sprinkled donuts the guards all took before I could grab one! It's not faaaaaaair!"

Leven took the gun away and unloaded the mag. "We've got a mission we have to see through to the end, sir. Arrest us, lock us up, or even kill us dead when this is all over, but-" Leven snapped off his own handcuffs and got up, moving to the door. "I want to make sure I see Lori Loud and the Network powers crumble before you think of taking me out."

Elmont followed the clone's movements, feeling in touch with that conviction he displayed. Not a threat on the surface, but still.

But still...

"Hey, I know we didn't get into the interrogating but..." Linka's nose bled again, and she wiped it off with her left arm. "There, all files of the Black Network have been sent to your email. The T-L-D-R thing here is that the Network has a contingency in the form of Kapacity Korp. You know what that is, right? Good old McMahon bought them out and basically gave all properties to Lisa. So, Kapacity Korp is just Vial Corp Mark II, and I advise on raiding them all. You'll find the last of Vial's missing staff there."

"You..." Elmont was looking over his phone, taking a peak at everything Linka had sent. "Did you just-?"

"Oh, right, I neglected to tell you guys that I have a computer in my brain!" She pointed to her head and then flicked at it. "Oh, and Lisa's got a private estate in North California. Very high-end place. Private guard a, her own zip code, beautiful house. Address is there for your reading!"

"This is virtually amazing!" Elmont cleared his throat. "Er... I mean, I am indeed grateful for... All of this, but I have to ensure you remain-"

"No problem, I'm staying voluntarily! Otherwise, it's a hunt on all of us clones, right? I am not gonna be anyone's fugitive or wanted war device, you know?" Linka scampered away, meeting up with Leven just outside on the hall. "Big brother-"

"Wait-" Elmont processed what she had just said. "What did you mean-?"

Sam was left alone, horribly confused and spooked by what hat just happened, all of which she did not fully understand. "What?"

"I'm not your brother," Leven coldly retorted. "We aren't real humans, A."

Linka poked at Leven. "Well... Lisa gave us life, and-"

"Is that just the two of you?" Elmont demanded. "Are you the only clones in existence?"

"Keep reading the files and fuck off, we're having a sibling moment!" Linka stammered.

"Well?"

Linka sighed. "Five. There are five of us, and the other three ran off awhile back, don't ask me where they are cause I don't know! But I do know they defected, too! And one of them has telekinesis! How didn't I get that?!"

"T-tele..." Elmont exhaled sharply and tucked his phone back in. "Job comes first... Listen, you two... Word is that you joined our side as suggested by the others, and because of this ultimate choice you two have made, I have seen to it, but only just so barely, that I can offer a place for you here should you help us. You two, the head duo of your own team... This team to be exact-"

Lyle Jefferson, Lindsey Sweetwater and Caroline Pingrey stepped out of one of the rooms on the hall, all three of them meeting with Elmont silently.

"Why have one team when I can double it?" He asked. "Clones, meet your team! And also, welcome to the Patriot Division! We have more than enough to cover... But you are all needed to fight alongside the Louds, and this time I will be joining in!"

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter VII: The Ultimate Choice**


	19. Chapter 19

**They were not human to me. Black, white, or whatever, they were menaces of nature; they were the fire, the comet, the storm, which could- with no justification- shatter my body.**

* * *

"Tell us your story, why don't you?" Linka wiggled her fingers while addressing Lyle for this backstory on how he had come to be a pheno in such a cruel world.

As of now, the youngsters were assembled in what could only be described as a meeting room held for conferences at schools, most notably the ones where you ended up whem you got into serious trouble. That was what Linka felt like the room was, but she should have known it wasn't like that at all. Ah, how it brought back those rare, few moments where Lincoln had gotten himself in hot water. In a counter-clockwise position, it was Elmont, or rather, his empty seat now, Linka, Leven, and skipping a few empty seats, Lyle, Lindsey, Caroline, and Sam. The latter four phenos had already sensed the murderous vibes from the two, so they wanted to maintain as much space as possible.

"Well, that's personal, and I don't even know who you are..." Lyle firmly answered. "I don't know anything, if I'm to be honest."

"Yeah, same here," Caroline added. "That Elmont guy just picked me up as if I were a hitchhiker. All that talk about getting revenge on what they did to me... It sounded..."

"Promising?" Lindsey cut in, running her arm on Lyle's shoulder. "After everything that happened to me and my knight in shining armor here, I wouldn't mind seeing those responsible for this to pay what they need to pay. So yeah, if I get to be a part of this, you'd be damn well certain I'll accept in a heartbeat... As you can clearly see from your perspective."

"They kidnapped you two as well?" Sam inquired, narrowing her eyes at them.

"Yeah, cells and everything," Lyle responded. "Only reason we're here is cause this person, an actual... Lizard thing? They attacked the facility that held us three-" He pointed to both Lindsey and Caroline. "-And broke all of us out. I'd like to get the chance to thank them now, or later on if we ever come across each other."

"I second the notion," Lindsay agreed. "They were the true hero of that day."

"I guess..." Caroline muttered softly before turning to Sam. "Now, regarding what happened-"

"Hey, I thought you were dead!" Sam shot out. "They faked your death, had a funeral and everything! I was there, a couple of our friends and even some of the professors, too..."

Caroline rammed a fist downwards from the air. She had a reason to be mad again. "Well, I wasn't, and now that I'm out of there... Hey, what's the year anyway? I haven't been told or found a clue as to when I am."

"Well, we just entered the new decade fresh," Sam filled in. "It's July, and we're here, and- Look at me, I have red fucking skin for all I'm worth!"

"I can see that..." Carol touched her ex-classmate's skin. "Huh, it doesn't feel any different. Cold, maybe."

"Oh, and regarding the one who freed you- She's here with us, too."

"What?" Lindsey leaned closer. "Oh, sweet! I can show my gratitude!"

"Likewise," Lyle grinned, and then looked over the two individuals with white hair. "We've shared ours... For the most part. Now how about you? I don't recall seeing you fleeing from Dadetown."

Linka shook her head. "I'm not from there, no. More like, bred in a big tank for a few months! Holy shit, I gotta be less than a year old!"

As she tapped her chin to ponder it, the four phenos gave each other funny looks. Then, Caroline snorted before coughing to clear herself. "What does that even mean, child?"

"Well..." Linka had not been told of the disclosure rules, and being open was a natural thing for her, brain having been unraveled from the wiring enough to make her chatty. "I am a clone, and so is my big brother here!"

"A, I advise you to not-" Leven had whispered onto her.

"Ha, clones?" Caroline joked sarcastically, thinking it was pure bullshit. "There is no way there's someone in existence with white fucking hair, and also-"

Before she could finish, a scuffle broke out in the hallway, the screaming and yelling catching everyone's attention. The young phenos in the room looked toward the exit, but none of them made a single move. And when the door of the debriefing room opened, the collective of women voices echoed right through the room. In came Lincoln, gripping his loaded 1216 shotgun while Lynn, Luna and Lola were gripping onto him from behind, trying to slow him down. They were trying to keep him from massacring the random phenos.

"Let me go, will you?" Lincoln heavily demanded.

"LINCOLN, THESE ARE CANDIDATES FOR A NEW TEAM!" Luna tried to explain.

"You're only gonna be giving Elmont a reason to drop you, damn it!" Lynn shoved. "He won't like it if you shoot the majority of this new team!"

Luna drew her razor jaws back out and bit into Lincoln's leg, and it slowed him down briefly. He wasn't going to make it to point-blank range, so he aimed his gun at them, starting with Caroline. Luna pulled back her jaws and roared at the phenos, "TAKE FUCKING COVER!"

Linka scooted up from her chair, advancing to the Louds' direction to stop Lincoln. "Wait, don't do that, damn you! Me! You-me!" Linka grabbed- and hugged- the weapon that the barrel end was buried into her chest. And she held onto it as tight as she could, making Lincoln's grip on it weaken. She sank to the floor, laughing away while Lincoln tried to pull and lift the firearm back. "Ha, now you won't shoot!"

"Good idea," Lincoln agreed, doing the utmost unthinkable; he pulled the trigger, blasting away at Linka's chest with enough force to leave a hole running through her. Chunks of flesh and blood came flying out in all directions, covering Lincoln bloody with the clone's innards. Luna and Lola let go of him right after, horrified to see the little girl drop on the floor motionless. For one, Linka's mouth went agape, her face going as white as can be, filled with shock in those copy eyes of hers.

Luna stared intensely at the dead Linka, slowly backing onto the corner of the wall with pure horror. He had done it yet again, when it didn't need to happen. She blinked. She blinked and she saw the young redhead boy again, a bloody body right over her shoulder, one she had wanted to save. Lincoln, uncaring of life in that aspect, had quickly finished the clone before they could even begin to get to know about her. Luna dared not face the dark again and raced out jogging, breath shaking and body heat increasing exponentially dangerous. She was closer to having her inevitable dance with Lincoln; the dance that would see to it who had more reason to follow what they so believed in, what ideology was the superior, dictating one. Luna and the other sisters versus Lincoln... An inner conflict in the making.

Lynn kept her grip on the killer, but turned him around and swiped the shotgun from him while he looked on, automatically becoming distracted by the body of the clone. Whatever he was doing staring at her, Lynn did not know or care. She let him have it, shoving her fists into his face for some quick punches. Next few seconds, he flew over Lyle's head, falling to the far end of the room. The four new phenos scattered away from the shooter in fear, but Leven had remained still in his seat, looking over to Linka, and then Lincoln. "You murderous son of a bitch!" Lynn howled. "Fuck you, let's go!"

Lincoln pressed a hand to the wall and eyed Lynn with no true readable expression. He hadn't the drive to fight the zoomer, only seeing a quad of super-powered inexperienced youngsters bring selected for the next super team. These four, more likely to be dangers to the world, and Lincoln would have rather destroyed them than letting them onboard. The Elmont fuckwit was, for some odd reason, neglecting on the priorities and being careless by allowing these pbenos to enter with welcome arms, and not long ago it was made clear that no guest would ever be allowed, to risk comprising the Division's sanctity and security. Lincoln had all the right questions and words to call out the man, but for now, he sought to try and put down the four.

Lynn rushed him when he tried again, running at him before Lincoln could reach them. "No, you don't!"

Leven moved up from his chair at long last, being carefully observed by Lola at this point.

Lynn wrapped herself around Lincoln and pulled him back as he extended his arms, reaching out for one of the newbies whom were all backed on the wall, breathlessly scared. Lyle guided Lindsay away, making her lean flat and move sideways, where Lola was. Caroline and Sam followed lead, passing by the dead body of little Linka. The girls held their breath, looked away and did their best to not try and throw up at the horrid sight of the corpse with the pool of blood having formed right underneath. Lindsay retched visibly, helped to move forward by Sam.

Heading outside, the four new members lay witness to a downed Elmont, knocked out by Lincoln, being attended to by Lana. Lindsey grabbed onto Lyle, shaken by the events unfolding. Sam looked around for more help, but didn't see anyone else coming to their aid, apart from Luna, who was still grief-stricken in her own failure. The golden blonde approached her carefully. "Lunes? Hey, Luna-"

She had never become this frozen stiff before, so helpless and unclear of what to do. The everlasting fear of letting all of that darkness, that cold, black death her brother would so easily partake in and never look back even once at it- that was a monstrosity to live with, and even worse was when he did it and he had to have known what it meant to her. Her, one of the Louds with blood on her hands who didn't want it. Would do anything to get rid of it, just the same as Luan would, wanted to, and even Lynn as well. They would have, but not him. Him, a servant for the grim reaper, taking any and all lives he could possibly take and justify it his own way, the way of a true psychopath. No... Quite possibly a sociopath at that, for he seemed to have a lack of empathy when doing what he did.

But was this Loud a true sociopath?

"I tried," Luna spoke out of guilt, "I tried my best to talk to him, to reach some understanding, b-but he won't- he won't stop-"

"LOLA, HELP ME!" Lynn ordered, having a voice crack.

The diva woman jumped back in after she had wrapped up her own mindless staring, and ran right into Lincoln, grabbing him by the front. She used her legs to quickly run forward, a massive repelling force that seemed to work and keep Lincoln back from taking four lives. "This is for your own good, buddy boy!"

"Don't get in my way!" Lincoln barked at his sisters.

Lynn jumped out from behind and redirected to the front, helping Lola repel Lincoln until he had his back to the wall, literally. "Maybe if you stopped stepping out of line, we wouldn't be here fighting you! Damn it, Lincoln-"

He kicked away at Lynn's knees, hitting the left one hard enough to stop her running, but had it recoil back to him that it ached right when it was sent back upwards. She, however, slipped back as if the ground had been pulled backwards, and Lincoln's leg that came up had inadvertently struck the bottom of her chin pretty hard. He had beaten her with only one damn move, when it could not have been, and ever be, that easy.

Lynn toppled to the floor, reeling in the brutal pain. Lola had lost some power on her hold of Lincoln, which played into her doubt and intimidation. She felt she was not enough to hold him back, and her feeling was right when he went for a headbutt, striking at her forehead to disorient the unsuspecting blonde sister.

And then, the opening was realized. The line between him and the dangerous liabilities in the form of children was there, all set for him to perform his ungodly duties onto them. And he sprinted-

"You can stop now," Leven finally spoke up, moving to block Lincoln's exit. "These four are not your concern, so why are you wasting your time with such small fry?"

Lincoln scanned his eyes to the infiltration clone, and then the shotgun left lying on the floor. He would not have enough of the time to both grab it and fight through the clone if it was that Leven knew of all his tricks and methods, proving to be an exact equal match for him to be unable to beat... And vice versa. Maybe the game was not to fight this time, but to listen, the unbearable stalemate he, or rather both of them, would have hated to accept.

Talk was the remaining option.

"Wasting my time?" Lincoln could not believe his own ears. "I can't be hearing this from you, and you're practically me."

"That may be so," Leven agreed, "but did you forget the mission at hand? You're deliberately distracting yourself from the Black Network-"

Lincoln squinted.

"I wouldn't, and you know they are more important than these four here, these kids scared out of their minds-" Leven pointed out the doorway. "Tell me, Lincoln, do they look remotely like threats?"

The bloodthirsty maniac took another scope of the phenos again, and none of them were filled up with a sort of hostile hatred or burning sensation he knew snd recognized in others, namely enemies such as the Freights. No, they weren't looking like the Black Network foes in any way, nor like the long-dead Freights. They were simply human. But Lincoln saw only evil that could be in the future. Freak murderers with unrivaled power, way beyond the strength of the world's biggest and strongest armies. This was, and had always been, at stake since Luna had broken them all out. God only knows when and where the first pheno super-criminal would arise. Hell, maybe they already have, and Lincoln had not been checking on the news these past days.

And Lincoln would go to them and kill the shit out of them.

Now why did Leven here deviate from that ideology? How was it possible that he thought otherwise when Lincoln had already made up his mind? Was it possible that this clone, this Link-N figure had seen something else entirely? A spectacle outside of Lincoln's understanding the man could not even be able to have dreams or nightmares about? What was truly beyond his grasp of understanding, the world he knew not of?

"First rule of thumb, looks can deceive anyone, you understand me?" Lincoln maintained his place back from Leven, going for a verbal work-up as a front to distract him when reaching for the weapon. "Monsters come in all shapes and sizes, so why wouldn't any of these possibly end up as disgraceful excuses for human beings?"

"Yes, I recognize that it could come to be," Leven acknowledged, "but this is not happening yet, so there is no need to concern yourself. If you persist to bring about them harm, it is only logical that you will make enemies of them, they whom have never met you. And by what I can already tell, you and your sisters are locked in a quarrel of morals, am I right?"

Lincoln blinked.

"I understand you in that aspect, really, I do, but you should know it well that-"

Lincoln shot his eyes down to the shotgun quickly, making Leven slow down his appealing speech.

"-You won't be able to win against the Patriots when they deem it fit you are unstable, Lincoln. You don't have to cause unnecessary war with everyone simply because you... We believe our way to be superior. Because it isn't..."

_Lincoln hugged Lori, his dear, sweet sister, the only one he had left, and the only one he believed to have bothered to find him with all energy she had mustered left. He consoled her, him being a teenager, and her, a broken mess of an adult, dented from the outside, and crying away over the one first thing she had done in the name of the Freights. Initiation. Initiation to kill, to become one of them, a part of the outcasts gang the world and time had forgotten. Just victims of an endless chain of tragic events that left them all half-dead, nowhere to go. No one to help them. Nothing to keep them alive, except for the illustrious illusion that they so needed each other for they had nothing left. _

_It was nothing but a lie at most, and no one would have ever noticed it should they think about it deeply. They never did, but it felt good to believe. It felt good to believe in something. _

_It felt good to hold Lori tightly with his love while she fell apart after returning with the group, having detonated it at a car show that was rigged. He wasn't there, he didn't see the bloodbath she had caused, but there was that thing about it. The speech Chandler shoved into their brains, and the justification that it was for the greater good, to wake up the world, it had all been pure bullshit. Why didn't she see it before him? Why, when she was the adult, far more mature than him? It should have been like that. It should have been her to try and abandon the Freights' world. _

_And yet, she never turned her back to them._

"When there is death, the bodies dropped in between then and now, there isn't a cheer of victory. There aren't laughs of triumph, or any sort of celebrating for yourself. When have you ever ended someone's life and decided you were happy, huh? You weren't pleased, and you never will be again, not the same way you would be before this, all of this, started."

Lynn and Lola recovered from their injuries and looked up to see the brother's looming silhouette right over them. They would not dare make a move, gaining nothing but fear and a sense of failure, feeling helplessly powerless to stop the unstoppable carnivore. Sam held onto Luna, caressing her gently while also making sure she was on her side to aid if there was going to be a massive fight here. Carol and Lyle were still shaken up, but their adrenaline had put them in a body-hardened situation, and with the tensing of their bodies, they too were ready for a scrap, as little knowledge they knew about fighting. Lindsey kept herself safe by cowering behind Lyle.

"You call them monsters, but to them..." Leven raised his hand and pointed at Lincoln, and then dragged the finger to Linka's corpse. "You are that of which you describe to wish to terminate. You are the monster."

"So I've been told..." Lincoln simply responded in a quiet tone. "So I'm always told, but is it so bad that I want to annihilate these so-called phenos to keep it balanced? Am I truly the only person in the world who does not believe these kids, teens, and every single person kidnapped by Vial should gp around freely and wield such destructive power that makes them feel godly?! No, no I don't fucking think so..."

"Lincoln, they do not carry the Freights' main ideas. I don't think these kids here think themselves high and mighty like the ones you have been accustomed to for years, otherwise, why would they be here, right?"

"Y-Yeah..." Lynn uttered from below. "Elmont had been keeping tabs on who and who aren't cut to throw in with us... D-damn it, Linc, you are too distrusting of us and- And you just said it, didn't you?! You just said it..."

"What?" Lola stammered, holding her forehead down. "I don't follow..."

"Don't you see?!" Lynn heaved out louder, beckoning to her sisters and allies around them. "It's not just them he's applying this shit to, but us! All of us phenos here are completely unworthy in his eyes! He just basically said we have not earned what we've received from Lisa! Tell them, Lincoln! Go on, tell them I'm wrong!" For once, Lynn wanted to be wrong. Wrong for the truth to be a lie, a lie not bothersome nor hurtful. She grunted, still bleeding from her mouth while Lola tried to keep her down.

All eyes had centered on Lincoln, who gave no quick answer. And when he didn't, gave none whatsoever. And therefore it had to he true; he did not like the idea of his sisters, naive, weak-hearted and mentally unfit to serve as private soldiers for the Division. He saw it and no one else did... Or maybe the ones who made it this way didn't care, they'd have probably needed anyone at random with powers to fight their wars, and maybe it was all just a trick. Maybe the fact that they were related to Lisa Loud was an irrelevant fact they sold to the siblings as something that mattered. Maybe had it not been for their powers, they'd be looked well past and there would be another team in their place, a better team taking upon the forces of Vial Corp and the Black Network. Maybe it should have been like that all along; who were they outside a team working for a secret agency tied to the government? What were of them once they were reduced from their lives, everything taken from them again?

"Lincoln?" Lola wanted to know it, asking away in her desperation. Luna moved closer, pushing Sam away and going through the other kids. She had been paying attention to the shitshow up until Lynn went and dropped that possibility where Lincoln had secretly believed that his sisters weren't deserving of what they had. The three women came back, forgetting their mutual fear and hatred of Lincoln to understand it more, a desire to wish why this was of him. "Why?"

"I'll tell you why!" Lynn roared out. "It's because he knows we don't believe or follow that code he's taken into account! We're not the shoot-to-kill types like him, therefore we're the fools to him! We're nothing but absolute excess luggage to him, doing nothing but holding him back all this time. If it takes me to ride that very same bandwagon for you to accept and deem me worthy of my speed, then I don't want it from you, I'll never want your approval!"

"We don't want it," Luna chimed in.

"And we won't ever need it!" Lola quivered.

Linka gasped for dear breath and leaned her upper body right side up. "Ouchies, that was unbearably painful!" Her large hole had still been gushing out blood, intestines dangling about. She poked away at the flesh, mouth dropped open in amazement. "Ooooooh, can't say I didn't expect this to happen!"

"H-how-?!" Lynn stuttered.

"Um, hello?! Rapid regeneration!" The bloody hole had begun to shrink, closing away with her white skin. "Agh, I can still feel the fragments inside, just...-" And then she proceeded to vomit out her innards, along with some of the buckshot fillings left in her stomach, nothing anyone around would have expected to see.

"Ah, Jesus-" Lynn whispered.

"Ewwww...!" Lola averted her eyes, quickly evacuating the room. Her own stomach could not double down on the sight of such bloody horror.

Luna's own nose began sniffing away, picking up on a delightful smell that her reptilian form found appeasing- and she dropped on all fours, pouncing right onto the blood puddle. Her long, narrow tongue rolled right out, rubbing away at the stained floor. Her normal eyes had gone to the cold yellow eyes, signaling that she had given in to her beastly temptation. She liked the taste of the artificial blood, taking it in as some great blood, and it was only when she had licked the floor clean of Linka's blood that she turned her attention to the vomit, sensing the delicacies within the mess.

"Luna, for fuck's sakes!" Lynn shook her head and moved in, slapping the older sister across the face. "Control yourself!"

Linka went over to Leven and gave him a shoulder punch. "Don't think I missed that speech, big brother! Nice job, using your logic on Lincoln! Who do you think you are, a clone of Lincoln and Lisa?! Hahaha!"

"Bitch, I might be," Leven teased, forming a rare smile unlike that of Lincoln's own structure. "I'm glad you're alive-"

Lynn dragged Luna away from the room, feeling pretty silly on how things had advanced in under the last ten minutes. She gave Lincoln the stink eye right before exiting the room backwards with the man-eating sister. The look on her face where she was closer to the end of their relationship, just like the others had begun to grow weary.

And at that slow, quiet moment, Lincoln had forgotten his current objective to kill the four strangers just like that. He stood still in that spot Leven had locked him in, the latter clone and Linka both eyeing him back when no one else was left inside.

Linka coughed clearly. "So, what's the game plan?"

**Moments Later**

The situation had been diffused greatly, but the fear and intensity felt by the heatwave aura of Lincoln Loud's nefarious presence had still been felt by the new phenos, but Linka and Leven were, for the time being, sure that Lincoln had momentarily ceased his bloody need to rip apart the freaks of tomorrow, and, by Leven's own reasoning, Lincoln would have had to set his own sights on them eventually if he were to go that far. And it had to be known he just might have in due time. It was scary, but not to Leven.

Not scary at all. Then again...

The room was filled with Elmont, the current line-up of the Patriot team of phenos, and the fresh batch of phenos Elmont had plucked from the world personally. "Fortunately for the lot of you, I'll overlook this little... Delay, and rush to the main objectives. Louds-"

Linka deployed the files out onto the screen, starting with images and an address of a private estate fit for a billionaire; a perfect glass house with a fancy, decorative design, nothing out of the ordinary. This perfect abode that overlooked at a beach side off the coast of Malibu, California, the last resort of a hiding place for one Lisa Loud.

"The five of you will assemble to this location and extract Lisa. Anyone you see that is not Lisa, you have full permission to drop, unless you wish to leave them to the authorities. Whatever their fates may be will not make a difference to us, so it is entirely your call. Now, with the sudden switch of teams with these clones-"

Linka stood up and finished where Elmont involuntarily left off. "Lisa and company will be expecting us to join in the fight, and as much as I'd love to shooty-shooty, Leven and I will sit this one out-"

"We cannot risk Lisa shutting down the clones with any kill switch she might have. Now, I would know for sure but all files on the five clones are have been wiped thanks to-"

"Pffft, I said I was sorry, you L'oreal bastard," Linka apologized again, crossed her arms and pouting.

"Anyways, we are way less on time now more than ever, and this is our only chance to take them all at once. The Black Network is strategically compromised, so we know they will all be retreating, but Lisa's hiding spot will not be where everyone will go-"

"I can try to locate them," Linka offered. "What I have come to know is that Lisa and Peter McMahon are in cahoots, and McMahon, the current owner of the Kapacity Korp properties, has basically given it all to her in secrecy. That's where they'll continue their work, and the Black Network is intended to be a ruse with a emergency self-destruct sequence. They'd want you all to go back and boom-" Linka snapped her fingers, "they kill you, fake their own deaths, and nobody would bat an eye and continue Project Superior from the Korp facilities. Kapacity Korp switching to a biological interest will only be seen as them stepping up after the defeat of the great titan Vial Corp, and nothing will have changed. In other words..."

"Kapacity Korp will be the next Vial for sure," Lincoln surmised. "We don't have long until Lisa is notified and makes another run for it."

"Maybe we're too late..." Luna drew, worried about it. "It's been half an hour already, and... What if we're too late?"

"No, we won't be!" Lynn believed. "We will not be too late to stop this, even if we lose Lisa forever, we'll have the advantage and be able to dismantle all of Kapacity Korp, right?"

Elmont did not keep a word, which stunned and terrified Lynn. And then she understood again. She understood how it really worked. Without Lisa, the one and only person to drop the multitude of confessions, they had nothing. Lynn then turned to Linka, hoping the clone would have something, even as small for a piece of evidence, to use as leverage that said Lisa had taken over Kapacity Korp, but the clone shook her head at the zoomer, telling her wordlessly that it was Lisa or they would never be able to win this particular war, and never be able to get justice for all those who were turned into phenos.

"We need Lisa, and nothing else, no one else," Elmont confirmed. "Either her or McMahon, which is why I called in for these four youngsters here. We have Lyle Jefferson, Lindsey Sweetwater, Caroline Pingrey, and Samantha Sharp present and accounted for, three of whom have been modified to become phenos in Vial Corp labs. As for Sam here-"

"Don't even get into it," Sam scolded. "I hate it so much..."

"This team, along with clones Link-A and Link-N, as their codenames seem to be, will also be joining this secondary team, the Junior Patriots, if you will-"

"Tsk, we're really going superhero..." Luna thought.

"Government sponsored, mind you," Elmont reminded them. "No wild west shit in my country, I'll tell you that much. Peter McMahon is making an appearance. Presidential public meet going live nationally to address the current affairs of the world, and McMahon will be there and he'll walk along the podium. Ever seen Vantage Point? We're going that direction but with no casualties-"

Lincoln burst out of his seat. "You want these kids to set off a bomb?!"

"Okay, so maybe that was not the best reference here. No, I need a little rain of chaos to happen, enough that it looks like an assassination attempt. The five of you not performing will be in the crowd and take McMahon during the mess, you got that?"

"Jeez, this is methodically insane," Lyle thought. "You really want me to actually stage a false flag operation?"

_That teen knows about something like that?! _Lincoln was outraged. _I knew he was dangerous..._

"Um, this is really too much..." Lindsey was no longer on board about this. "I want revenge, not to end up a fugivite-"

"If it all goes well but you get caught, any of you, I promise that you will all be cleared, and that's a fact should we have McMahon in our custody."

"Why them?" Lola wondered. "They have not had any training! You just brought them in and expect them to be-"

Linka switched out the images of Lisa's house to news reports of mysterious parties attacking Vial Corp convoys and facilities, all spread out in between the time Luna had freed them to the day they were in. Lyle and Lindsey had begun a campaign. Caroline left behind a bloody trail of butchered staff. More phenos had been freed, all starting from the chain Luna had created, and it was Sam who helped her start it. Luna and Sam, having both started a revolution together without ever truly realizing it. Luna, who had always come to know herself as the pheno woman who free the other captives. Anything they did after that, she would say she was responsible, but she didn't fully know to what extent had her responsibility reached to. Lisa had created the phenos in them, but Luna's example had been followed the moment they saw her rise up and defy them. She, a symbol of rebellion, the first freedom fighter to rise amongst the pheno era, the savior who turned the tide on the long-running oppression campaign dedicated for the purpose to realize the superior human being, and she may not have ever been planned to survive her ordeal.

The face of the rising rebellion started with the Superbeast of Dadetown.

"They are brave enough to pull this off, and I genuinely believe that," Elmont admitted. "You are not kids, but fighters who want to make the impossible difference, and this is it. This right here is your greatest challenge, my young Patriots. We have to try, and we have to succeed so that it won't happen again-"

_Lindsey shut her eyes and witnessed the empty nothingness of her house, finding herself reliving that same horror experience when she returned to her home she'd been taken away from. Sometime in between then, when she had been nabbed, and now, the era of the new world with its new rules, they had moved out. Moved out to some other part of the world..._

_And forgot her._

_She could not help but come up with that thought of, while she was crying, that they chose to leave because these memories made of each other, all revolving around her, were simply too much for the collective to endure that it broke the family. They could not bear the pain of losing their daughter, and as much as Lindsey could ever theorize, maybe she really was dead in the world's eyes. She was dead, and only Lyle, the kind-hearted softie with the role of her white knight, did his damn best to remind her that the end was not, and could not be so forever._

_She'd see them again, he told her. She would, and hope had to be kept alive. Alive so she would be, and she had to be alive to keep it alive. One could never live without the other._

"Yeah!" Lindsey agreed, throwing her fists in the air. "So that it won't happen again!"

Lyle turned to the girl he protected and gave her a strong, pleasant smile. She had her reason to fight, to live, and for that he was grateful. She had him to push and remind her to keep going until the end would eventually be reached. The end.

They were all in it, united as one to prevent another chain of incidents and tragedies to spare those at risk, a number set in the hundreds range. It came down to all of them to put an end to Lisa's reign of power once and for all.

"I have complete faith in each of you... Let's get you all set up for your designated mission at hand."

**Later - Washington, DC**

Linka joined the crowd, bumping into some of the people while she discovered that she was too short to see squat while the crowdgoers, all taller than her due to them being adults who cared for these types of politics, were placed around like an endless treeline, and the sun was concealed away when blocked by their heads.

Lyle had no issue while blending in, and Lindsey had been riding piggyback to get a good view of the spectacle. Reporters were live on the scene, cameramen capturing the event for the news channels. The men at the podium, clearly the important officials, were currently discussing the recent events involving Vial Corp and how they were still trying to find James Shepherd, and McMahon, present behind the current talker, Edwin Bowen, was keeping a straight face while Linka had known that he knew of the location most likely and would have never revealed it.

"Everyone, check in," Linka spoke into her earpiece. "How gucci are y'all?"

"How what?" Lyle blinked, arms set around Lindsey's legs to keep her from falling in any direction.

"I think she means to say how we're looking," Caroline reiterated, sitting at a bench far behind the crowd.

"Oh, well, I'm just doing well, you know, apart from this whole..." Sam was currently paired with Leven, for she could not appear in public the way she was. Sure, she might have played that terror role to rev up the crowd, but Linka and Leven had orchestrated a better play. And by better, it was sure as hell an explosive one. The clone and the blonde with the red-pale skin were nested on a rooftop just a little aways from where it was going down- and the opposite building from them, a hotel, had a room rigged with a homemade that had Freight written all over it. No, the four kids would not be setting it off, but Leven would be, and Linka seemed to be fine with it, being all good for it. "Jesus, what the actual fuck am I doing? Not long ago, I was just up to property damage and nothing more than that. It feels so weird... Always weird that..."

Leven witnessed the young woman touch the skin on her arm, which he felt that she was still in denial in some degree, unable to cope the fact that the world had changed for her so immensely- and she had not ever been prepared for this. No one in their right mind could have ever readied up for a new life such as this one. "Can I ask something?" He turned his back to the target area and gave her all his attention, feeling like he could ease out how lost and uncomfortable she had felt. "Before this, before you turned into... Whatever that is, what did you do? Who were you?"

Sam sighed with pure grief and rubbed the back of her head, waving her hair around in the process. "Had my whole life ahead of me, I guess. College student, career set for me to walk on. I just needed to give all my time and energy towards it, you know? To devote myself into what I was aiming for... And then-" Sam raised her left hand and kept opening and closing it as if she was experiencing a vengeful feeling. Maybe it had been that, who was to say? "I met Luna Loud, and my whole world went topsy-turvy. Like, I decided to help her because of how wrong it all seemed to be, so... Tell me something, albino boy... Why was it that trying to help her ended up in me being... Well, punished for that? I thought I was doing good, and the Dadetown facility fell on me. No notice, no warning, it just-" She squeezed her fist hard enough to make herself bleed from the palm. If it didn't infuriate her by then, it certainly made her mad now. But only there and now, she had gotten nore clarity on who wasn't at fault here. It wasn't Luna who turned her, and yet she could not say she was a Vial Corp product at the same time.

It just happened, be it part of fate luring her for something bigger, or it was just a thing at random, a case of the "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" occurrence. Seeing it now, it might have been the first one, a gasket-blower of an event she was destined for, and quite possibly more. She wasn't thinking of that agency that recruited her, not about the older woman she had grown down romantic feelings for, but Sam's mind was on the current mission at hand, and how dangerous it might have been, even with her own superpower she had gotten. She was no immortal being, and there was not testing that, ever. She, and the others in this second team, were still as human as can be, regardless of being a pheno or not.

"I was someone, and now... Look at me... I'm someone else entirely..." Sam unclenched her fist, revealing her bloody palm. "And someone who knows anger like no other, it seems... I don't understand it but, I had these thoughts where I didn't want to go back to what I had. I just feel like-"

"Like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders removed only for something else to take its place?" Leven asked with tad curiosity.

"Oh, God! Yes, yes that's it! That's... That's how I've been feeling if we were to narrow it down..." Sam sighed again. "I feel selfish when I look at it like that, when I recognize that my old life... The one before, I felt trapped, not free to do what I long for. Never free."

Leven made no emotion.

"You do understand me, right? It's like this woke me up and made me see how chained up I've been, but even still..."

**Far From Now**

"You aren't free," the shadow far back on the other end of the alley had explained it to Leven. "They made you to be like the original, so tell me, what have you done up to here? How long have you been roaming around and would you have considered that you were, at least once in your entire lifespan so far, free from their agendas and conflicts?"

Leven remained still, taking the silhouette's words into account. "There is some truth to those words, yes, but I make my own decisions, as does Linka-"

"And yet you both are constantly roped into battle alongside them to no end. I know you bleed, I've seen it, so there's no need to ask of you if you think yourself godly and immortal." The man pulled out a handgun and aimed at Leven. "It only takes a special anti-pheno bullet to kill you, you know? And yes, this is a clip full of them, don't you worry."

Leven winced, trying to not show his inital fear of the man with the trump card. "What's your game here? Are you trying to preach to me about how I'm a drone, a mere weapon to use by them?"

"Trying. I like that. It means you aren't convinced yet, which is odd..." The man lowered his gun snd set it on the ground, then kicked it swsy to Leven's direction. "It can all be over now with one pull of the trigger, Leven. You know who I am and you know what's gotta be done..."

Leven picked up the gun and had turned the tables onto the other guy, which had been adding to their objective. "I fire this and you die here, and the crisis will be averted-"

"My motives have been for the greater of mankind, and I'll see it through to the end that I be the last one standing. You, the Louds serving the Patriot Division, and the other smaller teams scattered all over the place, you're all just puppets serving greedy masters who can afford to make endless wars so that they can profit and maintain their good front row seats and watch us all go to war and kil each other off. Just you wait and see, they'll deactivate you and disavow the Louds, or worse."

"That'll be my problem, not yours," Leven decided, cocking the gun. "You have a date with the devil and those you've murdered."

"Are you so certain you want to do it? You want to prove you're a puppet?"

"I am no one's pawn," Leven believed.

"Wrong... You are bound by Lincoln's own personality and ideology... Or should I be more accurate and say you have never fully let go of the Freight MO?" He smiled under the lights of the building, cornering Leven in that aspect. "You're trapped, a being of no free will created by the Network to kill the way he does. Nothing has changed, apart from the targets. Kill me to prove my claims are true, or let me live, to prove to yourself that you are not like him. Prove to us that you are more worthy than him. Prove to me that you will do this by the book. Go on, play this cat-and-mouse game with me, entertain me."

Leven was so tempted to pull the trigger... And then, he found himself actually hesitating to do that simple thing. A movement of his finger is all he needed to do. For the life of him, Leven did not.

**Now**

"I think I do," Leven replied. "I guess everyone starts up chained to something, but we don't ever think about it at all during our lives, unless something happens. A cruel, dark and twisted thing we can't ever predict or mentally prepare ourselves for. But I think it would be that, be it a house fire..."

**Malibu, California**

_"...or seeing your friends get killed..."_

Lincoln and company circled the area, all of them closing in on the target house. They made slow advancements, ready for the long-running goose chase to finally come to an end, if it just so happened that fate decided that the conclusion was here, right through those birch doors with a security pad on the side. They were ready to breach.

**Michigan**

_"Maybe someone who hates you, or someone who's seen a golden opportunity to pin hot shit on you, has done so to hide some truth they want to steer away from to protect their image or keep their injustice out of the light..."_

Marsha drove on for awhile, passing through yet another city around the state. Leia, having called shotgun, had lowered her seat back and promptly fell asleep about ten minutes in, and so had Gwen, only half an hour later. They were lightly snoring, and Marsha could only guess what it was they wete dreaming of, if they were. Either way, she'd let them have it for the time being, seeing as how they had been on the run for quite awhile, prime suspects in the case of the death of Lord Tetherby.

**Elsewhere - Far From Now**

_"Or perhaps it's something bigger, an event that leads to other things, problems, and that'll leave you with out with it, and up to bringing innocent people into it."_

The teenage girl of long, straightened brown hair, wearing a purple leather jacket and torn blue jeans, centered herself perfectly aligned to the large, metal contraption just a few inches away from her. The machine itself had just been activated, and she, a girl given a very special mission alongside her relative, the blonde girl with scorching red eyes, and of a height just as equally balanced as the brunette here.

"You ready, Lyra?" the blonde girl with a hairstyle of a ponytail with bangs, sporting a skin-tight suit of green and black, had asked of the brunette. In her hands was a black set of goggles she needed for her pheno specialty.

Lyra turned around and gave the blonde a nervous smile. "This is a huge weight on me, sis," Lyra shakily responded. "Mom's asking too much of me to do this."

"Yeah, well, we're on the same boat, Lyra," the blonde reminded Lyra, flashing a thumb up. "We just have one person to kill, and it's the end of the war. Simple as that."

The machine spewed up a large portal of blue swirls, the time-traveling gateway to the past, readying up for the two young girls in their quest to assassinate a key figure responsible for a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the devastation of the world they had grown up and lived in. A world lost to the Prime Federation.

Lyra looked behind Lynnette to catch sight of her mother, the elder Luna Loud dressed in a ragged uniform with a light green patch sewn on her left sleeve, the insignia to identify Domicile rebels long distance. And Luna, huddled around some of their many allies thrown into the resistance force, had her eyes go red, watering freshly with tears. This, Lyra interpreted as her mother expressing the most concern for her daughter's safety, a fear that had every right to exist within the both of them. The danger was here, and it would also be there, to the place Lyra and Lynnette would go to; a never-ending game of life and death to be played by them all.

"M-mom..." Lyra had to toughen herself and her stomach up for this, and if Lynnette hadn't, then so would the latter. "I'll come back, mom! There's no need to cry! I'll be back soon enough and I'll make you proud of me! I'll make you proud of me, I promise!"

Lynnette scoffed, placing her goggles right before they ventured into the dead era of yesterday. Just then, a red silhouette raced up to her in the blink of an eye. Dear mother Lynn Loud had dropped in to say her temporary farewell. "And I thought you'd be busy fighting the Prime Fed guys."

"Plenty of guys to fill in for my absence," Lynn explained, "plus I was not going to miss this. It's going to be the last time I'll see you again in a while."

"Yeah," Lynnette said without empathy in her voice. "It'll be fast, right? I mean, it sounds all too simple if you ask me..."

"It should be, yes..." Lynn closed her eyes and looked down on her, placing an arm on the daughter's shoulder. "I'll be with you, okay? Always, in your heart..." Lynn turned to Lyra. "My niece, c'mere."

Lyra was invited for a bear hug composed of a motherly love in mutuality for both girls. "Ah, auntie-"

"Sing it again, girls..."

"Ew, aunt, no!" Lyra shrugged.

"Come on, mom, we're too old for that-"

Lynn hugged tighter now. "I won't let go until you do it on behalf of me and your mother," she told the girls. "Lyra, start it off, why don't you?"

"Oh, fine, aunt..." Lyra agreed, trying to recall how the three-line lullaby went. "Um... If you find yourself lost, deep within the woods..." Her voice sang it with a perfect angel's voice, one such calm and gentle audible stroke that could soothe the calm into the crowds, a sort of superpower within itself. "Follow the sunlight to the end of time..."

"And all the happiness from the world will be waiting to meet you again," Lynnette finished for her, carelessly whispering and breaking the vibes. "Still freaking short if you ask me."

"Maybe it is, little one, maybe it is..." Lynn let go of both girls, revealing her own eyes to have gone teary red as well. "We'll see each other soon, okay? You guys go on now... Time awaits you..."

Lyra nodded once while Lynnette processed those words. Lynn said they'll see each other soon, not that she'd see them soon. What did that mean exactly? But she never questioned it, and if she would have, it would have not ever been answered perhaps; Lyra had taken her by the hand and dragged her in, and then, they were off to the races. Off to prevent a war.

**Now **

"Point is, we all go through something that changes us, and regardless of how cruel it is in nature, it happens for a reason, right? Yes, I do agree that it pushes us away from the crowd. You see people who follow society, play by the rules. You said you were a college girl?"

"Yeah," Sam answered, mouth agape.

"Then those people, all the other students you see when you walk to class, those are the ones not broken free, but that's not to say it's a bad thing. Maybe we're all supposed to be chained, never to see the darkness. Then again, the place we're both does have its advantageous pros. It depends on whoever winds up with tragedy, I know it's not the same for everyone."

"Supposed to be chained..." She looked down on her hands. "Is this really the price to see something I haven't before? Is this the price to have my eyes opened? ...Are they really opened?"

"That I can't say, but it's for you to go and find out. Who's to say that I've been right all along? Maybe my words are not to count on, and I'm just wrong."

"Well... If you are, I would also be wrong, because what you say doesn't feel wrong... I do feel free... And the ugly truth is that I entered a messed-up pile of shit. And then I realize it's just the state of the world, the rules of mankind. I know that... I just needed to be reminded..."

_"That's so goddamn deep like this penis I don't have right inside of you," _Linka cut in through their earpiece comms.

"Um..." Sam exhaled all her air out. "What's the deal with the girl? Why is she so perverted and sexual?"

"She's not exactly in her right state of mind, it's complicated-"

_"No, it's not! I can't have slurp beverages, and that kills me! Hang on, I'm reading a fanfic of ourselves. This Spag character wants me to dominate with... A Linka Log! Yes, I totally deserve a penis!"_

_"What the hell is she on?" _Lindsey hissed through the comms. _"You guys are really odd."_

_"Mwuah!" _

"Heads up," Leven notified his teammates. "Almost five minutes since Sam and I worked the room. Distraction coming up, and remember, no casualties. Elmont's trusting that you have mastered your powers... Whatever they are, you didn't mention them, and leader didn't tell us either, so surprise us."

_"I still don't feel good about this..." _Carol reported. _"I mean, if we get caught, those government guys can actually disown us, you know. Throw us away and deny their involvement in this, and for that reason I can't say I fully trust Mr. Elmont. Trust me, these guys are all about power, image and resources. Someone in their branch does a crime, they'll cover it up by redirecting media and public attention to something else just as worse."_

_"That is so fucking scary, I'll take it with pepperoni!" _Linka gurgled.

"What, you know of such figures personally?" Leven steered away from the opposite building's direction, leading Sam away. "That's a bonus, but are you interested in that field?"

_"I might have been, but my controlling parents... Well, it's like you said, that was the chain around me. I've heard tale of a great many from dear old dad when he'd get too drunk, but yeah, toppers are scary to be fucking with in any way around. Toppers and the millionaires or billionaires, what have you?" _

"Are you telling me you're scared?" Leven poked at the blonde, eyeing her for an expression.

_"I- I mean, I have been since the beginning, yeah... Fighting these guards Vial's got on the payroll, such who know they're doing bad but don't care because of the money- Its scary because it proves to me that it's easy to sell your sense of right, but at the same time it enrages me to the point that- That I do want to be here. My heart is beating wildly because we are asking to die by going this route, and I don't think our powers make a different. Sorry, but I'm not trying to sound paranoid, it just behooves me to watch around what... Well, what this agency will want us to do."_

"Interesting... Linka?"

_"Are you asking me to hack the Pentagon?!" _Linka assumed of Leven. _"That's crazy! I like the way you think, OddCombo creation! Maybe we should shut down the entire nation of China, too! They are the face of multiple economies, no?"_

"Linka..." Leven scolded like the big brother she'd label him as.

In the crowd, Linka rubbed her hand on the spare white shirt over her damaged spandex suit, feeling the fabric with admiration. "I love how this is loose, but... The suit underneath me brings out the size of my ass. I can't help but feel like I'm pandering for perverts and pedophiles and people named Flagg1991."

At long last, an explosion had kicked off and set the start of the high-octane thrill amped within the crowd. Leven and Sam ducked for cover when the rooftop rocked violently almost like an earthquake had struck. Glass shattered all at once in a greatly synchronized sound, everything feeling all-too surreal, and at the same time, familiar for Leven. It was a bomb that had gone off, just like the fragment of the Freight construct inside of him knew to have whipped one up with Linka's help. Weird to say it was not for a sickening agenda this time, and yet...

"Thanks for that image..." Leven plucked Sam by her shoulders. "You ready?"

"Wait, what the fuck is the plan?! You didn't-"

Linka rushed into the crowd, pushing her way through the scared civilians and reporters around. Up ahead, Peter McMahon and several of his friends he accompanied were immediately surrounded by Secret Service agents, all arranged in a circular position, guarding the special VIPs from anyone who thought to snipe them from afar. How could they expect the attack to be the work of phenos and clones of ex-Freights? How could anyone?

Leven threw himself and Sam off the rooftop without warning, causing Sam to scream with all the pent up fear she could ever, and she had not even seen Leven toss a teleporter on the ground right before they could hit, which redirected them right onto-

Linka and the other four assembled onto the podium when the portal's exit manigsted right beside the agents and the politicians, and Leven tossed Sam right into them as if she were a bowling ball being applied to the pins they'd been reduced to. Lyle came running on all fours, still carrying Lindsey on his back. Caroline also joined the fray, and with that, they had surrounded their only target fairly easily.

Fairly easily, when it should not have been at all. And that meant something was definitely wrong here.

"Oh, no, D is saving us for a big boss, I'm sure! Why didnt I fake my death back then?"

"More like, how didn't you die when that guy shot you?!" Lindsey pointed out with hands stretched put towards Linka. "I mean thanks for saving us... But- But what the fuck?! And don't say regeneration, cause that only raises more questions!"

"Enough chatter!" Leven beckoned. "Secure McMahon and let's just get this-"

Among the downed group of powerful men, one such figure had spoken up, clear as the daylight was, directing to the six youngsters. "I can't say I'm surprised, and I have to applaud your courageous efforts it took to come all this way for me-" Peter McMahon, the middle-aged man of around six feet and, now that they were seeing him close amd personal, seemed to be partly Canadian at most, suggested by his hairdo, facial hair and expression that didn't read hostile in any way. But they weren't fooled at all. "Did you come here thinking I hadn't a contingency?"

"Contingency? For that to work, you would have had to know we were coming," Leven figured. "Anticipated us in the least bit of sense."

Linka looked around to see news reporters and their cameramen all locked onto them, filiming the scenery live on all outlets. It caught the phenos staging a seemingly terrorist attack, the goal unclear to those watching at home. "Uh... We're not fast enough, it seems."

"This isn't gonna look good..." Caroline shivered. "I'm not taking the fall for the mastermind behind this."

Leven grabbed the senator with one hand, and looked to Sam to hand out the tiny portals. "We're leaving-"

"Oh, we'll see about that!" A new player had stepped up to the field, ready to play against the dominating team of new Patriots. This player happened to be Allison Taggart, all dressed up in a dark blue uniform from head to toe, and half her face was concealed by a custom mask she brought for the party. The mask did not cover up her hair, revealing it to the group as a mustard-green color hair, medium and wavy at that. "Heeeeere's Allie!"

She had popped up right behind them, landing into the podium with two submachine guns. She centered them on Lyle first, taking aim but not firing.

Linka saw a potential foe, and like an idiot, she had the funny idea to rush the girl like that. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's not-"

Allison opened fire upon Linka, tearing up her body with the special anti-pheno rounds she had, performing for the extra damage regular ammo could never accomplish. She ripped up Linka's face, chest and legs that way, leaving red gashes in Linka's place. The clone stumbled over and bled frantically, body quaking about. Lindsey, Sam and Caroline freaked visibly, but Leven, dropping their target, jumped into battle while Allison was quickly reloading after emptying all rounds onto Linka. "Shit!"

Leven picked her up and slammed her hard on her back. Allison screeched but rolled around, quickly digging her hands into her suit and tossed a gray landmine-shaped device past Leven. The contraption flashed a light blue sparkle, activating away. Leven looked on for a second but wasn't about to be distracted long enough for the mysterious opponent to get the drop on him. However, Allison's next move, a mere punch Leven believed he wouldn't be fazed by, had struck him senseless and confused. He was forced a step back from it, wondering how it was possible to have taken a blow from an apparent non-pheno.

"Hey, I see you are curious!" Allison geoaned while rubbing her back. "Those are portable power dampeners. You've seen the main model, and these are the mobile ones."

"Who are you?" Leven went in for a swing, but Allison ducked it and rebounded for her own counter, a nice elbow to his face.

"Right, you've never met me, but I know you and Link-A," Allison explained. "I worked with Lisa a few times, now... Where are the other three clones?"

"None of your concern..." Leven turned to the phenos. "Take McMahon and get out of here!"

"What?!" Sam gasped. "What about-?!"

"I'll take care of her! Just go!"

"Damn it, I can't use my powers!" Caroline had tried to shift her hands again, only for it to work no more. "You guys?!"

"Nope!"

"What the-?"

Sam gave them each a Matrix Portals, all of the phenos quickly dropping out of the scenery with their objective having been completed, at the cost of Leven and Linka being left behind. And just as soon at the fight had started, it had ended. Leven slipped off the earpiece and broke it when tossing it on the ground.

"Oh, and what would this be?" Allison slipped off her mask and revealed her entire face; she could not have been more than eighteen years, or maybe she didn't age that fast physically. "You got questions for me?"

"You know who I am?" Leven pondered.

"That's easy. Yes, you're a clone, it's as simple as that," Allison dropped, this being nothing he didn't already know.

"Clone of Lincoln, correct?"

"I've been told A had duplicated the files-"

"The one on me has been involuntarily erased, and as much as I'd like to take a look at what exactly I am-"

Allison broke out laughing, mocking Leven up close. "Oh, that's rich! Link-A wiped the file on you, and you're all curious about it! That's- that's fucking funny, dude!"

"Do you know it or no?"

Shs stopped and raised her shoulders. "What makes you think I did read it? Better yet, a more better question would be why it matters to you, Link-N. I mean, you are structured to be like Lincoln Loud, the indestructible Freight creation."

"Yes, but for some reason..." Leven had come out bearing a more peaceful aura, far calmer and more on the logical side than Lincoln was, and that alone had brought him into question of why this was. Why was he not the same as Lincoln? Funny, two clones of him in existence and both were different in terms of character. Linka, the insane one with childish tendencies, who still carried the signature murderous feature, and Leven, who seemed to use his head and apply tactics and direct the resources correctly. He had the rage Lincoln had, but it was toned down gradually, and his own desire to bring about harm to Lori and company... It had never been real to him, because at the end of the day- "I don't feel like I'm the fully clone of him."

"You want the truth, huh?" Allison snapped her fingers, and in turn, all the newscasters around them dropped their equipment and went forward as if she had hypnotized them all with the snap. Eveyone drew out handguns at Leven, trapping him right at center stage. Next, the downed guard and other political figures stood up- and then glitched out of place. Holograms, which bewildered Leven. "I'll let my dear uncle tell you that."

The real Peter McMahon appeared out of thin air, right besides his niece. He placed his heavy hand onto her left shoulder, whispering into her ear on how good a job she had just done. "Hello again, clone, we meet again."

"Never met you before..." Leven croaked.

"Ah, I'm sure you're wondering about who these people are..." McMahon went and gave the gun-toters a firm introduction. "These are but regular people, not direct affiliates of Vial or anything like that, and yes, they are real news reporters and whatnot. Right now, they've just painted you and these new phenos as domestic terrorists. That bomb has been caught, and so has this little stunt you tried to pull, which is just the motivation needed to push towards more anti-pheno movements within the dark walls of Congress, and now that the public eye has seen first-hand what you can do- Well, I need not say anything else, you're a smart one."

"All of this to keep secure all that power Lisa has, huh?" Leven grumbled. "Discredit all phenos so that they'll deny our place with the Patriot Division by force, I can see that as the outcome."

"Exactly right, my boy! Just remember we have the power to destroy each other, take each other apart. All it takes is he who strikes first- And let me say, I have the advantage now, which also means Lisa will remain the victor and replicate the superior human formula."

"R-replicate?" Leven believed that he misheard. "You mean she has already-?"

"Dear boy, let me let you in on a little secret..." The facially hairy man leaned closer to Leven, letting the clone catch a whiff of cigar without intending to. "You _are_ the formula for Project Superior."

Leven's eyes widened in due shock. "I... I'm the...-"

"And you're coming back with me per Lisa's orders," Allison declared.

"Another fact about these people around us, Leven," McMahon continued. "They have loved ones that are dying. Cancer, illnesses, fatal diseases with cures they can't afford. So I'm here with the offer, you know how it goes. Quid pro quo at its finest. I know you would care about the helpless American, that's why Lincoln turned the tables on the destroyers he ran with, and you have that too... So I would like it if you came willingly and helped Lisa out with her problem."

"Problem?" His mind drew back to the main Louds going to storm her hideout. "You mean they-?"

"Have captured Lisa and are on their way back to their base."

Leven analyzed the situation, then looked around and noted how all guns were drawn to him. "What, was that all for show? Or are you trying to pull a deception card on me?"

"The answer we don't want to hear will only injure you enough that we can take you without incident, but we'll hide you at a Kapacity Korp facility instead. What will it be? Play the hero? Or play a slave and an enemy of us?"

"Say yes and do this for humanity, you incoherently selfish piece of shit!" Allison heavily insulted. "You're the fucking key to humanity's step forward!"

"Now, now, Allie, let's not use such profanity to intimidate Link-N into making his choice."

Allison went over to pick up her submachine weapons she'd dropped earlier in the fight. "Dumb fuck-"

McMahon looked at his watch on his left wrist. "Two minutes before the clean-up duty arrives, but I want to be out of here before then. My boy, what will it be?"

"This is insane-" Leven stammered. "What- what am I supposed to do if I say yes? Y-you're asking me to-"

"Well, I've already come up with the schematics for your assignment, and that involves two objectives only." McMahon readjusted his glasses. "One is to free Lisa, and the second is to-" He pulled out a silver hard drive with a blue circle- a button- right in the middle of it, and held it out for Leven to take. "-Hook this up into any computer monitor. This baby here will leech all data and toss it all out into the open sea."

"The open-" It didn't take a second for him to translate what McMahon was getting at. "You want me to... Leak all Patriot Division files on the internet? There are c-classified confidentials, I can't-"

"You can," McMahon believed. "If not... Just so you know, your friends took off with someone..."

Leven gasped at that fact alone. McMahon was right, Sam had left with someone alright, but it wasn't the senator like they thought it was. Then, just who was that? It deeply concerned and terrified the clone.

"Your intolerable insubordination has upset Lisa to no end, but we can forgive that if you agree to this and show Lisa that you have not, and will never be a true failure. You, the perfect infiltration model, will live up to your name, even if it's just the quickest infiltration in history. Now... What do you say? Yes..."

Leven gulped.

"Or no?"

Allison reloaded with no delay this time, focusing her guns on Leven.

For humanity. For humanity, that was the promise of a century. So many people, endless generations could strive from this, from the thing he carried. And he saw it now, with these ordinary people who sided with Vial and friends. Duped maybe, but duped with hope they so needed, and for one thing, Lisa was truly on the verge of changing the world forever. So maybe this was all authentic. "Did all of that go live?"

"It may have looked like that, but no, it did not. It is, however, recorded to a certain point, ready to be aired. Just think, I can destroy your friends this easily, and, believe it or not, your Elmont boss won't be able to save your sorry posteriors from his own superiors. All of them will wind up on the chopping block, but only if-"

"Yes!" Leven reluctantly agreed. "Yes, I'll help you!" He accepted it forcibly and took the hard drive from McMahon's hand. "I'll help you break her out and... Leak it all."

"They'll be too busy trying to find the hard solution that we'll all be home free, and that's not to mention they'll be shut down because of that grave mistake they'll have to responsible for. You'll be safe, forget about the others."

Leven looked down in dismay. What he was being asked to do, too much for him and the soul he wasn't sure he had. That and the fates of the Louds on the line. Luna, Lynn, Lana, Lola, Lincoln and Luan. Them, and the Patriot Division faculty were going to have a real bad time. And he didn't have a choice. Either way he looked at it, they were all going down regardless of what he chose. But rejoining Vial, it seemed to have sweetened the deal for no one was gonna be killed for sure, or pinned as the bad guys. The leaked files would disclose their affiliation and ties to the government, and that they could not be hung for in courts. Only...

It would change everything for them, a grand shift in their lives. That was what Leven had now been in control of at the moment, as the senator had suggested.

"Wonderful, my boy, wonderful!" McMahon cheered, feeling quite pleased with him. "I'll let the captive contact know of your involvement, and don't worry, there will be no casualty of any sort. Now, regarding Link-A here-"

"She lives," Leven requested immediately.

"Mmmm... Very well. You head back now, and wait until our guy makes his move, and then you join him, is that understood? We will guide you from there."

"Understood..."

McMahon turned to the people he had bought with his words. "You all know the drill! Dispose of your weapons and stick to the fabricated story!" McMahon then opened two portals- somehow he had also access to the tech the Division had- and left with Allison, leaving Leven to reel in his thoughts.

Linka's body had not finished healing yet, being only halfway there at the time it was truly over. And she had heard everything, unbeknownst to Leven. Not only that, but her earpiece had been left intact, gone undamaged, not even a scratch on it. Those who heard were only the ones who had been here, meaning the new four phenos. Leven walked over to Linka and picked up what remained of her, the body that was half a carnage mess of a human being, a real sight for sore eyes. Now she's need new clothes when she had healed. "Linka... Please forgive me."

The girl raised her hand and shoved the middle finger at his face, telling him wordlessly that he was the most cruel person in existence as of yet. She made him feel guilty for the actions he had not done yet, and figured he would be doing.

Zoomer Lynn Loud in red had swooped by and picked them up when it was apparent they had been left behind to fend the enemy while the others had escaped. She took them back through a portal, returning to the Division base.

Leven came back to see everyone cheering away at the victory, but only he knew what was going to be. Lisa and "Peter McMahon" were detained and locked in the interrogation room, surrounded by the core members of the current Loud family and Elmont. Just outside, the four non-related phenos stood in absolute silence and terror, and when Leven had appeared with the wounded Linka, things became even more terrifying for them. They looked at him as if they had known what his new mission was, and he, clueless on the very nature of their collective of mortified expressions, couldn't fathom it- until he heard a small clank sound off below him. And when he went to look at the source of the noise, his heart stopped dead; Linka's earpiece had captured all of the dialogue between him, the real McMahon and the bodyguard Allison Taggart.

They had heard it all, and were too stunned to try something, but even so- "H-hold on... I-" He stretched out a hand, and in it was the hard drive that had a huge role to play. He looked at it and realized how immensely dangerous the situation was. "Oh, my God."

And while Leven was there, the terrible storm that had yet to reach land, Lisa and the body double were in the room, taking the hailstorm of the Louds' demonizing words, patiently awaiting for the right moment to stage their breakout- and Leven was all the difference at this point. And Linka, who would not take long to heal, was going to do so and tell the team what was going on. This meant the window was going to close, and Leven, feeling trapped like never before, moved in to make a move.

He entered inside, and found a fully loaded M60 on the corner of the room. Now or never, he went for it.

* * *

**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter VIII: The Junior Patriots**

* * *

**AN: And unlike what was seen the trilogy, the entire Louds versus Lisa storyline reaches its conclusion in this act, but don't be fooled; more threats are lining up to take aim at the family, some familiar and some new,more deadlier and more bigger. Things have already been hinted at, moreso than meets the eye. I've come too far to stop this long-running story that will span well over a hundred chapters, despite how convoluted and complex it will become.**

**Next; Liby, Lacy and Lupa get their own adventure before the act II finale! **


	20. Chapter 20

**June 4th, 2030 - Later**

Link-B, the Luan clone with lighter brown hair, had grown quite fatigue at this point, having fled from the creepy underground base fit for some cult to do their weird, blood-soaked rituals in. She'd rather not think about it, but had been indeed distracted by the short girl who possessed a white hair set that had a mystery behind it.

Link-D, branded Lupa by the Linka clone, had a rougher version of Lucy's voice, raspy at most but not enough to repel the idea that it was not of a girl's own. Lupa was quite ravenous in attitude and nature, readying herself to get the fuck back into the supernatural realm, which meant she believed herself to be the one and only Lucy. In her point of view, ahe didn't know what to make of these two girls who resembled Lynn and Luan. It was still weird, Lucy had thought them all to be long-dead, and it was the "truth" told to her by Ray Robertson. She didn't know it was a lie, she didn't know that these were products or science, a defiance against God. She didn't know that she was also a part of it, but for one, Lupa had bartered for the power of telekinesis back in there.

The wolf-like creatures were the demons to her, and the guards, poor souls under the control of a formidable demon, maybe one of those Gouelgarrie things. That's what it seemed to her, making the most sense. Here, Lupa interrogated the Lynn clone, levitating her up and pinning her to a tree. "Talk, damn it! How is it you look like my dead sister?! What are you trying to pull?" Back then... Back then, she had believed them to be innocent and clueless about what was going on. They seemed to be lost, and maybe it might have been real, but Lupa, of a demon hunter variety, could not be so sure.

In a crazy world where the impossible had been the stuff of fairy tales and folklore in her younger days as Lucy, Lupa had to be prepared for anything nature would throw at her. Tiramakkuri, Shadow Demons, Gouelgarrie beings, and the goddamn ugly Hellves she hoped to not deal with any time soon. And looking at these two, she hoped that they would not be fucking with her down the line. Perhaps Lupa should not have been scaring them, but training was training, and fear had always compromised them into spilling the beans.

"Why- Why do you sound similar to Lucy?" Lacy scoffed out, arms and legs frantically moving high in the air. "Y-you just saved us just so you can- Can kill us?! Why did you bother?!"

"K-kill...?" Link-B squeaked with fear. "I don't wanna die..."

Lupa grunted, snarling at both of them. She contemplated it, fought by the conflicted state she was in at the moment. "No one will die if you satisfy me with the answers you've got. Now talk!"

""I- I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I can assure you I'm Lynn Loud," Lacy appealed. "Now, I don't know why I sound and feel younger, but-"

"Not only that..." Link-B added in, "but your hair, it's almost paler..."

"What?" Lacy wished she had a mirror right about now. "Bullshit, I have never dyed it! What about you two? You are both different, who's to say it isn't you who aren't my sister's?! Lucy, we all thought you died in a fire! How the living fuck?!"

"I can say the same of you and the rest of the family! For years..." She lowered her shouting voice. "For years, I thought I'd been alone, being the only one to survive that goddamn...-"

"House fire..." Lacy finished for her. "We all ran out front, Luce. We thought we lost you."

"We?" Lupa repeated. "D-did you really-?"

Link-B went up to Lupa and tried to lower Lupa's hand from keeping Lacy suspended in the air. "Most of us ran to the front end, I- I remember clearly-" Flashes of dead bodies laying around a perfect white tile floor ran around her mind, spooking her horrendously. The bodies of Luan's victims, all the murder stuck with the clone, a gradual, traumatizing part of her to tell her that this was going to be the legacy she was created into, to embrace it as her own. Only if she continued it, and never deviated from that path. "Rghhhh..." Link-B pressed a hand to the front of her face. These weren't what she wanted to see.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Lupa asked as she finally lowered little Lacy.

When Lacy landed, she carefully approached the two- and then ducked down to the earth beneath her feet, scooping up a handful of dirt to throw at Lupa. She did that, getting it into Lupa's face. Link-B squirreled away to avoid the incoming fight, yelping out a frightening girly cry.

"Agh!" Lupa wiped at her face, distracted long enough for Lacy to perform a tackle. The Lynn clone cut "Lucy" down to size. The training was paying off just as it had intended to, a courtesy of Lynn's time with the feds. Lacy threw her punches on the downed Lupa before the albino girl slammed her hands onto the sides, striking at the ground. She floated up into the air a few feet, taking Lacy with her.

"Oh, dear!" Link-B shivered, cupping her mouth in fear.

Lupa and Lacy fell hard onto the dirt floor, bodies crushing leaves and twigs. Link-B rushed over to both of them, checking on the damage inflicted on each other. She picked up Lacy first, caressing her gently right as she helped her up her feet. Lupa got up on her own, still itching for some critical answers of this wonky situation.

"Please stop fighting..." Link-B asked of them, only for the two fighting girls to run up to each other and grab each other's throats. The Luan clone tapped into her intelligence and looked for the verbal solution. "Hey, Lucy, y-you say you needed to know it was the real us right? Then... Only I would know this apart from you, but I remember you winning that... Poetry contest, and the prize, it was you-"

Lupa released her grip on Lacy's throat, eyes eluding her current foe to direct at "Luan", distinctly remembering that time long forgotten. Yes, Lucy won it, and it sent Luan spiraling down in jealousy and anger. It should have been her to perform first on there, but an eight-year-old? An eight-year-old goth girl had beaten someone older, namely a sibling from taking that spot? .

"It was you, not me-" Link-B took a fist with her hand, applying it to her chest. "If that's not enough to prove it's really me, then I don't know what will."

Lupa took it into consideration just as Lacy followed her lead and took a cautious step back. "I remember that too-"

"Now it's your turn to prove your identification," Lupa pointed onto Lacy. "Something only Lynn would know."

"Hmmm..." Lacy had a memory. "Toothpaste. We fought over toothpaste..."

Lupa raised an eyebrow. "No, we didn't," she denied.

"Bullshit-"

"Hey, that happened! And Lynn- I mean, you bunked in Lincoln's room for, what, a few days? Talk about being petty, am I right?"

Lupa chuckled, setting her hair down. "No, yeah, I don't deny that, but what I meant is... We fought over my personality..."

Silence. Lacy and B stared down at her, collecting their thoughts and analyzing and processing the equation. Finally-

"Yeah, you don't smile, and your lack of emotions is a killjoy," Lacy spat with no hesitation. "Would it have killed you to smile?"

"Here we go again..." Lupa rolled her eyes, setting her hands to her hips. "Little Miss Sporty here wanting me to show enthusiasm that appeals to her or bust! News flash, not everyone who exists now will ever be like you! Certainly not me, and you'd never catch me watching matches or betting on... Whatever you athlete faggots bet on nowadays."

"I dare you to say that again, grumpy puss," Lacy threatened.

"Guys, please, this is supposed to be a great thing! It's been years since I've seen the both of you. Lynn, like... Ahh, my head's a little fuzzy, honestly. Where did we leave off?"

Lacy approached the tall B and gave her a hug. "You- You disappeared from us... How could you do that to us?"

"Why do you look- Errr..." Lupa corrected herself. "We all look younger than before-"

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, captain," Lacy sarcastically commented. "And that white hair, like holy shit, did you see a ghost?!"

"Yeah, you girls," Lupa smirked.

"Well played..." Lacy coughed, turning away. "It- It's great to see you again, guys."

"Likewise," Link-B smiled, moving in to hug the athletic sister. "I missed you."

Lupa, the name given to her by the first clone back in the underground facility, had looked around the forest they were in, ever so curious as to where they were and how they got here. For her, she was in another part of the world, fighting against Hoppity Droppity, the silly name of the rabbit Tiramakkuri creature mauling through victims in a chain of small towns. Its Waterloo happened to be in Oregon, where she slated the creature using carrots. Who would have thought that the vegetable would be its downfall? It felt only a day ago that it happened.

Lacy could still see herself, as Lynn, honing her combat skills and firearms training. Paula was there, Margo was there, and Polly- Lynn had flipped the tall Polly a few times, proving that being short had its advantages at times. Nothing made sense to her, only being a blur, the final scene being the four female agents grabbing a bite to eat at a fast-food joint. They were relaxed, sitting on the far end of the place, right across the counter, and the sun was shining right onto them, letting Lynn and Margo have its powerful rays.

How long ago that was, and little Lacy had no idea of the true nature of who and what she really was. Just like Lupa, and certainly just like...

Link-B, the only one Linka had never branded, had been created in her own chamber to serve as the brainwashed, controlled psychopathic murderer Lisa wanted, a bodyguard, a puppet of multiple ones to keep the board running her way. Link-B, part of the first four clones, countermeasures against the opposition who closed in on the Network when they knew for sure the Patriot Division had found reason of their existence to be authentic.

But she was different from the rest. She had only seen flashes of Luan's life, never staying in one place in her mind for too long. The very things she had seen, the sins of Luan's past, were the dead she left behind. The gory bloodbath, the lifeless corpses, and the frightening intensity her heart had succumbed to when Link-B experienced it, being haunted enough for the grisly, graphic images to traumatize her. They weren't her memories, couldn't be. She, Luan, had never killed anyone... And yet... Her hands... Those hands had gripped the death tools and sold souls to the grim reaper.

It was not Link-B who killed, but it sure as hell was Luan. And she was modeled to be that version of Luan, so... It was her kills to share as well, if anyone would get down to it. And just like Luan right now, Link-B did not wish to remember or picture those corpses, the epitome of the ugliest, brutal act of dark human nature. Dark human nature, what there was in the world, disguised or hidden by false, beautiful lies. This, Luan had plowed through, having seen the deception of it all. Maybe it was all just a masquerade, but at the horror end of it, the truth proved too much for Luan, and therefore-

Link-B needed the lie.

B. A believer of sunshine and rainbows, so that she not fall and lose herself again to the dark side of the world. Not again.

C. A daredevil just like Lynn, who believed throwing herself into fights and death situations would make her be judged by the gods above. If she lived, she was worthy to play the game. If she died, she would amount to a loser, and the idea she justified all of this with would die with her.

D. A hunter with nothing to lose, and nothing to live for. Much like Lynn, Lucy tossed herself into death battles with everything supernatural ever to exist. She bled a little every battle, earning a scar or two even, forever embedded into her body. And with each kill, each monster whose life she had taken from the supernatural realm, her soul, the very remainder of it, died, and died, and died until there would be nothing left- if there was something of it that remained, that is.

Speaking of supernatural creatures-

Lupa heard a faint rustling from behind. Naturally, the second nature attached to her character made her take a sharp glance over her shoulder, inspecting the location of the noise. Back there, in the long, concrete maze of halls and rooms, the telekinetic albino had sensed a weird aura, and one that radiated a negative presence. Lucy gained that ability overtime, from the feeling of being too destructively close to the demons and other entities. This particular feeling, a sort of chill that she felt all over her body, even right underneath her tight spandex suit, had come to warn her of an ominous presence of an enemy.

An enemy-

The Shadow Demon had revealed itself only to her, rising up from the dirt ground, having stretched a casted shadow mere feet before her. It, being a gray, muscular entity, the body equivalent of a man. It was generic in look, with no reproductive organ being visible, just the way these demons came like. Its face, empty with no single hair follicles whatsoever. Its eyes, trapezoids that Lupa could not distinguish as either a parallelogram or obtuse shape, were purely white, but the eyelids, diagonally placed at the corners of the eyes, were the blackest parts of the Shadow Demon's entire skin. And then it opened its mouth to reveal how monstrous and hostile it might have been, the teeth of a deadly carnivore hungry for human flesh. This was a true Shadow Demon live and in person. And its eyes were set on Lupa. "Hellooooooo..."

Lupa looked back to "Luan" and "Lynn", both of whom were still hugging and embracing each other's long-lost company. They didn't notice her or the creature that stirred before them. Lupa looked back- and found the demon had vanished. She blinked, started wandering ahead of her, deeper into the forest. She had only disappeared further down when Lacy called out to her, but Lupa had no reason to turn back. She went and gave chase, pursuing the likely foe that planned to kill her. It knew. It sensed her and it knew what it wanted.

"Lucy!" Link-B yelled from far behind.

Lupa wpuld have never been able to outrun any Lynn Loud, so she relied on her new ability and floated off the ground fairly quickly, almost as if she had mastered it right away. Lupa had already an idea on how to use her telekinesis, and the applications were nearly limitless if she were creative enough. She came standing lightly on top of a thick tree branch, arms set on the tree's side and the branch.

"Lucy, get down from there!" Lacy ordered from ground level.

"Forget that, how is it possible that she can do... Whatever she's doing?!" Link-B cried out, feeling envious of Lupa. "That's so amazing and scary at the same time!"

Lacy had the thought to jump up- and never picked herself up off the ground. She landed and let out an irritated grunt. "Why her?!"

Lupa went leaping around the trees, going lightly from branch to branch, scouting for the odd Shadow that felt out of place. The clones on topside level were quick to lose her when the sun shone in their faces, blinding them from the spots Lupa had gotten an advantage to. They went this way. Lupa went another way, going higher around the treelines with every jump she made and landed. And she stopped only when the Shadow Demon came spiraling downwards, swooshing like a bullet and striking against her body. It pinned her to the tree she stood on, violently slamming her back hard that it jerked her head back, creating a headache filled with some mental white noise that rang out in her ears.

"Urghhhhh..." Lupa gritted her teeth, fists forming away for the swinging to start. And she swung at it as the ringing subsided from her head. But she missed, hitting only the air right where the demonic force was. It made itself untouchable, unkillable by the mortal, much to her aggravation. "Damn it, you-"

The Shadow Demon phased right through her, and yanked her back by the collar of her suit. Lupa grunted when being slammed again, this time giving out when she'd been hurt more this time. And the demon had drained her inner fight enough for it to state its unholy business. "Be wary not, not..." It said, voice being deep, raspy and purely distorted, just as Lucy would have expected of one of these things.

A Shadow Demon, the living essence of a truly evil human's sins that took form into a physical entity. This one, created by the vicious, unspeakable crimes of one person who had existed either in the now or before Lupa's time, essence being that strong to give birth to it. Just what she needed.

"What do you want with me?"

It placed its head right in front of Lupa's face, smiling erratically and snarling visibly that it had drooled for some reason, saliva dripping inches away from her suit. And then, its long, black tongue rolled out, slithrring its way right into Lupa's ear, licking deep into the albino's ear drum. "I smelled an odor I like-like... I want it, want it-"

"Get the fuck-" Lupa protested, but stopped when the carnivorous fiend turned his giddy, smiling face into an openly shocked expression. The tongue slithered back into place, and it retracted itself, establishing distance from the demon hunter's clone. For a clear moment, Lupa gained control of her sense of touch, feeling the sweat drip down the back of her neck and from the temples of her forehead. She'd been scared all the way here, and it wasn't until the demon had arrived for her to suddenly realize how damn frightening and perilous the journey was. She dared not make a move, but looked to the sides and triangulated all possible routes to escape. Jump down, go left. Jump, right. Down. Up. Left. Diagonally. Backwards. Dead dropping and stopping herself with her new gift. Maybe even float upwards and fly away. And then, her window had closed just as it had started, losing it to her evaluation of exit strategies.

"I smelled the anger within you, and..." Lupa hadn't seen a nose, but when it sniffed the air, she connected that the demon had triangle shaped slits where a sniffer should have been. Its whole face, based in the literal shape like a skull, and that meant its features, save for its eyes. "It's... Strangely familiar, familiar..."

"Wh-what?" Lupa remained still, backed to the tree. "Anger? I-"

"We are more connected than you think..." And with that, the silhouette chuckled softly, emitting that clear tone of unnatural evil she wished not to here. It phased right into the ground, sinking away until it was gone. "Farewell, blood of Loud..."

"Hey..." Lupa dug her hands into the thick branch, trying to grab the hostile with her hands, in desperation to understand what the creature of sin meant by that. "Come back... Come back, you-!"

"Lucy!" Lacy wailed from below, throwing rocks at Lupa to alert her. "Climb down- I mean, fly down here! Talk to us, sis! I don't know if splitting up is a wise choice!"

Lupa dove in a freefall right off the tree, decreasing her falling speed and landing elegantly right at Lacy and Link-B's feet. Right, the demon only projected itself to Lupa and Lupa alone, good for her, she'd never explain what that really was, and keeping the world's apart, always a tough job that needed thorough cleaning. "Sorry..." She had no reason to correct them; this was better over the truth. "What on earth was I thinking...?"

"Hey... D-did I- Did we do something?" Link-B wondered. "L-Luce... You have no idea how much-" The Luan clone could never use words to express her feelings, and trying to right now, she teared up only slightly, with Lacy sticking at her side and patting her shoulder for a perfect sisterly comfort. "It's so unrealistic... All of these years, and you- Look at you, you changed so much, like...-"

"Yeah, what's with the snowy hair and the flying?" Lacy directly asked. "Hey, you're not part of... Whatever this shit was, are you?"

"What, you mean those beasts back there and that old man and white-haired girl?" Lupa raised and waved a finger around, gesturing to Lacy. "Not a fucking chance there, sporty."

"How come you have that, huh? You and not us?!" Lacy was quick to suspect the albino heavily. "And what's with that?"

Lupa looked down at her clothes when Lacy pointed down at it. Sure enough, the fourth letter of the alphabet took most of the front's space, fonted in a regular white color. "Uh, I don't know, what- What does D mean? And why do you have letters, too? I should be asking the questions to you!"

"Hey, don't make any assumptions-"

"But you can?" Lupa countered. "Isn't that a little too hypocritical for your taste? Do you even know want that word means, little Lynn?"

"Hey, if you wanna go-"

Liby grunted and stepped in between them, holding her arms out to block them should there have been a fight. And she knew Lupa would likely win with her clear advantage. "Hey, please don't- I'm not gonna have you two bicker about like a pair of savages, damn it..."

"Luan-"

"Hey, I dreamed of such a moment since so long, and- And I forgot what it was like to dream-" Link-B only knew the darkest corners of Luan's mind, seeing more of the dead than the life. Here was the life, being plagued by the looming dark- unless she succeeded to prevail against it. Prevail with her words. "Don't do this here, dang it! Not now, not yet! Let me-" She knew pain again and cried. Eyes red, a blurry vision, unsteady, shaky voice that she struggled with to keep her words straight as teeth. "Let me have this, let me have this... Let me have this again..."

Lacy stepped back, disconnecting herself from Link-B's hand. Lupa did the same, scoffing and crossing her hands.

"I don't fucking know, okay?" Lupa did her best to answer the questions, only planning on lying about her telekinesis, naturally. How everything else came into play and effect, she did not know, nor did she care. "Shit, I don't know what to make of all this... It's rather weird to be here and see you again. I don't-" She sighed deeply before continuing. "I don't know what to think here... But if I'm to be honest-"

Link-B then knew she was not ready to hear Lupa's words, and dared to put a hand to her for forfeit. Not even that. "Hey-"

"I accepted that my entire family died in the fire..." She shut them down, breaking apart what joy they had gained within the time span. The utter hurt in Link-B's eyes didn't seem to phase or bother Lupa, let alone gnaw at her sentimentality. Lacy had to be the stronger of the two and comfort the disappointed, broken girl further, this time hugging her fully and turning her back to Lupa. The glare between the Lynn and Lucy MK IIs was an intense battle by itself, daggers and bullets being exchanged between the two. "What?"

"Don't even start with that, dude," Lacy warned, hands still occupied with the tallest clone. "We're here, what do you call us? What are we to-?" She stopped herself right after realizing that Lupa might have said far worse words to scar and fracture them to the point that sticking with Lupa would not have been the ideal plan. "No, no, you shut your damn mouth! I don't- We don't need to hear that! I'd never want to know that you... You just-"

It confused her so much; little goth Lucy, changed, maybe reduced to this nothing of a soulless woman, a mere girl who did not look anything like that sister "Lynn" had fought her with back home, had let go of it all. Moved on, and forgot-

Lacy sniffed. Lupa... Had... Seemingly forgotten them, took a step forward... No, it couldn't have been like she said, that's what Lacy wanted to believe. The Lynn clone, the stronger one of them physically, had not let go of it. Had not once decided that it was natural, that it happened and that the dead gave been long gone. The presence of Rita lingered on, Lynn Sr's voice echoed through, his content tone of voice expressing the mutual love for all of his sweet, amazing children. There was that smell of the goulash "Lynn" could still detect out of the air, recognize it from any other goulash dish in the world. Vanzilla, the one and only vehicle they've ever owned, stationed upon the driveway, when it wasn't flooring down the Royal Wood roads to get to school, work, and wherever they needed to go. Its rusting, happy blue color, the odorous smell of the seats, the exhaust not one of them could handle- all of this, and yet... Why did she remember it this easily?

All those years ago, Lacy and Link-B would have never forgotten, in such the same way Lynn and Luan would not have. It meant so much, all the reason, the perfectly imperfect motivation to help push them down towards the path each of them walked on today. The realization that was, through the darkness, from the darkness.

Lacy, still gripped by the past. Maybe it was just regular human nature to mourn and be hurt by it all, but... With Lupa, she had come to think, wonder. Was "Lucy" here wrong to no longer be bound by the past if her claims were true? Was Lacy, the girl who would do everything for peak physical strength and reinforced mental barriers, the weaker one between her and Lupa? Bound, tied, chained to the tragic past, it made her... It kept her from moving forward, and if it was so, then maybe Link-B was just the same.

Lupa, the Lucy clone, had laid it on them. It was a harsh truth that could cause a tsunami, and they'd never know it until a city would be flooded. It was the wildfire that consumed acres and acres of land, never stopping until the entire globe was set on fire. She was the Epitome of Coldness, the Witch of the Snow, the Ice Queen Eternal, the Albino Black. Her destructive power, equal to an earthquake at the very least, unleashed by using her words from her mouth, the translating gateway of her uncensored, non-limited, freely-spoken mind.

The life and the dead, coming together for the first time in years, and never knowing what the other has gone through. Lupa, the demon hunter. Lacy, the FBI agent, and Link-B, the murderer driven to homicide by insanity. Sisters. They were sisters bound by the blood ties... And beyond that, they were nothing. If not for that...

If not for the blood...

It would might as well have been that they didn't need to be a trio, no reason to stick together after all...

"I told the truth," Lupa simply replied, having been nothing but nonchalant all this time. "I'm well over it all, Lynn. I lived thinking... That it was just me who left the burning house. "I went-" The recollection process began. "-To the back, escaped that way... You guys, none of you-" Hands turned into first, betraying her lifelessness and zombified state. "-None of you followed... Nobody came out, so I thought-"

Link-B heard Lupa through her own tears, still cradling Lacy tightly.

"I ran, I didn't know how to accept that-" And Lupa's emotions came to light. The sparkling in her blue eyes grew clearly, the top red lip twitched, almost quivering. She conjoined her lips forcibly and puckered them to calm the tidal waves of her rising pain. That of which she had to bury for the mission she took. Lost. "-I just... Held it back, all of it. All the memories of you."

"How?" Lacy pryed. "You-"

Betrayal.

"Luce..." Lacy disliked the taste of defeat, and this now, it proved to be the opposite of a victory. "Aren't- Aren't you happy that we're-?" She had to bite the big one and ask away- and Link-B berated her with a shove and a shocked glare with her green eyes looking into Lacy's, trying to understand why she asked what she did, and then Lacy realized that there was more to B in terms of intelligence and thinking. And it helped give Lacy a beating to her character.

They both turned to Lupa, praying for the right answer unworthy to trek. "No, no, I didn't expect you to be alive... It would be better to be if you weren't..."

"L-LUCY-"

Link-B broke into a run and raced away into the woods, ultimately destroyed by the Lucy clone. Lacy raised a hand to try and stop her right before, and her mouth opened up only for a squeak to peep out in the air, and all hope had indeed been lost again in that long, fragile moment. Lupa had caved the poor Luan clone in, basically having told her that a dead Luan was better over whatever she was. This also applied to Lacy, too. Lacy, who gave no chase after "Luan".

And Lupa just watched it unfold.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?! WHAT, ARE WE ALL OF A SUDDEN INFERIOR TO YOU?!" Lacy grabbed a rock off the ground and heaved it at Lupa. The albino dodged it with a flick of her arm, redirecting it away into the left side. "NO, YOU DON'T GET TO DODGE IT!"

"Watch me," Lupa beckoned.

"I'M GLAD SHE'S ALIVE, UNLIKE YOU, UNGRATEFUL LITTLE-" Lacy was flipped hard on her back, falling with her arms flaying up in the air. This was followed by Lupa dragging her by her feet, scraping her against the dirt. "HEY, YOU STOP THAT!"

"Hey, let's not kid ourselves..." Lupa kept a hand down to Lacy, preventing her from getting up. "I've been on my own, for so many years, and I don't even know when in time we are, do you? I grew up without family... And that's the sad truth about it."

It was Lacy's turn to convey her emotions.

"None of you guys around me, what was I supposed to think? And then... And then I accepted that it meant absolutely nothing in the long run. You wanna say those words, like family, sisters, and whatever the fuck comes outta your mouth. It means nothing to me because... Well, I guess we just lose it along the way."

"What? No, no, we don't just lose it along the way!" Lacy retaliated. "It's not fucking puberty, you idiot! Family is sacred, don't you know?! We're literally the last bunch alive! You, me, Luan, and back home at Aunt Rinn Reagan's place, Lily and the twins-"

"Wait, what?" Lupa hiccuped, stopping Lacy right there. "Who the fuck is Rinn Reagan?"

"Oh, right!" Lacy had bypassed the fact that Lucy was caught up to speed. "So, our mother had a younger sister she never talked about. Turns out that the sister, our aunt Rinn, she's been like, exiled and disowned by mother's side of the family because she's, well, a lesbian. Yeah, our auntie is gay."

"You mean to tell me... Lily... Twins, they're-?"

"Alive, Lucy, alive and well... Luna, Lori, and Lincoln..." She halted again. Those last three, lost to the world. Two of whom were dead, reported by the news outlets. Lincoln and Lori Loud, the Freight fuckers. Luna Loud, an alcoholic with a violent temper that ended up in Luan's hospital visit and her getting kicked from Rinn's place. "Most of us... We all made it out of that fire, Luce. We can all go back to Royal Woods... As soon as I find out what's happening."

Lupa still felt the presence of the Shadow Demon stalk her about. "I... You guys, really?"

"Yes..." Lacy tried to reel her in. "We've been trying... Please, just give us a chance... Give us a chance to remind you what a family is, and can be."

The forest grew quiet to them, leaves no longer rustling, wind no longer howling, and the life draining to a deadened state.

Carly had drawn her blades out, watching from cover afar, watching the clones through the reflection of the katanas in both hands. She didn't attack them just yet, having been sold on the dialogue exchanged between them, about family, friends, snd that love that could never be bought or sold. The love that was purely priceless. Carly helped herself to some feels and remained pit, eavesdropping while relating to them in a sorta sense. _Right... Family matters most... _

"Family..." Lupa repeated. "W-without me-"

Lacy took it deeply. "WE DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE ALIVE! DON'T BLAME WHAT YOU'VE BECOME NOW ON US ALL!" Her screams were to the highest degree, she shook the forest, and various birds flew into the openings all around. Something terrified them, maybe it was her voice, maybe it was the Shadow Demon moving about, still spying on Lupa, or maybe it was just the force of nature at work. Maybe. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DIDN'T-"

"I know..." Lupa sighed. "Lynn, I know... I'm... Sorry."

Lacy took a breather.

"I just wished that I ended up with you guys, too..." Lupa shut her eyes, brooding like Batman, head dangling lowly. "Fuck you..."

"That's all I wanted to hear from you..." Link-B emerged from behind a large tree, wiping away at her eyes as she smiled widely. "I knew you had a heart..."

"Maybe..." Lupa grunted, plopping her shoulders. "So... Where do we go from here, huh?"

"We run far from here, as much as we can," Lacy offered. "I gotta come back here with the right authorities to settle this score."

"I don't want to be involved..." Link-B decided. "I just want to go home..."

Lacy hit a conflicting choice. Link-B was still delicate as she looked like, so maybe prioritizing her would be better than focusing on the Halloween-flavored spook-tacle of an adventure not fit for the faint of heart. This, it didn't apply to "Luan" at all, and not fot "Lynn" herself as well, in some degree. Maybe "Luan" needed to be benched, returned to Royal Woods to ensure her own safety before Lacy could make her move against the Black Network and get all the answers to the important questions. Lupa seemed a good choice to accompany her, no doubt about it. The two of them, returning to the Network and vanquishing the entire board made of whomever they were.

**June 10th, 2030**

Gotta admit, Lacy had a nice plan, and it didn't go their way. The house was still there, but it no longer was the property of Rinn Reagan. Rinn Reagan had died, killed in a burglary a few years back... And to know the year it was now, it proved to be part of some conspiracy led by divine entities to repel and break them down one Loud clone at a time. Rinn, shot to death. The twins, whom Lacy said had been two of the last three sisters remaining, gone. Abducted allegedly. And Lily... Lily was also abducted. All of it, collected from two separate newspapers, and that was before they wanted to do some more digging. Who did it and why? Where were there others, and what could Lupa hope to change with her telekinesis?

A huge mystery to unravel the events of the past few years had opened up for them, and they just had to know what was happening. It didn't occur to them that it might've all been connected as of yet, but down the line, that gate would be ajar to them. The path that would likely lead the three clones to the Louds, and when that happened...

They left the house that was still on sale, untouched possibly due to there having been a resident killed in it, taking off down the quiet street in the early, windy morning of an incoming summer's day in Royal Woods. Lacy and Link-B, returning to an empty nothing of the life they'd been living, and Lupa, the bittersweet doll who had been curious to meet this Rinn person and eager to meet her other siblings again. And she raised her hopes up to find that life fucked her in the ass so hard, the first time in a while, too.

"I can't even..." Link-B led them away, going who knows where at this point. Lacy was in between them, and the caboose Lupa examined the printed newspaper article a fourth time, reading through the details of the murder-kidnapping. Case had to be closed right now, and the three Louds had to be declared legally dead if they'd never been found. There has not been a follow-up article to it, so they had to assume the worst, as much as none of them wanted to.

Lups forgot who she was in the now, obligating herself and the very skills she possessed to serve and aid her two weaker sisters. Fuck a Tiramakkuri's bullshit in Nevada, or a Gouelgarrie creeping through a Florida town, this was more important that needed her all. Family matters. Family always mattered...

"Hey..." Lupa called out to the distraught pair of girls. They stopped and turned around to look at her. "We'll figure this out... We'll figure it out-"

"She's- She-" Link-B stammered with her heart more broken than before. "She's gone-"

Lacy had taken a temporary vow of silence, trying to process the tragic news. Lupa could tell that she was burning with anger and sadness, not daring to release that particular kraken.

"Luan..." Lupa grabbed both of her sisters' hands and pulled them in for a group hug. "Hey, I'm- I'm sorry..."

Lacy directed her eyes at Lupa, still quiet.

"I never got to meet her. Could- could you tell me how she was like?" Lupa asked. "Did she... Was she just as good as a mother?"

Link-B nodded, sniffing aloud. "Y-yeah, yeah, she was. She was just like Lori, you know? Strict, bossy-like, but... She cared, and we could all see that. She cared and loved us as if we were her own, and... We all crowded her house, it was tough, but we never saw her complain."

Lacy flinched.

"She gave us a home, and that, I don't ever think I can repay... Right, Lynn?"

"Yeah," Lacy broke her silence to respond. "Aunt Rinn was a good mother, but all I had to wish that She had mended her rocky relationship with her own parents. I wonder... I still sometimes wonder if we helped her see something she didn't before when we came here. I mean, we've had to, right? We've lost mom and dad and Aunt Rinn lost her sister..." Lacy shed a single tear. "I do hope that we made it happen, that we made her try and... Repair-" She then wiped her eyes. "Sorry, it just- It hurts more than I imagined it would."

"Ditto... I- I don't want to stay in town. Can we please-?"

"Yeah, let's just get the hell outta dodge," Lupa agreed.

**Night - Rennis Orphanage**

"I didn't think they'd open their doors to us-" Link-B adjusted herself in her bed, eyeing the ceiling that was concealed by the dark. "We're incredibly lucky... So why don't I feel so hot?"

"We're basically homeless now," Lupa pointed out, "So of course they wouldn't turn us away." Albino Black rolled over on her side. She hadn't been thinking about the list of enemies Lucy built up in her deadly campaign. Nothing seemed to be happening, thank the devil himself for that. Still, she was gradually bored of there having been no action. No fight, no battles to win. Rather odd of her to be craving what she feared... Why was that?

"You know," Lacy began, moving herself back from the edge. She and "Luan" had agreed to bunk on the same bed, the room having only two twin beds, and Link-B and Lacy were almost crowded about, covered comfortably underneath the warm sheets.

Lupa, on the other hand, got her bed to herself, and never let herself entangle in the warm sheets, denying herself a good night's sleep. Denied it because she had been pre-adjusted to sleep under the horrible of conditions, and this bed had her feeling like she was lain over a marshmallow, thinking with some claustrophobia that she would sink right in and die. A dumb fucking way to go, and Lupa said no to this. She took to the floor, and right under the window, snoozing fairly easy than she knew if she stayed on the soft mattress.

Lacy and Link-B weren't sure if this was the white-haired girl on her gothic phase, or if she was being her different self they knew not about. It made the two wonder just how much they've changed, and what had happened to each other. And then, some questions hsd begun to be asked.

"So... Are we gonna address the elephant in the room?"

"Which is...?" Lacy rattled her head.

"The girl back there, she called us clones... And-"

"Pffft, what, you think we're fakes?" Lacy had reason to laugh. "Please, I'd know if I was a clone. There can be no other Lynn Loud in the world, I'll tell you that much!"

"Okay, but..." Link-B leaned up. "It was happening way too fast that I forget most of it, but I remember that she called you something. She called you Lucy at first, but then... What was that name?"

"What name?" Lacy demanded to know. "What are you talking about?"

"Right, she called you Lacy, Lynn, and she called me Lupa... What a weird name..." She still found herself wondering who that girl was. The girl with the letter A on her onesie suit. What was the significance of the letters? A. B. C, and her, D. D. Clones... And even stranger still, Lupa had heard the name Dana among the battle back there. Dana... It sounded familiar, felt familiar, and she had sworn to herself that she had never met anyone by that name. "You were knocked out by then."

"Don't remind me..."

Link-B evaluated the mysteries and msde a mental list. "Okay so, we saw a handful of dog creatures, like wolves, basically. There's that, and the armed men. Was that an army? Maybe some sort of government secret project?"

"Secret project?" Lacy scratched her head. "What did they want me there? I've..." And she had to tell them what she was, who she was. "I work with the Feds. Well... Shit... I've been away from that for years, it seems. I made three friends there-"

"Really?" Link-B was baffled. "You? How... What? I... Um..."

"Well, I'm still pretty new, learning the ropes-" Then, Lacy sighed. "New York, by the way."

"That far...?" Link-B sounded envious. "Oh... H-how is it?"

Lacy made a promise. "Well... When I take you, you'll know, Luan. You'll know."

Link-B smiled, unseen by anyone in the dark. And Lacy's words, a vow she made in the dark. In the dark.

"FBI agent Lynn, huh?" Lupa snorted away. "Now I see how you were good with that rifle. To think you were a kid playing with fire-"

"Oh, a kid, huh?" Lacy was challenged. "And what of you? You and that thing you do with your hands, don't tell me that's not the same thing-"

"Hey, you should know guns are made as weapons, and my hands, well... I need them for anything amd everything. About this special gift... I don't know, they did something to me... Don't forget, we all came out of gold tubes."

"Yeah... Okay, so suddenly it doesn't sound so far-fetched... Let's say they kidnapped us, wiped our minds clean of the time that we find to be missing. What did they do to us, and for what reason?"

"Well, that's going right into the hypothesis," Lacy chuckled nervously. "Does that mean you agree with Luan? Really?"

"I don't know what to believe... I have nothing to do with those guys. Hell, I don't give a shit about politics, I don't know why-" The monsters in four, that had to be a clue she believed to be connected to the supernatural realm. All those armed goons, she guessed were mind-controlled at the time. And all answers lied within the Network. "I gotta go back there."

"No, don't-" Link-B protested.

"Not without me, you're not!" Lacy dared. "Just because you have this... What, tele-something- You think you're invincible all of a sudden?! Don't be so arrogant and cocky, you're still just a girl, and I'm the one with the proper training here!"

"Oh?" Lupa sarcastically gasped. "Is that why you got yourself knocked out? Too good that you faked it to get their guards down? Tell me, when were you gonna pull that off? Before or after I saved you two?"

"I hate you..."

"Point still stands, it's dangerous-"

"Yes, I'm damn well aware, so you're taking me with you. Even if you don't, I will follow you... Or I'll just, you know, go there myself and find it!"

"Um-" Link-B coughed. "What about me? Are you- Are you really going to-?"

Lacy and Lupa zipped quiet, looking around the dark. It had to be one of them who stayed with Link-B, the clone not capable of being alone due to her mentality to burst at any moment. Link-B had no plan to be alone either, but she didn't want any one of them to leave and jump into the danger, not after getting them back, and not after realizing that they might have stumbled upon a deadly game of agendas involving various monsters.

Monsters both mutated and in human skin, the very base form they took upon since birth. Monsters they could never have a chance to comprehend. Monsters that could justify murder and go on to unleash their own hellish conflict onto the world. Monsters that lied, monsters that stole. Monsters that ravaged through peaceful landscapes, leaving a burning trail in their wake, forever scorching the earth. The monsters... The beings that looked back at them when they looked... When they looked into the mirror. Into the darkness, and outside of the black pits. The monsters, the very thoughts they had when they doubted each other, themselves; hurt each other, be it verbally, physically, or mentally. One way or another, they'd come, and they would come in singles or pairs, clawing away with their harmful devices and tactics to vanquish or damage the souls of the life forces, the poor unsuspecting victims of blind bliss, believers of the illusion, the outsiders emptied and deprived of the storm before them.

Lupa and Lacy, the monsters to Link-B. "No, no, don't- Don't you dare leave, any of you!"

"Luan, you know-"

"No, I don't! You aren't heroines, there's no need for one or both of you to throw yourselves back there! We all got lucky the first time, did we not?! What if the second time...? What if-?"

Lupa flicked on the switch with a wave of her fingers, rising up into the air after pulling the sheets off her. She hovered right in front of them, floating inches above. "Hey, if this is really a government affair, then wouldn't that mean they'd be coming after us? I mean, I don't know how it works-"

"Oh, God..." For all it was worth, it definitely petrified little Lacy into submission. That was exactly how it would go; a mission for this mysterious party, deployed to go after them and either capture of kill, and that meant for the three to be on the run. That, she didn't want. "No, no, it's been days-"

"I dunno..." Lupa floated up into the ceiling, arms held downwards. "Maybe they are setting up the perfect point... We don't know for sure, but I still say we do fight. Well, Lynn and I, that is. Luan... I don't want you getting in our way, so... Of course- Of course, you'll have to remain here until we wrap about this business none of us asked for."

"B-but-" Link-B wouldn't have it. "No, we need to stick together! You two are the only sisters around, and I don't want to separate from you! Don't make me-"

"Luan..." Lacy had agreed to Lupa's decision, voicing her own thoughts. "I agree with Luce here, and I understand your concerns, but she and I are the only ones able to fight against... Well, whatever we're looking at. Jesus, it feels so... So big..."

"Yeah... It can't even be real... It can't be real... C-can it?" Link-B looked to her sisters for answers, and none of them said a single word on it. The silence drawn from them did all the talking. "Oh, my God..."

"Its insane..." Lacy uttered. "But we know what we're dealing with, right? Science experiments at no doubt. In any case... Hey, Luce, you know how to fight?"

"Do you?" Lupa rerouted.

Link-B rolled herself out of bed, jogging to the bathroom. She felt betrayed by the pair of fighters, afraid and devastated to know that she would be on her own for an unknown time period. They'd lesve her again, where she'd be crying and yearning for their return. That empty feeling when only after she had been drained of their love for her. Who was she without them? Who was Link-B without all that her family made her? Bad enough the rest of them were gone, now Lacy and Lupa were adding to it, and voluntarily. Link-B, the clone without a true name or sense of her origin, lost in a world where strength, power, and intelligence were two of a few factors that mattered for their survival.

Lupa floated down and sat herself on B's side of the bed. "Don't even worry about her, she needs to learn that she can't join us."

"Yeah, I know that... But the thing about her is that I'm just somewhat worried for her. We're not just telling her to stay back from the danger, but we're also just showing her that she's... You know, weak and powerless to run with us. This will destroy her, if it isn't already..."

Lupa nodded, giving it thought. "Wow, that's actually interesting to hear, and you're not wrong... Yeah, you're not wrong, but Luan's still got a good soul, and that's just as good as what we've got. No way I could ever bring her to this shit."

"Likewise... So, what say we leave tomorrow?"

"Yeah, the faster the better. Luan can take care of herself here..."

Lacy got up and wandered into the hall. "I'll be right back, I just wanna make sure she's fine..."

"No rush," Lupa commented, running her fingers around the bed cover. "No rush at all..."

Bathroom was unlocked, Link-B having never locked it. She tried to hold it back this time, trying to reach an understanding. Her hands met the sides of the sink built into the wall, breathing risen up to a panting, drawn from dismay and anger alike. Just like Lacy had said, the Luan clone had begun to present both herself and the other two clones she hoped to be stuck with. Herself for not being good enough, it seemed. Not anymore, not that psychotic murdering woman she had been, but a deadened girl who wanted to live again. Why was it that she found herself to be brought right back to it? Back to the obstacles that kept her from the settling of her life? Always something... Why?

Lacy knocked, peeking into the narrow bathroom. "Uh, hey... You okay?"

Link-B gave no immediate answer, insisting to only stare at the reflection of the new Luan she saw.

"Luan?" Lacy went in and approached her from the side, placing a hand to the taller girl's back. "Please, say something-"

"That's not how I remember it," the comedienne whispered.

"Remember what?" Lacy followed the latter's eyes to the mirror, looking down on her own reflection. She saw for herself yet again the complete makeover as she deemed, and felt disgustingly violated at the thought of having been tampered about. Her hair, reset to a paler brown color, and her skin- it almost looked like there was a flushing of her skin color, which left her looking slightly pale, but only just. It was her, but the mirror betrayed the found belief of it. Clone or not, something had happened to the three of them. No, the four of them. She wasn't so quick to forget the younger albino they'd left behind.

Link-B was just the same in the attributes, hair being a light brown tone, more natural than Lacy's at that. She had the freckles, the height, but not the teeth that needed fixing. No braces either, and for sure she remembered having those, only that they were extremely loose from never being tightened again, to the point Luan herself had removed the wiring from both jaws at some point. No, Link-B's teeth hadn't the stainless metal brackets attached to any of her pearly whites. More and more had it been scaring her to an uncomfortable level. "Look at me... I'm not the same person..."

Lacy broke her glare from the mirror and turned her attention back to "Luan", sighing. "Yeah, same goes for me... I feel naked, honestly. Bet Lucy does, too..."

"Tell me," Link-B begged, "Is there any way I can change your mind? Like, any way at all?"

"Sis, our word doesn't come lightly, I know this, and... I wish, I wish we could all go down, but-" Lacy simply shook her head and disconnected from touching the second clone. She wasn't as much conflicted, but this was for sure just as hard a choice she had to be prepared to make. "You know I love you, the both of you, and I'd be forcing Lucy to stay here with you. I don't want to leave you along, but I also don't want to go alone. Lucy came with that power, and I need her, no second thoughts on it."

"Oh... Y-yeah, I guess-" Link-B sniffed.

"Sis, I don't want to leave you alone, but we don't have a choice here. The two of us have to go, and we need you to stay put. Can you? Can you please do that for us?"

The poor Luan clone looked down to the sink. "God, I- I don't have much of a choice, d-do I?"

"No... You don't. You don't, and I am sorry..." Lacy kissed her cheek, then dismissed herself by walking backwards out of the bathroom. "Just come to bed when you're ready, will you? I'll leave you alone as long as you need..."

Link-B just waved, not making eye contact with Lacy, only to be left alone with the garbage of it all. Alone again. What change could there have been for her? Just Why, for that split second, did she decide to hope again? And that's when she realized-

She had already been believing in the lies again. Lies, no more. And she cried without the liars around her tonight.

"So, how'd it go?" Lupa had returned to her floor-bed, having ripped off the sleeves of her suit. "Hey, we're gonna need new threads, by the way. I know Clemmons said the attic is full of spares, but we'll break in before dawn."

"Yeah, early bird gets the worm, right?" Lacy returned to her side of the shared bed. "She'll be fine, Luce. She's been strong enough ever since the fire-"

The sharp sound of glass shattering sent them both spiraling into an alarming phase. Lacy jumped out, sprinting to the source of the noise, with Lupa following. Down the hall, emerging from the bathroom, the Luan clone appeared, crying softly while gripping her left wrist tightly- but the blood had poured through, dripping away to leave a trail she so carelessly created. She had cut herself, and succumbed to the pain that she became a puppy, yelping about. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" She pleaded to them with her honesty, compelled to speak truthfully, thinking it could help her.

"What did you do?!" Lacy forced Link-B's arms down and tried to pry them apart, a simple task where the skinny arms of the second generation comedienne played a role in it.

A straight cut ran from her left hand, starting at the base just below the palm, to over halfway, right before the arm's joint. The cut was deep as humanly possible, and the blood surged out, startling Lacy effectively that she cupped her own mouth in a petrified response to it. Little "Luan" had scarred herself as the reply to the situation she wished not to face. "It hurts-"

"Damn it!" It was Lupa's turn to give the girl her words, starting with a definite scolding. "What the fuck are you thinking?!" She took action and dragged both girls by their collars, escorting them forcibly back into the bathroom. "Luan" had resorted to death, it seemed, a clear no-no Lupa could not toperate, or accept in any way. She sat the shattered girl, once full of irritating, but persistent amount of laughter, down on one of the toilets, keeping her confined by blocking out the only exit. "Lynn, get some towels, and quickly!"

"R-right!"

Link-B was whimpering with a rhythmic beat, huffing about in an unstable manner while Lupa had her cold, pale hands pressed to the gaping wound, doing her best to keep the blood from flowing out. "I'm sorry, please-"

"Are you seriously trying to end your life?!" Lupa, the cold soul of a human vessel with the resolve of the ex-Freight, the Ungodly Stormbringer. "Hey, look at me! Look at me, damn it!"

"Lucy-"

"Don't you understand?! Don't you understand we love you too much to see you die?!" Lupa basically screamed at the clone. "WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO HARM YOURSELF?! WHY, LUAN?!"

"I'm sorry-" It was all she could manage to muster.

"SORRY?!" Lupa went hysterical, shaking the clone with one of her hands she unhooked from the wound. "YOU'RE SORRY?! APOLOGIZING WON'T HEAL THIS UP, LUAN!"

Lacy returned to the stall with multiple brown towel sheets in her hands. "This is all we've got! And can you stop screaming? We're gonna wake the whole place!"

Lupa groaned with frustration and rotated to grab the towels and apply them. "Fucking shit... Godfuckingdamnit, you..."

"Lucy-" Link-B squealed, only to be cut off by Lupa.

"No, not... Another... Word..." She meant it, growling grotesquely quiet and strictly mean for "Luan" to keep shut.

"Luan... Why?" Lacy let the flooding guilt break through the dam of her heart, drowning every feeling, thought and action up to here. This was the outcome of the mission she and Lupa had to see to the end. There shouldn't have been any consequences for what they chose, but now... Here, and this... They drove their beloved sister to hurt herself like this, just one of many possible slashes across her arms if they left her like this. They risked leaving her to successfully kill herself if they did leave nonetheless. If they did...

The blood soaked through the sheets, rendering it semi-ineffective to keep pressure on it. Lupa needed something more tougher. "Damn it, these aren't fucking holding! Lynn, find some rags or something!"

"On it!" Lacy stormed out again in a hurry, scavenging around for better supplies.

"Damn it to hell, Luan..." Lupa continued to apply all her force down on the narrow slash, feeling the latter girl's warm blood run through her hands and splat down in driplets, forming a puddle in between their legs. "I can't even begin to think of how messed up this is. I'd never do this to myself if I were in your shoes..."

It made her feel significantly worse than before. "I- I'd rather kill myself than be abandoned by you-"

"Oh, my God, will you stop talking?" Lupa's blue eyes glimmered with anger. "I don't want to hear that crap from you!"

"N-no," Link-B decided, "I'm not shutting up... I mean it, Lucy. I'd- I would gladly end my life the minute you two leave the orphanage."

"Y-you are being ridiculous right now...! It's too soon, Luan! Too soon for you to leave us! And, you're threatening us with suicide! Y-you idiot-" Lupa developed reddish eyes, swelling from the heartache. "Fourteen years, Luan! Fourteen long years since I've last seen you... Believe me, I never want to leave you alone again!"

"And yet..." The brunette pulled Lupa's hands off of her own, and she yanked the towels back to let the blood keep pouring out. "You are ready to do it to me... This is nothing short of hypocrisy..."

Lupa objected by shaking her head. "I thought you understood it from scratch, you idiot. We have to, to protect you... At least... I- I want you to be safe here, that's the whole point of-" She trailed off, eyes now averted all the way. This place was not a safe haven for Luan, but her deathbed of despair and agony. No way, no way could they leave her alone here, as much as they wanted to have done so. Options were closing out before them. "Luan..."

"I can't handle it, I just can't, Luce! I don't want it to happen again... I don't want to let you guys go, nit even if there's that chance- That one percent chance I may never see you again! And you know what? I-" She held out her left hand, shooting it forward right into Lupa's face. "I didn't do this to just try and kill myself, I did it because I just feel like a burden to you! You have some magical, freaky power-up, and Lynn's a law enforcement officer! You tell me how I can amount to that, to be on your levels of- Of- Well, being prepared for danger! I feel so... Normal, so useless to you both. I can't even protect myself... All I can do is just run away with a tail between my legs... I wish, I wish I could be on your level... I wish..."

Lupa just glared down, eyes becoming dead with the girl's truth. "I see..."

"Is- Is that all you're gonna say?" Then, Link-B broke into a laugh. "You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"I don't know what you expect me to say, Luan!"

Lacy returned to her squad with a fresh blue towel she borrowed from one of the other orphans. "Here, use this!"

Lupa utilized her telekinesis to raise Link-B's arm and wrap the towel around it. "Luan, you hold onto it, and don't you dare let go for one second, got it?"

The girl had agreed, hissing when the towel stung her. "Ow!"

Lupa sprang up on her feet. "And don't you dare move, Lynn and I need to have a little word..."

"What? Hold on-" Lacy was pushed out of the stall, taken away out of Link-B's sight on Lupa's behalf. "Lucy-!"

"Shut up and listen..." Lupa had no choice but to give in. "This isn't gonna work... We leave, and I can pretty much guarantee-"

"No, I don't believe that! She'd never-"

"She just fucking did, Lynn!" Lupa reminded Lacy harshly. "I didn't think-! Look, I didn't think it would hurt her this bad. I... I underestimated just how much...-"

"Can we afford it now?" Lacy eagerly wondered. "Can we really leave her alone here? Or... Is one of us gonna have to stay to watch her?"

Lupa sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Jesus fucking Christ... Which one of us, Lynn?"

"Y-you're- That fast? I thought-"

"We clearly don't have a choice here..." Lupa felt cold now that her arms were exposed, teeth chattering just a little. "I wanna nominate myself-"

"You? Why not me? I can-"

"Lynn, I'm pretty sure I have more advantages than you. I don't mean to be blunt, but I think my skills are just as good as yours."

"J-just as good as-?! Hey, I'm the only one with the firearm training and combat. All you can do is just fly and control things without touching them!" If only she knew the real Lucy.

"I think I'm okay, Lynn."

"If-" Lacy hypothetically spoke, "If I agree with this, I do want one favor."

"Yeah? Sure, what is it?"

"New York," Lacy requested. "I need you to go there, tell my friends of what's happening, and that I'll be coming back soon."

"Friends... Of the Bureau?"

"Yeah, three of them. Margo Jefferson, autumn hair. Polly Peine, tall brunette, and manly in appearance. We call her the Pain Train sometimes. Last one, Paula Ward, blonde, ponytail. They're inseparable- I mean, we all are. If they're still working there, schedule should be the same. Early morning to late evening, full time crap. Plenty of overtime."

"Uh-huh... Okay, I think I got it. I go to them, tell them you're alive, and then what, bring them as my back-up?"

"If you promise me you don't get them killed, I would like that, yeah!" Lacy threw a fist into the air with triumph. "My ladies are reliable sharpshooters... Well, that's my opinion."

"Hey, I'll take an army of toddlers with guns if it were possible. Okay, but how will I verify I know you?" Lupa raised an eyebrow. "It's going to be weird when a white-haired girl- Ugh- Comes into their lives and tells them all this. That you're alive but altered in many areas, and everything happening all over. Oh, God, this is really insane."

"We're well past that, thank you!" Lacy screamed. "Now, regarding that, I have a saying, our motto we've made to be significantly meaningful. Never say die. Those three words should be all the reason they need to trust you."

"Never say die, huh?" Lupa grew curious. "Sounds like there is a story behind that."

"Well... Yeah, there kinda is, but I'll share it some other time."

Lupa peered her head out, looking around the hallway. Nobody had been disturbed in their sleep as of yet, a mini miracle at best, but the trail of blood droplets would arouse some unnecessary, questionable suspicion they did not sorely need. "Clean-up duty..." Lupa decided, applying the role to herself and making a break for the hall.

"Hey!" Lacy hissed like a mouse. "What are you doing?"

"Hiding the evidence of what she did!" Lupa had to only wipe a portion of the hall's creaky, wooden floor, not having trouble with it. "I mean sure, we can say one of us had a period, but I'm not stuffing a tampon on my vagina, man! Ugh..."

"Um... Too much information, perhaps?"

"Oh, please! Don't pretend you never had a period, ha!" Lupa guffawed at Lacy while running her feet through the trail, letting the soles of her suit soak up the red drops of Link-B's blood. "Unless you've got a penis, I wouldn't ever believe it!"

"Thanks for the image..." Lacy groaned. "Olay, it's settled... You, tomorrow morning-"

"Change of plans..." Lups decided to go now; the faster, the better to return to Rennis. "I'm going in a rush now. There and here... But don't worry, I will fix this- I will win this, Lynn, I'll succeed."

**June 11th, 2030**

Morning came, and Lupa had left on that note, merely waving the two temporary goodbyes as they all abandoned the restroom. She ran the opposite end of the hall, and they returned to the room they'd been given. Lacy made sure Link-B slept with the blue towel dispensed around her injured arm, the result of self-infliction. She cuddled, cradled and caressed the girl with all of her love, holding her as she slept, and Lacy's own eyes had been giving out not long. Ever so still, had she known fear throughout the night. Before she slept, as she faded, there was that grave concern "Luan" would break out of Lacy's arms and finish the job. She tried to stay awake, but the weighing pain of the night made her drowsy, shutting her brain off for the night.

And when she woke up, she panicked and looked over to her older sister, and noticed the towel had been unraveled from her arm. "Hey-!"

Link-B opened her eyes, squinting uncomfortably while the sun cast its bright light through the window, reflecting most of the room. "Mmm... What, mom?"

"Shit... Put this back on!" Lacy took the towel and raised Link-B's cut arm, only to find that the mark across it had suddenly vanished. The blood was still there, but when Lacy wiped at it, the skin cleared up back to normal. She gasped, dropping the towel to touch her skin. "What the actual?"

"Mmm, what is it?" Link-B moaned.

"Its fucking gone, Luan! Look!" Lacy shook her bed buddy's arm.

Indeed, "Luan" took a glance at her arm and ran a finger down all around, eyes then opening with horror and shock. "What- How can this be? I don't feel it!"

Lacy had a sudden thought, in which it had been enough to get her out of bed. "I have to see-"

"See what?"

Without warning, Lacy slammed her head onto the wall as hard as she could. This ended up leaving a large scrape on her forehead, and, being disoriented from the impact, the athletic girl plopped hard on her back.

"LYNN!" Link-B stumbled out of bed, staggering her way to the younger sister. "WHAT THE HELL-?"

Faster than Link-B's own curative properties, Lacy's bruise began to heal right before the clone, leaving her stunned breathlessly. No words formulated for her to express the unnatural state of this, but right away she made the connection that she and and Lacy had the same ability of rapid regeneration.

Lacy blinked idly. "So, did it work?"

"H-how did- How did you figure it out?"

"I- I didn't..." Lacy rubbed her forehead. "How's it look?"

"B-bit of blood, but- It's gone! It's just gone, like mine!" And then Link-B slapped the daredevil of an idiot. "Moron, what if it didn't work?! That's instant brain damage!"

"Hey, well..." She sat up, still playing around with her forehead. "Alright, fine, I guess I didn't think it completely through."

"Clearly," Link-B crossed her arms, berating her- and then laughed.

Lacy found the humor in it and followed her lead, up until she realized something and curled her hands into fists. "Fuck me! If we have this healing speed, then that means-"

"Luan" caught on and gave herself a nice dose of facepalm. "I was... Never in-?"

"I mean... That too, but we've gotta let Lucy know-" Roadblock. "Damn it... She should be far from here at the moment..."

"Well... Are we freaking immortal or something? Cause, I say we go after her! I've heard you guys make the plans. New York, your workplace, and three of your friends, right?"

"Damn your ears... But, I'm not sure about the immortality thing. I'd rather not risk it..."

"So, do we still stay here?"

Lacy nodded. "We're fine here and so is she. I just hope Lucy finds out on her own..."

**June 15th, 2030**

Hordes of men and women, in business suits or just casual clothing, ran along the sidewalks of upstate New York, the super center of where the magic happened. Tall buildings all over, busy streets, traffic. More of taxi cabs than there was of regular vehicles, the unsettling sight for Lupa. Unsettling in the sense it was too obnoxiously rowdy for her own taste. She was frequently bumped by the middle-aged, beer-gutted men and the glasses-sporting, tall women in fancy high heels, more than half of them looking like they were receptionists of a high-end company, maybe secretaries to some shadow people or assistants of today's CEOs, of companies Lupa gave no affordable fuck about. Her, the strange girl with a suit with sleeves torn out, and the huge letter visible to anyone walking towards her. Those on their cells, those sipping coffee beverages, and those just dead inside, minding their own business, but not enough to ram through Lupa and each other- Why, they didn't have any car whatsoever for her, as odd as she had appeared to be.

Lupa also passed by many food vendors- hotdogs, pretzels, falafels, and plenty of other delicacies were being sold. She got hungry again and desired to stomach down a good weiner with the works, but alas, the clone had no money to spend it on.

Next, she passed by a newsstand, where she hoped to find a map that helped her locate the Feds' building. It eas well past the morning, meaning the three women "Lynn" had for friends had to be inside, doing whatever the agents did. She'd have to wait for God knows how long until these specific three came out again. Lupa decided a nice break would be good- walking for endless miles had its con, but sitting down around here wasn't possible until she met a park.

Lupa rummaged through the titles of the newspapers and magazines. Naturally, her attention had settled on the small portion of the comic book/graphic novel selection, on the right bottom side of the lower half of the stand. Most of them, new and unfamiliar to her, and she questioned why the sudden interest of these comics when a certain title caught her attention;

**The Sisters Grimm**

Lupa focused on the cover, which depicted three teenage girls of a tan skin color, dressed in some weird, illuminating suits of various colors, all posing for some scrap. It looked rather interesting and relatable to her in a sense. She turned the novel over to read the back;

**Jasmine, Veronica, and Isabel Grimm are sisters, each of them only two years apart in age difference. On a fine summer's day, their lives descend into madness when their father, the man who has abandoned them since they were young, resurfaces with a dark secret that throws them into a dangerous journey to find a safe haven known as Grimmtown, a sanctuary of gifted people. **

**Collecting issues 1 through 7.**

"Huh... The Sisters Grimm, huh?"

She was prompted to read it, invested in the book, but the vendor stationed at the stand objected rudely. "Hey, girl! Buy that or put it down, this ain't no library!"

"Asshole..." Lupa cursed, putting the novel back on its place. "Hey, you got maps?"

"Ehhh, over here by the newspapers." The man pointed to the other end, making Lupa work for it. She spotted them- and then she spotted a news article right next to the maps. Her eyes went through the headlines, and it was a nightmare all over again. The same nightmare with a whole new twist added to it, the never-ending spectacle of madness;

**Four FBI Agents Still Missing; Director Mathers Still Silent On Case**

**In light of recent events, four of New York's finest have vanished since early May, with no clues to their whereabouts having been disclosed by the head of the Bureau, Richard Mathers. Numerous witness accounts explain in detail of a shooting between these four agents and and unknown party that is believed to be Five itself, or acquaintances of the infamous terrorist organization. While there has been no comment on this case, it is believed that Five may be responsible or involved in some way with these disappearances. Photos and names of the four agents can be found on Page 12. **

She directed herself to the page, coming across these four missing agents. These were the very same women Lacy had instructed her to find. Names were the same ones she recalled, and then, the fourth picture, the stuff of true dread, was none other than that of the real Lynn's own face, her name, and the date they had vanished from the face of the earth.

Lynn Loud Jr, lost somewhere since the fifth of May, as well as her own friends. Stranger and stranger did things get, leaving Lupa with only more questions than answers. As if things didn't get bad enough...

Allison Taggart, a female youngster of a puppet Lisa could sic on anyone, had arrived to the scene, having trailed the clone. She spun Lupa around and slapped a dampener on her right before punching her lights out.

* * *

**To be continued in Act III, starting in October or November. I'd like that break now, but there's just that one last chapter left before this act is primarily over, and only a great many to go. Lupa, Lacy and yet-to-be-named Liby have arrived onto the story, with their own arc having just begun. Plenty of love between them to witness and cherish- at least until you remember that this is a reimagining of the trilogy where I did not do them any favors.**

**Not that I'm implying what I'm implying. Heh. Can't say anything about them at this time.**

**Welp, I guess I'll see you next time. So long, reader-Os.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Lyrics to Beginning of the End by Spineshank**

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**Act II: Blood Ties, Chapter X: The Prime Enemy**

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**July 18th, 2030 - Malibu, California**

Lincoln kicked in the left door, breaking it off its hinges aggressively, leading him to barge right in swiftly and quickly. He had been loaded to bear, ready and itching for a blood fight, however that would be here. He came in, and spotted numerous private security guards stationed around Lisa's private dream house. With the heavy machine gun at hand, and the large mag consisting of armor-piercers, the destruction to lay waste upon a body, he centered the butt onto his shoulder, took aim, and began spraying the large caliber rounds at every single one of Lisa's affordable guards. Whether or not they'd been paid do to a job here, he gave no shit about, only putting into account that they accepted the evil woman's blood money, uninterested in the role she was playing.

He gripped the trigger hard, still finding that the recoil fought him. The weapon tore through his opponents in front of him, shredding through bone, limbs, and even heads. He had started it within ten seconds, and had caused a bloody mess made up of the innards of his new victims. And he let out a raging scream as he massacred the wall of the goons.

Zoomer Lynn, who voted to take out the opposition without any casualties, ran in and held the big machine gun upwards with one hand. "Lincoln, enough of the killing!"

"Let go of my weapon," the albino hissed coldly at her, fighting her grip for it. "Now."

"Lola, Lana, clear out the property!" Lynn called out to the twins. "Hurry!"

"No- Stop, you-!" Too late. The two blonde zoomers entered the scene, going around to do the very thing they've learned and excelled at for a few years now. They finished off where Lincoln had left off, incapacitating anyone not Lisa without so much as a fatal wound delivered unto them. The albino formed an pouty face and gave up his weapon, accepting it reluctantly. "Whatever."

"Hate me all you want for this, but I won't ever let you run around and paint the town red."

"Hmmm..."

Lana came back by herself, pointing to a room far beyond the living room. "Lisa's here! She's been cornered by Lola already, come on!"

Lincoln followed Lana while Lynn wiped away her forehead and turned back to the outside. "Just stay out and warn us for any reinforcements!"

"I read ya!" Luna yelled from outside, being stuck on overwatch duty. "Hey, is that blood I smell?"

"Luan!" Lynn warned. "Stay!"

The rocker chick with the reptilian appetite for flesh just moaned in defeat, stomach lusting for the fresh meat Lincoln had helped to spill.

Meanwhile, Lola had cornered Lisa in her own study, blocking the entryway to prevent her untimely escape. Lola was all the more disgusted and angered to see the very being responsible for Aunt Rinn's death, Lily's missing status, and all other horrible crimes and acts all done in the name of the one project to enhance the average human being. Lisa Loud, a sociopathic individual who made it clear she had not cared for the siblings she lived with a lifetime ago. The very notion of relatives had to have amounted nothing to her in the long run, and this might have been made true when she had tried to shoot and kill Luan in their first encounter with her.

Here, Lisa was without a weapon, sitting nonchalantly at her desk, almost as if she had accepted she had lost. No movement at all, no intention to run. It made it all easy with the Louds here. Or so it seemed. "How nice of you to visit me, dear sister," she greeted with pretentious warmth, grinning an awkwardly dirty smile that radiated distrust within Lola. "Tell me, how fast do you think you're going? Like, how many miles per hour? Have you even bothered to examine your abilities?"

"Enough of that!" Lola made a break for it, but Lana and Lincoln arrived just in the nick of time, with the latter twin sister holding Lola back from unleashing her long-overdue judgment of fury. "Hey-"

"Sis, no need for that!" Lana assured her that violence would not be the answer, even as angry and revenge-craving she, too, might've been. "I know, I know you want to, but we can't!"

"Speak for yourself," Lincoln teased, sprinting right towards Lisa. He reached the desk and flipped it to the side, knocking the computer, the files, and office objects all over the place. They made an endless clattering noise, unheard to their ears when everyone had been focusing on Lincoln burst out and try to kill the second youngest sister of his family tree. He gripped onto her by her dark green sweater, pulling her upwards. And Lisa had the audacity to laugh and squirm around as if she'd been told an amusing joke. And even then, Lola knew she wouldn't find any joke amusing to have a giggle fit for, but rather for some accomplishment she'd just gotten achieved. This was the real Lisa at work. "Any last words?"

"No- No, they!" Lynn protested his murderous advances, hoping to remind him that Lisa was still needed back at the Division base. "Don't, damn it!"

"Lincy!" Lana attempted to appeal to him with her sweeter, soft side nature, hand pressed to her chest with the other halfway held out to their direction. "Please, that's still the Lisa we know! There's no need- There's no need to kill her!"

"Do as you please, my brother," Lisa guided the Ungodly Stormbringer, "there shall be no verbal limitations to halt you from what your heart desires- whatever is left, to be clear!"

"Linc!" Lynn knew she'd be able to stop him, but the thing was, she would not be able to. It was his mind, his MO, purely the very thing he knew to do, regardless of the nature behind his mindset. She tried her hardest, and it had never been enough to set the killer straight. Her word, their word, all futile attempts to defuse the darkest creature that lived, wearing the skin of the long-lost brother they had lost. She could very well fight him, but she knew now, it being clear as day.

She had somehow gotten the clarity that he would never stop. He'd never stop in his ways, the destructive path with unforeseeable, perilous consequences. The furthering of his own sentencing in the afterlife. He had her feeling powerless, a big nothing of a zoomer who could speed through time, having more of that in the whole world. All of her words, a series of attacks that could be piled up into a compilation, a compilation of futile, useless words. What could she really do?

"Kidnapping random people, and having others killed- You're over, Lise! Your reign is over, and your valuable empire has been dismantled!" Lincoln backed her into a wall, pinned her head hard against the decorative frames hung on the wall. "Everything you worked so hard to achieve, it's done! You're done, you hear me?! No more..."

Lisa smirked, lightly chuckling. "You're right about that, my older brother. It _is_ done! The formula for homo superior, the advanced human, has been realized! I, for a great many years, have not only found the answer to humanity's problem, but have created the very first advanced human to ever come out of Project Superior!"

"What?" Lincoln took it into account, suddenly desiring for answers which changed his plans to kill her right then and there. "What are you talking about?! Keep speaking!"

Lynn and the twins exchanged worried glances at each other, trembling at the thought of this particular human being in league with Lisa. They had no idea that it just so happened to be Leven, the infiltration unit designed to kill and replace Lincoln. Meanwhile, his handlers replicated the design- the cell structure that was applied to him- the exact formulas and applications to give birth to the winner of Project Superior.

"He lives, he breathes! My greatest achievement in the form of Link-N!" Lisa raised her arms up and gave herself some claps, happily giddy at her own announcement, ego escalating as high as the clouds could take her. "The ultimate clone, Lincoln! Half you and most certainly half me!"

"What?!" Lana yelped out.

"That- that clone is-?" Lynn's mouth propped open. "The first-?"

"Yes, indeed he is! The brains and the brawns combined as a unity model of my precious clones! Oh, how I love them all!"

"Hate to break it to you, but your creations have turned against you, and your little Black Network base is compromised, leaving it to us for the taking."

The triumphant smile of the super genius faded away, replacing it with a morbid frown that only gave pleasure to Lincoln. It told him that she had been so gravely defeated, a victory that belonged to them, the majority of which were victims to her agendas in one way or another. The justice hsd prevailed again, as it should have. They had her by the balls, the figure who had control of the literal future in the palm of her hand. Vial Corp, Kapacity Korp, the continuation of her nefarious schemes she justified with the salvation of humanity- it ended here. It had to have, right?

"You know, in all honesty, I cannot simply fathom on how you guys, this little team of phenos those Division guys formed just for me, keep coming to me thinking you've got some advantage. Oh, where do you think I directed my minions to?" Her sadistic grin formed again. "I'll applaud you for anticipating their escape from the base, but you surely had to make the mistakes of assuming I had them go deeper underground!"

"Deeper underground meaning in various Kapacity Korp facilities?!" Lincoln readjusted her to slam her again. "You've surely thought ahead of this, haven't you?"

"A simple correction, Lincoln. Only the staff from Vial Corp have been placed, transferred successfully to Kapacity Korp rather easily than I have estimated. Yeah, you heard me correctly. I, too, can be wrong. My Black Network men, and my close bodyguards- Well..."

The ceramic floor crumbled away beneath them, with a large, hairy hand bursting out, immediately followed by more of them. The middle of the room had its floor caved in, replaced by a black pit with the four deadly, formidable creatures once Freights crawling right out of it, the stuff of nightmares. These monsters, the very same ones that the albino brother had killed once before, only for them to be pulled from the brink of death by the mad genius. After they appeared and formed a line that blocked the Louds from Lincoln, more special guests dropped into the party. Next to Lincoln and Lisa, the familiar blue oval formed from thin air, and making an entrance was none other than the mutated Shepherd, the blade-wielding Carly, and Lupa, all seven fighters under Lisa's control, whether willingly or forced into it.

Lincoln had taken notice of the second female clone, curious and suspicious about the nature of her origin and background when it became apparent her own hair had been of absolute interest to him upon eyeing upon it. A third Lincoln clone, by the looks of it. This brought up the question of just how many Lincoln clones Lisa had created in total, from the five they had known existed- and then he grudgingly recalled that neither Linka nor Leven had told him which ones were. Inconvenience to the Louds present here.

Lupa had been coerced into this fight between the Louds and Lisa's regiment, otherwise it'd have been her head put on a platter, and not to mention the lives of the other two clones she had traveled with- and looking at the one, true Lynn, she understood it for what it was and had no more doubts about the very nature of the three of them being clones just as what had been directly implied before. She had no time to truly process it, or even slowed down to give some degree of thought. For one damn second, she had been overwhelmed with shock but left with that irresistible taste to acquire more intel on what laid beneath this surface of unspeakable truth, and why it had come to be in the first place. Lupa had arrived to the pre-fight wearing regular clothes, them being a black sweater and a yellow skirt, with the additional tube socks over some track shoes, all being more comfortabor over the tasteless suit she had been stuck with.

Looking at Lincoln, Lynn, Luna and the twins, it had been rather odd and shocking to her in the sense that it seemed the entire family was involved in this huge, unraveling case. Although she had been here with a threat that was promised for the fake Lynn and fake Luan, she figured she'd get something out of it. Answers as to who she was, why she was, and what was going on, right from the very start. At no doubt did both sides know much more than she had, but it was Lisa's own side to be wary of, and to not defect from. This put her on that very path where she just had to defeat these Louds... The very people Lucy had grown up with for a portion of her life. Family. Lupa was going to fight family, and with a pack of strange creatures and random people at that.

"Just how many are there?!" Lincoln demanded to know.

"Attack, my minions!" Lisa commanded, right before being thrown across the room, over to the Louds.

Lynn caught the genius as soon as the four super mutts charged toward them. Shepherd galloped behind them as well, leaving Carly and Lupa to focus on Lincoln. The Asian girl dashed and jumped on the lopsided desk, moving her way to Lincoln with her katanas high above her. She figured she got the drop on him for an easy kill, smiling erratically. The expert fighter dodged it with no sweat dropped, swaying to the side and letting the girl miss him by a long shot. Not one second had passed when he went back for her, grabbing her arms from behind and squeezing hard to relieve her of her blades. Carly screamed with painful anguish, tragically surrendering her goodies to him.

Lupa had maintained a spectator on the sidelines up until that point where Lincoln had claimed the title of victor, and it had been made clear Team Lisa could not afford a loss. She controlled Lincoln like a puppet, resorting to her supernatural based power. She separated his hands from Carly, raised them up with her own, and then had him fly into the wall, keeping him pinned there as the Hmong girl recovered. "I've got him! Take him out!"

"I didn't need your help!" Carly hissed, hands quaking away while she let the pain fade. "He almost broke my hands!"

_What the fuck is this?! What kind of clone-? _Lincoln would have been positively amazed at the third clone they came across here, if it weren't for her being in league with the enemy. Did that mean the other two had this same ability? Or was it just this one? Knowing he had been no match for Lupa, he had to suck it up and call for the preoccupied back-up. "Lynn! Twins! One of you, take out my clone!"

"A little occupied!" The three zoomers were running around the pack of mutated phenos, each of them landing blows while ducking all of the swings of their current opponents. It was almost child's play, up until the amateur in Lynn messed up and hit her left shoulder upon the doorway, making her fall off balance and plummet to the floor. This was enough time for one of the four Wolverine beings to latch onto Lynn and kick her while she was down. The force of its hind leg knocked the agent further into the hallway. The wind had been kicked out of her, leaving her immobilized until she recuperated to jump back in.

Luna came running in on all fours, having heard the trouble bubbling from inside. She tackled Lynn's attacker when the wolf beast followed the sooner, initiating a monster brawl. They roared at each other, which caused a stir of echoing around the walls, going back and forth. The two unnatural beasts, formerly pure humans, clashed with each other after they met, displaying their brute force with their hands literally locked against each other's own. Luna tried to push the enemy back, and the latter attempted the same thing. The advantage Luna Lizard had over the bigger creature was her long, slithering tail, utilized to drag the canine entity off its feet. The furball fell forward with an irritable roar, head and back slamming hard.

Lisa had been left unattended, taking cover against a corner while the brawl kept going before her.

Lynn swooshed forward, gripping the Wolverine by its head right before Luna made a pounce. "HEAD STRIKE, SIS! DO IT!"

Luna folded her hands together, cupping them for a powerful strike upon the furry pheno. "LET'S GO!"

"Raughhhhh!" All that power, and poor Dana was not able to prove herself superior to Luna or the zoomer. Luna did her in, putting her into a forced nap. Lynn exhaled sharply and let go of the thick, long head of the pheno.

"Holy shit..." Lynn sighed.

Luna had no time to stop and catch breath, continuing further towards Lisa's study hall. "Hang on- I've got-"

Lana slipped out of the room, falling on her side. Luna became distracted one second too late, right as Shepherd came staggering out, ramming right into Luna- and taking her right through the opposite wall, where they took their fight away from the room. Lynn had followed the two of them, until another one of the Wolverines crawled towards Lana, opening its wide mouth, seemingly ready to devour her.

"Hey... Get up..." Lynn uttered. "Lana- Lana, get up!"

The tomboy had been neutralized, knocked out of the fight at some point while she had been running around the villains. If Lana had been taken out this fast, then it meant Lola and Lynnno stood chance against Lisa's phenos.

"Lana!" Lynn sped off, driving a foot right into the slow-moving Wolverine, keeping this one at bay from attacking dear Lana. "You fight me!"

"Lynn, heads up!" Lola warned to the red zoomer, albeit being too late; Lincoln flew across the room and struck Lynn hard. "Oh, come on-"

Lincoln patted on Lynn's back, nonverbally thanking her for breaking his fall. He found himself facing the Wolverine around Lana just as Lola had stopped her running and backed up to join him. It became apparent that the two of them might not have been fortunate enough to win this fight against the three transformed Freights, the ninja girl and the telekinetic clone, and this was assuming that Shepherd could have been beaten by Luna, both of them who were fighting away from here. "Get behind me!"

Lola zagged around him, taking cover while shaking Lynn back to the living world. It shouldn't have been this easy to subdue both her and Lana. She went for a clean slap, when the shaking didn't work. "No good, she's out!"

Lincoln lunged toward the Wolverine closets to them, which hadn't made its own move since he and Lola had been back into the corner. He could feel its red eyes of hatred send daggers his way, cursing at him with the deadliest demise known to man. He made the assumption this was Lori, unable to distinguish which Freight he was dealing with. His bare hands met its face, and he grabbed himself each a jaw, prying the mouth open while the furry beast sank its claws repeatedly into Lincoln's chest. He flipped the monstrous Fiona with all his strength, leaving Lola susceptible to attack by the others.

Lori and Cristina gave each other snarls, moving slowly as if they were trying to determine who it was they wanted. Their sights had already been confirmed to be on Lincoln, so they decided to wait. Carly came sprinting into the hall, going for Lola. "This one's mine!"

Lola repelled her back simply by running a few steps, and returning to Lynn's and Lana's aid. Lupa made sure Carly didn't receive another injury this time, stopping her from falling hard again. "Caught you!"

"Great, put me down!"

Lola's blue eyes had met Lupa for the first time. This clone resembled Lucy in many areas, which had her wondering the internal question if this was a pure Lincoln clone. That, and then there was the albino, levitating in the air, moving swiftly across the room. They were dealing with more than they anticipated to begin with. They had a dangerous knack for that, it seemed.

The four closed in on Lola, entangling her in a series of emotions. She knew fear again, the humility of being powerless, and the anger it came along with the second feeling. She wasn't good enough, certainly not as good as she was out there, along the fine streets of New York. These inhuman creatures, how were they the difference? None of them were rivaling, matching zoomers equivalent to her power, and yet... And yet, they've just proven to best the other two zoomers.

At most, she could take out the two girls before the furry beasts could grab and do her in. "L-L-Lincoln..."

Lincoln had find her with Fiona, pulling his thumbs out of her canine eye sockets right after jamming them deep into her skull. He believed to have beaten her when it was apparent she had stopped moving, the low growls not emitting from her mouth afterwards.

As for the man himself, he was bloodied up by the time he was done. He remembered where he was, and what was happening right after being done in ravaging the old Freight, taking notice of a fearful Lola trembling for her life, seeking out a perfected exit strategy as Team Lisa boxed her in. "Lori!"

The Wolverine on the left raised a hand behind her, telling the other to stand down. "Back off, this one is mine!"

"Hey," the second one snorted, "he is my personal problem, too."

Lori turned back to normal, all the fur on her skin sinking back. The darkened skin color changed its tone to the normal pale orange she kept for her whole life. The ugly features, ranging from her snout to the deathly claws, had vanished. In a matter of some long, few seconds, the beautiful but cruel Lori Loud stood there, all naked like it was no one's business. She cracked her knuckles and waved her blonde hair out of her face, smiling with a sinister intention in mind. "Yeah, but he's my brother," she casually stated in her strict, womanly voice. "He's all for me."

Lupa's eyes widened with horrified shock. _L-Lori?! What the fuck is going on here?!_

"S-sis?" Lola and company had not been shared of this fact as of yet. These four beings had always been in their monster form, never to have appeared into their human shells before. It seemed Lincoln had not been dropping all he knew. "Lincoln, you have some explaining to do!"

"Lola, on me!" Lincoln fell on his knees to bent down for Lola.

Immediately, she knew what he was getting at, wasting no second to race over and use him as a ramp. She made a high leap and went for a punch- which Lori had raised her hands to block, only for Lola to actually phase right through her and connect her fist to Cristina's face. "Surprise!"

Lori looked down on her body, and then turned around. "She can do that?!"

Cristina slipped, falling right on Carly. Lupa had been rendered confused with Lori as of yet, shifting her head to both sides.

"Don't just float there!" Lori boomed to the Lucy clone. "Stop Lola!"

"Right-" Lupa snapped back into play.

"Focus back on me!" Lincoln came and delivered a hurricane of punches just in time when Lori had turned around. She let him have it, feeling his furious rage before he would wear himself out, or when she decided to end the fun he thought he'd have. "That's right, I'm going to beat you-"

Lori giggled and ducked, delivering a blow from below. She connected her only strike to his chin, bobbing his head upwards in the process.

_Damn it, Lynn! Taking my weapon like that... _Lincoln dragged himself back, going for a kick to Lori's leg to knock her down to size. The naked sister blocked it perfectly, already knowing this move.

Lupa took control of all the objects in the room, spinning them around her when Lola tried to run around her for a quick incapacitation. "No way you're getting-"

Lola brushed it all off without breaking a sweat, diving right at Lupa in the air. "Don't be so sure!" She laid a hand on Lupa's face, covered it, and brought her back down to earth, thinking she had bested the clone.

Lupa shoved the diva away by her legs, sending her right into Cristina's grasp. "Handle her, damn it!"

"Don't tell me what to do," Cristina hissed, pinning Lola on all fours, right on the hard floor. "Gotcha!"

Carly rubbed her head before sliding one of her katanas at the Wolverine. "Here, take it and end her!"

Lori and Lincoln were still locked onto the same dance, exchanging their hands in the illustrious tango. They were formidable, undoubtedly matched and synchronized in their one-on-one match. When he swung, she dodged, and when she struck, he blocked. There was a counter for every fifth hit they performed, and one of them went down when someone made a fast rebound after the counter. At last, Lincoln broke the tie by throwing a high punch. He expected her to block with both arms, and when she did so, Lincoln moved to her side and elbowed her back and finished with a back kick.

"Yeargh!" Lori cried. "Nice move-"

Lincoln kicked Cristina in the face just mere seconds before she could stab and kill Lola, and then picked up his younger sister, throwing her right at Lupa. "TAKE HER THE FUCK OUT!"

"Oh shit-" Lupa raised her arms again, directing Lola into the bookshelf onto the side of the room. "Fuck this..." She turned around to face the window and shattered it with a wave of her hands, escaping from the right. "This isn't my fight! Don't follow me!"

Lisa, having been quiet up until now, had finally spoken up. "COWARDICE! I'LL MAKE SURE YOUR SISTERS DIE IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY WITH ME!"

Lincoln heaved little Carly up and tossed her right into Lisa, both girls screaming before they made physical contact. "Stay quiet for once!"

"Ow," Carly squeaked, twitching to move before acknowledging it was over for her.

Lisa pushed her servant off of her, groaning while trying to look for her glasses. "Curses!"

Lincoln gave Cristina the firm taste of his shoes by repeatedly shoving his foot into her dog face, not stopping for a second, even after he was certain he knocked her out. And Lori, the worst of the bunch, the one ue hated most, had not done anything to stop him. She was amazed, yet disgusted by him, his persistence mainly. All this, and reminded just how concentrated he was, how desperate and eager the young brother had been to end them. Her, and her three friends of a dead era now. Her, them, and him as well; the five free-thinking weapons of America, reduced to minions, the destructive war toys that could so very easily bring about the everlasting firestorm. War toys that were once a brother and sister who went through hell and kept their love for each other. A love that was forced to end.

When he finished caving in Cristina's skull, he gave Lori all his attention, forgetting that Lola was still on the floor, but free to move about. The elder sister crossed her arms, daring a step forward. "Lore..."

"You little twerp..." Lori gripped a fist and held it to her chest. "Don't think for a second that it's gonna end up your way again."

"I'll bet it will be, sister," Lincoln believed. "As long as you all draw breath, I don't think I'll ever stop."

"So..." Lori lowered her arm. "Tell me something."

Luna came back, limping right through the pheno-made hole in the wall, just in time for Lynn to emerge from her slumber. "Ugh, what happened- Shit!" The two looked into the room, where Lisa and Lola had been still up and about. The floor had become Lincoln's and Lori's now, with the silence of the forming audience following.

"I can't say family means nothing to me, Lincoln. The Freights were the second one to me-"

"Right after you abandoned the first one, Lore- Your real one, all of them."

"Don't play hypocrite with me, you stubborn idiot!" Lori shouted. "You ran, too! I left to find you, it wasn't my intention to leave them all! It was you-" She pointed at him, which worked to play into the vlame card that she pulled out. "You made your decision, didn't want to come home. You couldn't, and I remember it well. I'll always remember what you said to me when I asked."

Luna transformed back to her old self as Lynn got up and moved forward. "What? What... What did he say?" Lynn begged.

Lola dragged herself back, leaning against the wall when she had sat up. She looked on in wonder, feeling the fight had ended. This was nothing she wanted to miss out on.

"Go on, Lincy," Lori urged. "Why don't you fill them in?"

Lincoln snorted heavily, still having the intent to wrap up their fight. "This isn't the time to-"

"LINCOLN, YOU ANSWER WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!" Lynn screamed, advancing forward to him. He didn't turn around, but felt Lynn's hands grip onto his shoulder. "You're going to tell us, because we're done! I'm flat-out done with this shit you keep playing! More and more, you make me hate who you've become..."

Lori broke contact from him.

"I don't want to say it, but I see now..."

Lola and Luna scattered their eyes to the ground. Even Lisa herself exhibited some degree of emotion at the scene.

"My brother has always been dead..." Lynn let go of him, moving to Lori instead. "You, you look at me... You look at me and you tell me what it was!"

Lori exhaled, moaning reluctantly. "To him... In his eyes, the whole family died when the house caught on fire. We survived, but that meant nothing to him. He didn't stay because he saw us for a pile of dead bodies..."

"H-he-" Lynn stuttered. "He ran away because...?" She found it amusing, giving way for her soul and sanity to crack just a little. And then she shoved a fist right into his face when nobody was expecting it. "I HATE YOU!"

He did nothing, letting Lynn have that hard blow. Maybe he did deserve it, or maybe it was that Lynn needed to cool off by using him as that punching bag she needed. Maybe she did need it, a nice reliever. Who could know at this point?

"Dude..." Luna had never felt more disappointment in him than she did now. The answer to everyone had always been that Lincoln had just been too hurt by the loss of the family, which led him to his running away. This, the real answer which was that he had accepted his family would never be the same post-fire, had paved the way to the future he accepted with the Freights. And he was the one responsible for Lori being here today. If only... If only things were different. "How could you just-?"

Lola wiped the tears that leaked from her eyes in silence, too heartbroken to say anything. The man, once the boy who taught her to read, gave up on their own family. Left her alone for so long.

Lisa coughed and threw an order down Lori's way. "You can cease the sentimentality, Lori! Continue as-"

"Sorry, Lisa, but I don't wanna be a part of your little clique anymore," Lori dropped. "I thank you for giving me this second chance-"

"N-no! No, I will not permit-!"

"And I won't permit to your use of me, making me nothing more than someone to be bossed around. I was in it for Lincoln and Lincoln only, not for the rest of my sisters..." She took a few steps back, meeting the downed Cristina to help her up. "I can't thank you enough for this second lease on life you've given us. I won't lie, I've always had that unbearable itch to repay Lincoln that debt long overdue."

Cristina lowly growled, rubbing her head as it healed from Lincoln's heavy beat down. "Your head, Lincy-boy..."

"Where is your sense of gratitude?!" Lisa blurted out. "Has it been misplaced! Oh, why are you all showing me the utmost defiance among my ranks?! All five of my clones, and now you?! Et tu, Lori?!"

_F-five of them running around... Right. _Lynn had her breath robbed right out from her lips. Luna and Lola gave each other concerning looks before covering right on her face. _Five Lincoln clones, most likely..._

"Believe me, I can't be more grateful for what you've done..." And this was Lori being truthfully humble for the maniacal sister. "I've done all I think I can here-"

"Lori Loud!" Lisa bellowed.

"I'm leaving... Being around all of this, with them-" Lori meant her pack of sisters, the ones now older than she'd last seen them, having to adjust her mind to their new looks as well as knowing they hsd grown up this much- and fell into the lower of life's many paths. "I don't ever see myself fighting them... Not today."

"No, you're not going-" Lincoln was quick to protest, but Lynn prevented him from having a voice by slapping his shoulder. "Tsk..."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lola cried out. "Lori, y-you aren't-"

"Lore-Bore..." Cristina had been confused by the blonde's choice to leave. "We can gain the high ground, pay him back in full of what he did to us! He destroyed our dream and the future we worked hard to achieve-" She circled the eldest sister like a true dog. "i wouldn't-"

"And then what?" Lori tossed back the redhead's words, arranging it in her own sentences. "Revenge is all we seem to want, but things have just become clearer. I mean, looking at my sisters here, I'm no much as clouded by my endless hatred of him. I feel..." Lori closed her eyes briefly. "I feel calm but I feel empty at the same time. And then I realize that this..."

Lynn, Lola and Luna maintained themselves as her audience. Lincoln had been reluctantly turned into a spectator as well, only wishing in that long, touchy-feely moment that he was ramming his fists down Lori's throat. Nothing in the world would have ever been more gratifying than killing her, the elder sister who betrayed him by not betraying them. Just when he found the inner quarrel to attack, it had begun to come back like a windstorm; he hated her so much because she made her choice to leave him, to make him feel like he was alone again. Why, that-

Lincoln flinched. He remembered it now, clear as daylight. And suddenly, that emotion had begun to escalate, burn up and swell his insides. She left him, choosing death among the Freights over his better decision. She killed herself, and yet, here she was, playing some sort of act and blaming him for what she had chosen long ago. Was it on purpose? Or did she simply delude herself? Maybe she had also forgotten it, too? Was it possible that Lori had drowned out her actions up to here?

Whatever the case, the fire of his eternal anger took over, compelling him to suddenly charge after pushing Lynn off of him, and come right for Lori. His white face graduated to a nasty, ravenous red color, and he was then screaming the loudest of battle cries. He didn't hold back his strength, letting Lori have a huge knuckle sandwich that sent her spiraling down to the floor. He granted no mercy on her, took seize of her throat and then began lifting and dropping her head down to the floor. "YOU! YOU DID THIS! YOU DID THIS, AND LEFT ME! I GAVE YOU A CHOICE, I GAVE YOU THE WAY OUT OF THE FUCKING DARKEST LIFE!"

The seventh strike Lori received disoriented her enough to make her giddy. Her eyes rolled around the room, shifting to no end, but her ears, albeit ringing, still functioned normally. "L-Lincy- Oh, Lincy..." She received a few tough blows to her skull that it formed scars, and her blood came flowing out. Her lips quivered, breath becoming drastically labored. "I- I'm-"

She accepted it, if she hadn't already. She thought about it, looking back to how it began, and why they were here now. Her, and that young brother she had to take care of. He did, he really did have a way out, and offered it to her. No, nothing that was greedy or selfish. He never was like that, at any part of their lives. He was mature as mature could be, and he had a big heart. She broke it a little more, adding another crack to it when it had already been broken by the world. For all she knew, it was her who created the monster she had been fighting just minutes ago. That behemoth of a human, her own creation.

He went berserk, going more and more unstable with each slamming he performed on her. This got to the point that Lola jumped on his back, her tiny arms wrapping around his neck to cut his oxygen off. Lynn and Luna rushed in, each taking hold of one of his strong arms, retracting it away from Lori. "NO, YOU USELESS VERMIN! LET ME THE FUCK GO! SHE HAS TO PAY! I HAVE TO HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS!"

"LINCY!" Lynn struggled to pull him off of Lori. She strained hard as she talked, doing her best to prevent him from killing her.

"STOP IT!" Luna hollered.

"THIS INSUBORDINATION! BLASPHEMOUS! CEASE THIS REBELLIOUS PHASE, WHY DON'T YOU?!"

"Oh, Lincy-" Lori's whole face was left bruised and bloodied at this point. Her eyes had closed, going near to a drifting sleep at this point. Any more of these punches and he'd have gotten his wish. Her last words on earth just had to be shared on earth before she passed, if today was truly her time. "I'm so sorry I turned my back on you," she weakly whispered.

Lincoln froze in place, one fist dangling high while the other recovering from a strike. His pause made it easier for the sisters to pull him away, succeeding in pulling him back. He fell, toppling on his back along with Lola and Luna. Lynn had let go at the perfect time, looking over the fallen siblings while Lincoln.

"You? You, sorry?" He never believed in it. How could he buy it? "You've come way too far, down- Down this fucking road-"

"Linc..." Luna addressed that Lori was exploiting herself via the regrets she had been carrying, the heaviest burdens of her sad, miserable life. "Give her the floor."

"No," Lori denied. "Linc, I'm yours... I'm yours to take-"

"Rghhhhhhhh..." Cristina had not done anything as of yet, awkwardly stuck in a family matter. "Pathetic..."

"Lore, no," Lola shook her head at the elder blonde. "C-come with us..."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Lincoln groaned.

"Please-" Lola pushed Lincoln off of her, and in the next second, she was right in front of Lori. "Big sister-" Lola wasn't phased by the blood all over her face. "-I'm sure... I'm sure-"

"No..." Lori wheezed. "This has to end..."

"Goddamn right, it does!" Lincoln regained his composure and stumbled his way back to Lori. "No one stop me, or else!"

"We're going to be at each other's-" Lori drooled blood, gurgling her words. "Throats f-forever-"

"Not unless we kill him!" Cristina suggested. "Dana, Fiona, get up! We can still win this! The three of us versus Lincoln and these weakling sisters of soft Lori over here-"

The only male in the room swung a leg, foot striking at Cristina's face to shut her up. "Stay quiet, red."

"Let him go, let him go, girls..." Lori wished. "Cr-Cristina, you stay out of this!"

"Why are you betraying yourself now?!" Wolverine-Cristina recovered from Lincoln's attack and threw something of a fit, pounding her beastly fists against the floor. "We were all set, agreed that he needed to die in the name of the Freights!"

Lynn narrowed her eyes.

"Get up and remember, Lori! The train! He and that girl went up against you, Becky and Chandler, did he not?!"

"What?" Lynn processed.

"Girl? What girl?" Luna looked down on Lincoln. "What is she talking about, bro?"

Lori released calm breath through her mouth, blinking away at the ceiling. "Twerp... You didn't tell them, twerp?"

"T-tell us what?" Lola wondered. "Lincoln, you... You secretive bastard, what are you hiding from u"

Everything was dropped in that instance. He panicked a little, attempting to cover it up for their sakes by keeping up with his gray preaching. "Let go, let fucking go! They are the enemy! Lynn, come on! L-Luna!" His mental state was on the flux, juggling his rupturing emotions, the current objective, and the fear of his sin neing brought to light. That damn sin on his conscious, leading Lily to his conflict. It got her killed, and that he had been gravely injured by. It had to be drowned, for the guilt of it had proved effective to hurt him, slow him down enough for it to be possibly perilous.

But the shadow sank away, pulling him away from his chance at an escape, the aimless weaseling out of this.

"Who is this girl?"

"L-Lily-" Lori turned on her side, facing away from them. "Lily..."

"Lil-" Lola pushed Lincoln upwards just so she could free her legs. "Our little Lilypad?"

Luna lost her grip on Lincoln's arm, and amazingly, the blunt brother had not gotten up to exact the final moments of his preemptive vengeance. His fight might have been lost at this point, the spark having died when the apparent secret he kept to himself was outed. She, along with the other sisters, could practically smell the aroma of his guilt, all the confession they could ever need. "No- No, tell me this isn't-"

Lola smacked her fists on the floor, hurt and confused over this, the mystery case of the long-lost sister which had come to a close today. "I t-told you, Lincy- I told you guys-" What she felt was betrayal, on a further deeper level she'd never have been able to think possible. Both her and Lana, the twins who so desperately sought some form of closure to fill them for any sign of Lily's whereabouts, had never gained, earned the closing of that case. Their speed meant nothing after all, not in such a huge world where that little girl, their sweet Lilypad, the most innocent of them to remain that way. The minutes and seconds they could bring to a grinding halt, and yet, feeble zoomer Lola had her greatest fear and its reach come around the corner to grasp at her very essence, solely to tell her, ro remind her how imperfect she was, to show her that, even with this bizarre power that came right out of a comic book, Lola was still Lola, a failure of a sister, a Loud weak link who had been able to save many lives- except the one that truly mattered to her. Everyone, but Lily. "Oh, my God... She was there, wasn't she?!"

The transformed Dana and Fiona had risen up, their large heads peering into the room, pointy ears extended upwards to catch themselves up on the conversation. Not one of the two made a hostile move at the time being. Cristina herself advanced backwards, seeing her own escape through the shattered window Lupa had made. "It looks like..."

The eyes of the collective family had been fixated onto Lincoln at this point. Lynn, Luna and Lola broke the limit of their maximum level of hatred and disgust they had with him, silently stricken by the faint hint that it was Lincoln who had her killed. To Lynn and Luna, the in-between of events didn't matter.

"Looks like I don't need to finish you off after all..." Cristina reached the compromise, accepting the reluctant retreat. "Dana, Fiona, we're off..."

Lisa tried to speak to keep them at the tip of her fingers, but all that came was a hiccup. She felt zipped out during this, with the whole scenery belonging to the rest of her family members. "Egad..."

The three Wolverine creatures ventured out of the room, crawling to the outer world. The house overlooked the beach and the vast ocean that went on for miles. "Lori... Come or stay..." One of them rasped near diabolically.

"Lincoln..." Lynn gave up, losing all her faith, the idle, draining belief that he could have changed. It went down that sink, and she felt like a fool for bothering in the first place. All of that, only to find out that he would go further that they'd expect him to, by simply using his own blood to aid him in his quest of bloody, gritty revenge. "I don't want you around me anymore..."

She made up her mind, got up and turned around, with no anger in her voice. All chances had been gone, turning to a great none, unable to be recuperated. Her feet came back down, planting on solid ground. She grabbed the mentally sulking Lisa, heading outside. Luna shifted her head between Lynn and Lola up until Lynn had taken off with the genius sister, which put her on the comforting role. She wrapped around Lola, hugging her while picking her up. "Lola, come help me with Lana... I have to take Shepherd."

"Wait..." Lola still wanted the answer to the request she made. "Lori, we can find you a place with us! I'm sure- I'm sure you'll fit in-"

Lori wiggled her fingers before shaking her head. "I can't..."

"Uh?" Poor Lola's eyes watered, allowing the flood of her misery to come falling down her pretty face. "No, don't you dare-" It led her to run up to the naked Lori and and hug her tightly. The elder sister's skin was icy cold, making Lola's cheek freeze up upon contact with her, but she held on tight nonetheless. "I've missed you, I've really missed you..."

Lana whimpered away the very second she rose up, amazed yet distraught by them. Lola, displaying that thought-to-be exclusive affection onto Lori. This, leaving Lana out of that particular picture. For a second, but enough time, she felt alone.

"Lola- Erm, guys..." Lori had never earned her way to the golden heavens, not the places they belonged to. She disgraced herself, relinquishing the title of Best Sister and Babysitter of the family, having done so since an ancient era that had been buried in the sand of time. The anger that drained out of her was replaced with the depressing gift of profound realization. "Its been good seeing you again. You've all changed, grown up since-"

There was a sudden burst of wind that blew her way, sending her hair forward, waving out of proportion. It called out to her, the necessary advisement for her to retreat from this. The drill had been wired into her programming; staying was not an option, not even for them.

"I hope-" She broke the hug, pushing Lola away. "Forgive me, I'm so sorry..."

"Lore- Lori, no-" Lola tried to remain, but Lori drew more force to keep their distance. "Why are you doing this? We're here, we're all here-"

"Lola..." Luna pulled her away smoothly, closing in to comfort her as well. "We have to go..."

"No, no! Not without her!"

Lori turned back into the ugly, freak abomination, the blonde no longer being around there for them. The Wolverine, the leader of this pack, stormed off without so much as a tearful, meaningful goodbye. She had not once ever looked back at them- and that gave Lynn the impression that was because it had hurt Lori just as much as it had Lola; no need to express or show the sparkles of misery in her rabid eyes to them.

Unbeknownst to them, she _had_ started up the tears. The fractured Loud sister jumped through the window frame with blurry eyes, making a hard landing on the sand, racing on all limbs, accompanied by the pack, the newly defecting creations once under Lisa's control, no longer.

"Damn it! Why can't things go back to the way they were?!" Lola struggled and jerked her way out of Luna's grasp, but proved to be just a tad weaker than the brunette. "Get her back! That's our Lori, you moron!"

"Lola..." Lana moved forward with quiet footsteps, taking over for Lynn. "Lola? I'm here..."

The adult diva had stopped her fidgeting, head nodding downwards before Lana caressed her with the unforgettable sisterly love. "Lana..."

"Shhhh... I miss her too, Lola. I miss her, too..."

Lana shot her eyes at Luna, promptly asking, "Did we win? We did, didn't we?"

"Win... Right," she answered quietly, moving away from them to pick up Shepherd. "Head outside, we're done here."

"Lola, what- What did I miss?"

"I'll explain on the way, I just- I-" Lana cut her off and led her away from the room, waltzing through the bloody hallway and past the living room, where the corpses had been left at, a new addition to the property per Lincoln's decorative skills.

Lincoln himself remained in the study, looking out the window like nothing more than a zombie. He was reduced to a battered being, eyes lifelessly scouting without his consent or knowledge. He had not said a word, but had seen and heard everything unfold while he was trapped in his mind, held a hostage by his own memories of both the good and the bad series of them, both containing the oldest sister. The what ifs of his head played, and that was where the battle started.

_Conflict eternal, of my everlasting soul_

_Vessel not empty, but the skin, ungrateful and cold_

_Blessed be the dark of my thoughts_

_One that replenishes, one that rots_

_The flower will bloom from the dead of my light_

_New life, new love, be born after my final fight_

Lupa had been perched on the rooftop, following the Loud adults when they had exited. Lynn still held tightly onto Lisa as the twins had come out of the private estate, and Lupa, the snow-haired goth girl, came floating down like Mary Poppins, to meet them at the steps. "Hold on..."

Lynn handed Lisa to Lana, expecting a fight none of the three girls wanted. "You gotta come with us," Lynn forced on the clone.

Lupa was dared and frightened by the stripping of her choice in the matter. She couldn't, and they'd have known it if she knew what was happening around her. "Wait, I'm sorry! I didn't want to do what I did... I just needed some answers from you-"

Lynn circled around her before Lupa had blinked, sending a gust of air that blew right onto the left side of her face. "Right, cause you really did look reluctant to fight us!"

Lisa cleared her throat. "She speaks the truth-"

"You, not a peep from you!" Lynn strictly ordered. "Now, Lincoln clone, how are you able to do that with your hands? Can the other four do that? Huh?"

"F-four?" Lupa gulped, keeping her face forward. "What?"

"Don't play dumb... You know just as well as I do that I'm talking about the five clones."

"Clones-" Lupa fired a twinkling spark in her cold blue eyes, finally ready to understand that all of these words being thrown around her were not part of some pseudo, make-believe fairy tale. Clones, possible monsters born of government experiments- why, it wasn't so far-fetched anymore. "I'm...-"

"Well?! I'm waiting!"

"N-no, just me-"

"Do enlighten me, if you are aware of how such a-" Lisa began.

"Cover her mouth!" Lynn yelled to Lana, to which the latter did. "Now, tell me-"

"I- I'm the only one," Lupa responded shakily. "Just me... Hey, is Luan-?"

"Luan?"

"Is she with you?" Now, Lupa turned to face Lynn, keeping her eyes locked on the zoomer's freckled face. "She is, isn't she?"

"Why is this your concern?" Lynn made a cross expression. "Are you gonna-?"

"Wait," Lola wiped the tears from her face, getting an idea as to why Lupa had asked. "No way... Y-you don't mean to tell me-"

"Took one of you long enough," Lupa sassed.

"What, what is it, Lola?" Lana eagerly wondered.

Lola turned to Lisa, who nodded to confirm her suspicions. "Oh, my God."

"Talk!"

Lola gulped. "Right, uhh... Luan, one of the missing two is-" Lynn and Lana drew surprise before Lola had closed the statement. "-Luan's clone."

"What the fuck? Lisa, you- Why Luan?"

"And the other?" Lana asked.

Lupa raised a finger just as Luna was coming out with the unconscious Shepherd, just in time to see the next revelation live in person. Lupa pointed to Lynn, too close to her face that Lynn shoved her hand away. "WHAT FUCKING BULLSHIT-"

"FBI agent Lynn, friends with Paula Ward-"

Lynn was taken back, exchanging her irritation for utter horror, the trauma of it being that she had lost the three agents to the enemies of their future. "No... No!"

"-Polly Peine and Margo Jefferson. Is that what you call regular bull?"

"You could have learned-" Lana tried to logically counter. "Lisa surely knew about her and her associates-"

"The minute I left my pod, or whatever you call it, I ran away with the other two. The fake Lynn and Luam. That Lynn... Clone..." She felt weird addressing Lacy like that. "Look, we all came out to see a freak show, and that other clone, the one with the letter A, she was the one who said it first. She labeled us, and I saw those monsters, those- L-Lori and her friends, right?"

Luna nudged her shoulder at Lynn to keep her head in. "Hey... Be easy there, champ. I know you lost your friends to Lisa-"

"Ow!" Lana had released her hand from Lisa's mouth after being bitten by her.

"Would you care to elaborate on that comment?" Lisa did not understand what Luna had meant by that.

And Lynn had reason to have a mini heart attack, putting the pieces together that her lies, that sensible cover story, could come apart right here and now. "Um- L-Lana, shut her up-"

"Delay that order, my tomboyish sister!" Lisa barked back. "Lost your friends to me? Why, I have not done such a thing..." She paused. "Now that we're on the subject, I'd like to inquire on how you came across the formula, Lynn, and how you were roped into this-"

"What are you playing at, Lisa?" Luna knew who she had to blame. "This was all you, and you know it!"

"Negatory! Such a bashful accusation, for shame!" Lisa readjusted her glasses. "Luna, you and the twins were the only three that I have managed to successfully capture, contain and restructure and adapt your genetics with my genuine science, but for Lynn here-"

The red zoomer took a step back, which drew suspicion and cast it off from her person. "Guys-"

"I have never captured or displaced her from society at any point in her life," the youngest sister revealed. "She was doing quite well for herself, and truthfully, I did lend some help to get her where she wanted to be. Lynn is an FBI agent only because I paid off her professors to pass you for, what is it you needed, a Bachelor's Degree? I don't seem to recall these facts all too well, but-"

Lynn fell on her knees. "You- You helped me cheat my way to-?!"

"You should be so grateful to me, Lynn," Lisa beckoned firmly. "If you can kindly explain on how you acquired the serum, I would appreciate it enough and call it even, what say you?"

"Lynn?" Luna and company looked to the athletic woman for answers.

"Hey, are you really going to believe her?!" Lynn found herself backed into a corner. "She's lying!"

"I am many things, but I do not lie," Lisa reminded them. "You should know that by now. After all, we are sisters, are we not?"

Luna checked Lisa's eyes; either she was great at the art of deception, or her words held truth to them, which meant Lynn herself was hiding secrets of her own for some reason. "Lynn... Is it true?"

"Of course not!" Lynn denied. "What other way would there be to get ahold of... Whatever number that was?"

"Most certainly a mystery I would like solved."

"Obvious to me that Lisa is pulling a fast one," Lola assumed.

"Are you telling me that none of you checked my Vial files? Everyone I've ever stripped from the world and into my facilities have made it into the manifest. File seven-eight-three, that's the one."

Luna and the twins exchanged looks. "Wasn't Elmont still-?"

"Yeah..." The twins said in unison.

"Luna Loud, Lana Loud, and Lola Loud, but no Lynn Loud, this I can address head on."

"Then-" Luna exhaled with a laugh. "Lynn, what are we going to find out? Who's lying?"

"You can't be seriously doubting me-"

"I'm not..." Luna shook her head. "But what will we find if we take a look? Lynn, I don't want to believe that you were... Hiding something from me, lying about it, but these secrets are becoming the norm now, and... Well, frankly, dude, I don't want any of you to keep secrets from each other. Was that not the point of opening up to each other and catching up? Don't tell me it was for nothing..."

Lupa coughed awkwardly.

"If I lie..." Lynn sighed, "Just know it's for the sake of your safety, all of you."

As indirect as Lynn was, Luna and twins caught the implication of the possible Lynn Loud lie. "What?"

"Hey, back to the topic at hand..." Lynn shrugged it off. "I can't believe I have a clone..."

"And Luan, too..." Lana reminded them. "That's... Crazy."

"Hey," Lola called out to the Lucy clone. "Where are they? They're- They're not bad, are they?"

Lupa scratched her cheek before tossing a response. "Like I said, the three of us ran off, we had no idea what was going on. They're scared and in hiding, so I don't suggest you come looking for us. Now, regarding Lisa, she caught me with my pants down when I was in New York and blackmailed me into teaming up with these freak dogs. If I didn't do that-"

"Then I would have terminated them via one of my minions," Lisa dropped coldly. "As of now, I see no use for them in any way. If I were able to, I'd place the order-" Lupa slapped her mercilessly, shutting her up with a stinging ache on her cheek.

"Blackmail..." Luna's disgust in Lisa only kept growing. "Damn you, Lisa."

"Oh-" Lisa raised up a giggle fit. "Isn't anyone wondering why she resembles Lucy? Surely you had to have noticed it!"

"Lucy-"

"Now that's some bullshit, see?" Lynn scoffed. "Quit trying to find an out, Lisa."

"The hair she's got," Lola pointed out, "it does look familiar-"

Lupa rose into the air, eluding their grasp. Had she a few answers, it wasn't enough for her to say she could stay around them, even now that Team Lisa had been taken out of the equation. "Don't follow me, I want no part of this life..."

"Hey, get back here!"

Lupa shook her head. "Not until whatever you guys got going on is over. Listen, we aren't far from home, you know what that means-"

"Far from home...?" Luna tried to piece it together.

"And don't even consider us threats, got it?" Lupa had reached past ten feet above ground.

Lynn and Luna wished they were able to stop her, all efforts being fruitless ones now. Lola was quick to stop her, but only briefly. "Hey! Is she alive?" The diva had to know this as well, if there was that chance that-

Twelve feet above, and Lupa stood in place. "All of you, don't ever go looking for Lucy," Lupa indirectly confirmed. "She does not want to be found."

"Oh, God-"

"Then, this one... Is a Lucy clone!" Lynn gasped. "Wait, wait, don't leave! I have so many questions!"

"We aren't far from home," Lupa repeated, flying away again. "Seek us out as soon as you can..."

In seconds, she was also gone, swiftly moving across the shorelines. The four girls stared away- and gave Lisa enough time for her to pull out portable dampeners and place them on Lana and Lola, right before Lynn noticed her moving about. Lisa froze in place, forming a creepy, ecstatic smile that drew out her nefarious state.

"Jesus, there's so much that we don't even know..." Luna expressed with discontent. "Lucy's alive, Lincoln had Lily-" She zipped up for the sake of the twins. "-And this... Whatever it is you're hiding, sis..."

"Lunes-"

"Don't."

"Okay."

Lincoln emerged from Lisa's hiding spot, coming out with little Carly dangling over his shoulder. "Funny how cops aren't showing up," he stated. "Ready to go?"

**Miles Away**

The closest police precinct had received the few calls of the shooting, but no living soul had answered- and this was primarily thanks to the mustard-green haired teenager puppeteered by Lisa, the short Allison Taggart, a female friend who had just arrived from a staged play involving Leven and Linka. Her next immediate assignment was to ensure no annoyances came to Lisa's corner while the fight had gone down. No need for the authorities to look into that which was at risk of being revealed to them. The Wolverines, Shepherd, the Louds under the Patriot Division, etc, had to be protected until the final move in Lisa's chess game brought it to a close.

Most of the officers were slain in a massacre, and the slaughtering pawn had never been more pleased to wipe out a whole precinct, save for one. A black man, middle-aged and slightly chubby, had taken three bullets to his chest, tearing holes at his blue uniform, and had fallen flat on his stomach during the bloodbath. His colleagues had died faster than he had been crawling for, bleeding away with the fragments still wiggling inside his system, causing him to choke up and vomit out blood. "Uhhh... J-Jackson- O'Connor- Hey-"

Allison let her submachine gun scrape across the floor, both arms falling flat to her sides. The perfect scenery that gave her immense satisfaction; these pigs, similar to the Blue Scouts who created a cruel history with an orphaned Allie, were broken, beaten, the very enjoyable sight she had the pleasure to reel in with a deep breath and a wiggling smile, which almost implied her disconnecting from sanity. "No one left alive, my man," she whistled.

The officer had reached a desk, probably his, and started weakly banging a fist against it. The gun left at the counter was near the edge, but Allison followed closely to make sure he didn't play hero. "Nrghhh! Come on!"

"Nope," Allison chuckled, beating the cop to the punch. "Sorry pal, but your luck just ran out!"

She spun him over, making him cry out with a high-pitch squeal, more like a woman's than a man's own. His name tag was revealed; **Joe F. Vale**

"Well, Vale," Allison closed their encounter by cocking the gun- and a bullet flew out of the sliding chamber. "Stupid fuck, why was this loaded? Ugh, fuck it!" She fired the next round of the clip at point-blank range, having aimed it at his forehead, killing him. As for the gun, she kept it, tucking it away underneath her uniform, and then pressed on her earpiece. "Loose end has been tied up," she informed her superior. "What's my next assignment?"

_"Return to Site Prime, child. Let's lock down and hope for the best."_

"Copy that, returning to Prime, over."

**Long Island - Patriot Division**

The main Patriot team, the Loud siblings, achieved in capturing Lisa while Elmont sent the clean-up crew to handle the leftovers they left behind. Under lock, key, and the dangerous pair of eyes that were of Lincoln's own, Lisa and the impostor Peter McMahon were being given the bad role of the common interrogation Elmont carried out. The albino, Lynn, Luna and the twins surrounded Elmont in a line, overshadowing him while he asked the questions, and secretly, he found them to be distracting, but he had to mind it not.

He had a folder open to show scattered photos and files in from of him. The object in the photos were of the insides of several Vial Corp facilities, such as the cells, the labs, and the arranged serum that were placed in their cryogenic freezers. This was before he began to lead them on to the fresh catch that lied within the Black Network, her true bond she had to the underworld. Had being the keyword. "We've got you, Lisa. It's over, it's all over, and as we speak, Shepherd has been neutralized and awaiting a transportation unit to a black site as we speak."

Lisa frowned. "I see."

"You are lucky that it won't be you in his place, when it damn well should be. But I have no regret, no knot in my stomach knowing that he falls in your place."

"Yeah, because the whole world's gotta remain ignorant of the fact that I, not even in my twenties yet, had created and controlled my beautiful corporation. All of that work, all of that research-"

"Research that involves countless missing persons. Justify it all you want, what you did was truly evil. You've taken and killed too many to even know, but that doesn't matter to you, does it?" He had leaned closer to her for intimidation points, but Lisa was not an easy person to break.

"An omelet cannot be made without eggs being broken, my good sir," Lisa nonchalantly replied. "Those who died did so with purpose, I can assure you of that-"

"And what of us, sis?!" Luna crashed in. "What if one of us died, huh?!"

"I took immense calculations to assure you had the lowest percentage rate of death when applying the formulas that changed you. I ran multiple tests to see which one would be the least dangerous, even though it halted my research for some time. You were the most compatible with the lizard formula, you see... Just as Lana and Lola were most fit to be injected with-"

"Interesting words..." Luna looked at Lynn. "That means Lynn put herself at risk."

"Theoretically, yes. To be alive as of now, it seems Lynn is compatible... As far as I know."

"They've all been examined, Lisa," Elmont went on. "None of them are showing any sort of complications."

"Still, you killed our aunt!" Lola blurted out. "I can never forgive you for that, you sadistic bitch! Rot in hell!"

"It is what it is." Lisa cupped her hands together. "Killed, wounded, whatever- It makes no distinct difference to me. I just sought out to achieve my only goal, and that is exactly what I did! I did it, you inferior, weak-stomached, simple-minded fools! The formula exists through Link-N, my ultimate clone, and from there-"

"What is it, Lisa?! What is your endgame?!" Lincoln demanded.

"Kapacity Korp, of course!" Lisa laughed. "Oh, I won't spoil the surprise, but when you find out, you cannot stop the beautiful revolution!"

"Stop the-?"

"I'm fairly certain we did stop it-" Leven entered the room amidst the commotion, prompting Elmont to get up all of a sudden. "We're going to shutdown all Kapacity Korp facilities as soon as possible , that's what's gonna happen."

"And you're fairly certain you won, right? Strip me of my assets, and I'll have nothing. But you're wrong-"

Leven went for the M60 Lincoln had left in the corner, picking it up.

"And I'll always be one step ahead of you!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Hey!" Elmont alerted the faction of Leven's role. "Hey, I know! I heard everything, son, you don't have to do this!"

"What is he doing?!" Lynn and the twins were more than ready to put their zoomer powers at work, to take down the now-hostile clone.

"I-" Leven stuttered. "This is for humanity... There are people- Loads of people who are dying, of- Of illnesses! Cancer, failing organs, brain aneurysms! I- I'm sorry, but we've all seen what Lisa can do! The world can change, and she has the will and intelligence to do it! I know it, I believe in it!"

"She's done it with genocide!" Luna countered. "She has to be held accountable for all that she's done! Done to us all!"

"Are- are you being... Held hostage, too?"

Leven gasped, eyes widening with shaking fear, able to reek from his essence. The heavy weapon rattled violently in his grasp, suggesting that fear was all he had in that second. And then- "I am nobody's hostage!"

The three zoomers ran to him, with Lynn knocking the huge gun away from Leven before he could fire. Lana and Lola were left confused as to why their powers weren't fuctioning at all. Lincoln moved in for the kill, only for Luna to whip out her tail and wrap it around Lincoln's leg to deny him that. Lisa took delighted pleasure at the scene, looking right at the impersonator disguised as the senator. "Do what I've paid you to do."

Click. That was the sound of a pair of cuffs unlocking, and Luna was the first to be alerted. "Dudes, he's out-"

"McMahon" reached into his pockets and pulled out two of the mini dampeners and dove right over the table, flinging them right at Luna and Lynn before engaging with the old rocker. She tried to transform, but took several embarrassing punches to her face and body, ending with her being pushed right out of the room.

Lincoln entered next, putting up a fight with the impostor. "You didn't tell us he knew-!"

"He doesn't!" Elmont shrieked, drawing his gun and aiming at them. "This might hurt!"

Leven elbowed Lynn hard, to which she let go of him, plummeting to the floor. He picked up the gun and drew it onto Elmont, firing right at his feet with no hesitation.

"GODDAMNIT- ARGH!"

The impostor closed in after throwing a failing punch, pushing Lincoln right into Leven, where he struck the butt of the huge gun against his head, instantly subduing him. "I've got this, advance to the next objective!"

_Right, the hard drive... _Leven nodded and tossed the M60 to him before exiting the room, scurrying away to the data library.

Outside, the new additions of the Patriot force looked in awe at Leven, displaying fear and concern- and backed away from him when he raced their way. Lindsey gripped tightly onto Lyle, Sam stepped onto the side, and Caroline was contemplating her decision in joining this seemingly organized agency that was falling apart faster than a simple shower.

"What the hell do we do?" Sam had asked her peers.

"I don't... Know," Lyle answered with honesty.

"Fuck this, I'm not staying!" Caroline had decided, running towards the entrance.

Lisa was the next person to exit the interrogation room, meeting Luna on her way out. "Hey, did, how's it feel to be at my feet?"

"Go to hell!"

"Well, I'm fighting!" Sam flared up for the occasion and pushed Lisa with a strong force that sent her sliding across the hall. "Luna, up!"

"S-Sam!" She raised a hand out for the college girl to pull her back with. "Take him, my powers are stripped!"

"What?!" Sam grunted, letting out a growl before jumping through the window, taking her shot to dance with the fake McMahon. It wasn't too hard; one simple swing of her arm sent the man slamming right into the wall, weapon tumbling out of his arms. "Got him!"

The depowered zoomers clustered around him for a dog pile maneuver, defeating him quickly with their hot bodies. Oh, my. Luna went over and punched him repeatedly before asking, "What did you do to us?!"

The impostor merely groaned at them, head shifting away from them to avoid their silly questions.

"Hey, Monty, are you alright?!"

"Luna, Sam, get to the data room! Stop Link-N from-" He seethed in pain, but had grabbed his gun and focused on "McMahon."

"What, why is he-?"

""McMahon got to him, sold him on this insane crusade towards human evolution," Sam explained, leading her out. "He set the dude to download all the data from this place so that it can all be leaked."

"Leaked?!" Luna shuddered to think how big the fallout could be should it happen. "Faster, we can't let him do it!"

Leven had already burst into the data room, comic across towers of storage hardware. It was a replica of a city, if that city was strictly symmetrically made by the OCD-diagnosed mayor. Any one of these towers had to be it; playing a casino game, he plugged the tiny drive he had into a random one. "Fuck-"

Soft footsteps detained him from advancing; right behind him was the bloodied Linka, still at the process of healing all the sustained gunshot injuries she took. At this point, only half her face was healed, her left eye visibly healthy again while her right eye was enclosed underneath a red gash, as was that part of her face. She had been limping, leaving a blood trail behind as she did. "S-s-stop... Don't do it, Leven!"

"Sorry, girl Lincoln, but I do this so that we can advance."

"We?!" Linka dragged herself forward and fell three steps after with a nice bloody splat. "Ouchie! Anyways, incorrect! Leven, they do need you, just you! I'm not going to be saved if you go down this path! Anyone who is seen an enemy of their movement will be killed in freak accidents, emphasis on the accidents!"

Leven hadn't pulled out the drive yet. "No, I was promised- Promised that none of you would die, even you! I didn't want that, A! I'm doing this to ensure everyone's safety!"

Linka dragged her body with her hands at this point. "Dumb fuck, what if they're lying?! It could be a ruse, words you had to hear so that you could cooperate."

"I'll... I will take my chances." Leven pulled out the drive, thinking he had taken the data from them. Next thing was to press the button on the little object.

"We can run away," Linka threw on the table. "Everyone just wants what we can do, n-not who we are! Fuck their superior human shit, it won't change anything like you think it will! People will eventually die, there will be conflict, and maybe a war over this! Leven, think about it! The countries will want to take you and the secrets that come with you-"

"Wait-"

Linka took a deep breath. "I'm sorry- I- I did know all this time. I knew who and what you really were, and I kept it to myself-"

"A, why? I don't understand-"

The girl reached his feet and tightly hugged them. "I did this for you, Leven! I got us out of the Network and you want to pull such a fucked up stunt like this?! Holy shit, you have some iron balls, I'll give you that."

"You did, didn't you?"

"Because I care, you disphit! Now, press the button or don't, I am going to kidnap you myself and we can run off together! That way, we've got each other's backs and we'll be fine, won't we?"

"Uh-"

"TE DIJE, NO SERAMOS?!"

"I don't French."

"Spanish, but who keeps count, am I right, Cheshire?"

"What?"

"Pick me up, pick me up! We are leaving!" Linka roared. "And, I've got an idea now. You leak the Patriot files, I'll put out the Black Network and Vial stuff online. Literally everyone will be covering their own asses while we run off to..."

"Mexico?"

"I tried that with my nephew Lucky..." Then, Linka slapped herself on the forehead. "Right, that is no longer canon."

"Stop it," Leven suggested, picking her up right after pressing the button on the drive. "We won't have long."

"I never have long anymore," Linka complained, rubbing her privates. "Farewell to my non-existent penis."

Luna and Sam blocked them just feet away when Leven exited the room. "Hold it-"

"Oh, Luna! Sam!" Linka waved. "Hiyah!"

"Jesus..." Sam cringed. "I figured she'd be dead."

"I'm alive because my ass is a virgin! Better get the lube and dildo ready, cause here I come, baby cakes!"

Sam cowered behind Luna and pushed her towards them. "You deal with her!"

"Blimey... Put her back to the med bay, dude, and come with us before I sic Sam on you."

"My, what a swell idea!" Linka sarcastically joked. "How about-?" Closing her eyes, she worked for it and tapped into a few Matrix Portals somewhere in the base, directing them to open right on her coordinates. "Boom, baby!"

"No, no, no!" Luna charged at them, but failed to catch up and stop them before the portal had closed on them. "Fuck!"

Lisa rose up from the floor, quickly getting back up to escape. Right before getting away, there was a faint flash of blue light that went off in the interrogation room, followed by Lynn and Lana flying out of the room. Next thing her eyes to behold was the dastardly Lincoln coming out with the heavy firepower, carrying it with both hands. He saw her and turned his attention from his other sisters. "You there..." He addressed, aiming the machine gun at her.

"Lincy, you can't stop it!" Lisa attacked verbally. "It's going to be out, and someone will finish what I started. Granted..." Lisa sighed, accepting her untimely fate. "I only wish-"

"NO, LINCOLN!" Lana begged him not to fire the shot.

But he did, and he made it a headshot that ruined Lisa's brain on impact. She fell in a lopsided position, destroying any chance of parties interested in taking her brain for their malicious intent. Lynn rushed out and tackled Lincoln, shoving him right into the wall, more than infuriated for what he had just done. "You just had to do it, didn't you?"

"Had to be!" He kicked at her knees, but Lynn jumped back and took hold of one leg, flipping him down miraculously, and held him in a dirty leg lock. "Lynn!"

"Stay down!"

_"Dudes, we're too late- The clone leaked everything, I'm sure of it," _Luna updated through the comms.

"What?"

"Leaked?" Lynn repeated. "Is that where he ran off to?"

_"Everyone, regroup on my position immediately! Someone bring Luan up as well, this now concerns her!"_

_"Copy!"_

Lynn let go of her brother and grabbed Lana, who had been staring down at Lisa's corpse, unsightly mourning for her at no doubt. "Do that later, we've got issues here."

"Yeah..."

Lyle and Lindsey, feeling it was safe to move about, broke their streak of inactivity and followed the two women inside. There, Lola was seen tending to Elmont, applying her tiny hands to his gunshot wounds, trying her best not to squirm at the sight and the feel of his warm blood.

"What's the sitch, Monty?"

"Listen, all of you, the Division will soon crumble from this-"

"Crumble how?" Luna asked.

"My superiors are going to blow a fucking gasket, and we'll all lose credibility-"

Lynn tugged at Luna, pulling her close. "They'll all be thrown under the bus for this, if what I think will happen."

"We're looking at being court-martialed for this- We had it all, every little piece of classified intel on all pheno and related affairs. So, I'm- I'm telling you phenos to run. Run, Patriots, go into hiding."

"Wait, what about-? Elmont, we've got to take down Kapacity Korp! It's still in the senator's name, is it not?! He still has control-"

"And he escaped us, if you guys have forgotten," Luna added in. "There's still a mission-"

"Then, by all means, take what you need from us, and run! From this day forward, we will no longer be backing you, and the Division will be shut down, this I can very much tell you at this point."

"This is so wack, dude!" Lynn complained. "You didn't do this-"

"It's on me, regardless. Anything that happened here has always been on me, you all should know that-"

"Taking the fall for us, huh?" Lincoln had been touched, and let it be known. "How cute, sandbox vet."

"Quiet you..."

"So..."

"Get going, phenos," Elmont suggested. "Go on, live your life or continue to fight the good fight. I can't persuade you to continue this fight, but I would not stop-"

"And neither will we!" Lynn roared. "We are so close to shutting it down- It can be stopped... Right?!"

"Were, Luna. We _were _close..."

"Were?"

"It never crossed my mind that there are people around Lisa's level who could continue her work. There just might be someone able to, and considering the leak, it will be the topic of controversy and a key interest to many."

"Not good for us..." Lincoln thought. "The lid's been uncovered, and I'm gonna assume it's coded stuff, right? Everything encrypted, but it can be accessed by the experienced hackers, and especially since there won't be security attached to the files."

"Yeah, sadly that's true. The world will know of you as well, Louds, all of you."

"Wait, what?" Lynn staggered. "Do we have our own files?"

"Was it not obvious?" Lincoln picked at her. "That and passing emails that enclose our connections to this place and Lisa, right?"

"Get going already..." Elmont brushed eagerly. "You'll know all about it on the news, I'm sure."

"Shit," Lynn cursed. "We gotta wait for Luna and Luan."

Below the main level, Luna and Sam rushed right out of the elevator, hurrying to Luan's room. "Sis, hey! We've got an emergency, Elmont wants us all-"

When she and the red-skinned, golden-blonde haired woman looked inside, they met a disturbingly heartbreaking sight that punctured through Luna's fractured heart and soul. Right at the opposite end, Luan had left a message written in what she could only assume was of the comedienne's own blood. The message read as followed;

**ABANDONED AND MISPLACED, DO NOT SEEK THE DEAD GIRL **

"L-L-Luan-" Luna squeaked like a little girl. "Not you-"

"Oh, dude..." Sam held the brunette's hand for the comfort. "Hey, we'll find her, alright?"

Luna kept her eyes into the room, locking onto the beds, envisioning a brief flashback of how it used to be. Their room, occupied with a bunk bed, and the top one had been Luna's, always. She could still see Luan, feel her lively presence, which made her step inside- and she smiled widely while her hand had never let go of Sam's. "Together."

"Together!" Sam agreed, before being kissed lightly by her lover. "Don't be scared to tell them, I'll be right here..."

Luna breathed deeply before informing the others of the situation. "Hey, um... Luan's not here..."

"_You lie!" _Lola's voice echoed in static.

"Unfortunately not... I-I'm coming back up, what now?"

_"Pack up, Lunes," _Lynn advised. _"We are leaving. We'll meet you down there to pack it up."_

"Leaving... Damn it, dudes..." Luna punched the wall with light force at this. "Copy."

"It won't be so bad, will it?"

Lincoln had already started taking from the armory all that he could, from the high-capacity shotguns, to the special armor-piercing revolvers. Among the toys, he restocked the ammo on his overpowering machine gun, placing all of the firearms into the duffel bag he had used. Over it, he took hold of multiple Matrix Portals, letting the clank against the guns, and some cryogenic grenades as well. That, and then the battle armor he used a few times he just had to keep. And let's not forget Stealthkill, the best, and only, sniper rifle used by him. Three different duffel bags, one holstered over his shoulder. The plan here was to go solo, one Kapacity Korp facility at a time.

He walked swiftly out of the hall by the time some of the staff had helped Elmont to the med bay. His sisters and the three remaining youngsters were huddled together, half of them staring at him as he left.

"Should we-?" Lana threw on the table.

"No," Lynn disagreed.

"Let him leave," Luna backed. "All he's got is just secrets and lies- And don't even forget that we know you're being sneaky too, Lynn."

"I guess we have a date, don't we?"

"Guess so..."

"Ahem," Lyle coughed. "Listen, it's been interesting to be here, but-"

"We're leaving and you can't stop us!" Lindsey cut right to the chase, displaying nervousness and courage at the same time.

"Alright..." Luna accepted it, nodding her head. "Just be safe, you two. I'd recommend otherwise, seeing as how-"

Lindsey eagerly pulled Lyle away upon seeing the permission being granted, and Lyle merely waved goodbye to them with an embarrasing smile on his face.

"Just us then, the five of us," Luna shrugged off. "Ready to go?"

Lynn raised the dampener that had restricted her powers until Luna had discovered them, making the connection that the little things were behind the cancellation of the zoomers' powers. "Yeah, just remember, ladies-"

Lola and Lana grabbed Luna and Sam, preparing them for a speed run.

"-After we leave, after today... Everything changes."

"We'll overcome it, Lynn."

"And if we don't-" Lana started.

"-We fall together!" Lola concluded.

Lynn threw a fist into the air. "Never say die!"

* * *

I_ thought that we would find our way_

_I thought our life would be okay_

_I thought that you believed in me_

_But now it seems so far away_

_The life we knew before is gone_

_There is no compromising_

_The life you save will be your own_

_To find your inner senses_

_It's the beginning of the end _

_And I don't know where we lost control_

_It's the beginning of the end _

_And I know that I am all alone_

* * *

**AN: And thus concludes Act II of this insane piece that is grounded as fan fiction. Plenty of things uncovered to go around that each holds a consequence or a series of them that play out further along the story and the character arcs for each and everyone. More of that to explore within the following acts. As of right now, team Loud's gone underground, and they're left with quite a few mysteries that will be acknowledged later on, like, where was Lupa going? What's Lori and company going to do now that they've severed ties? And more importantly, where did Linka and Leven run off to? Plenty of things, but the fight against McMahon and Kapacity Korp has set the stage as a main plot point- and the basic idea on what truly was planned by them willl come to light! **

**Act III; the whole world now knows of the Division versus Vial, which doesn't help anyone. I never went to this angle with the trilogy, but here, I feel more homely to do what I can, as you know. And then, what does Lincoln do but a thing no one has ever seen him do? Not to the fullest extent.**

**Clone War from 2026 will be reiterated for Act III, which starts in October. Now to take a break and do the thinking for Act V. Goodnight, everyone, hope you enjoyed. **

**Did not edit. I just want to be done.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Dark Before Dawn, Act II Special #1: Psycho's Path**

* * *

_Let me tell you a little something about violence, the whole she-bang! Murder, endless murder! Oh, the blood that spills daily, why, it's a miracle the earth's oceans don't run red with the blood of the dead. Okay, you wanna know? Here it is._

_It won't ever stop. _

**LOOK AT MY FACE-**

"Lois?! Lois, put down the knife!"

"Play with me, mommy! Play! I- I'm- I'm gonna-"

_I mean, it starts rather small at first, and I've come to realize that it's so damn common that we normalize it. We turn into the stuff of nightmares, we become the very beasts we fear, slowly shifting from the base human form when we started living! _

**I SAID, LOOK AT MY FACE. LOOK AT THESE SCARS! I LOVE-**

"LOIS!"

"POKEY POKEY! POKEY POKEY, PLAYTIME!"

_You ever been bullied? I know I have! They've make fun of my braces, have been at it since I can remember. It wasn't my fault I was made this way. I can't control it, I figured they'd understand. But, they're simply human- or maybe they're not human at all. They mock, they insult, and then they never stop. They might not ever get told enough of what is good, and what isn't, and by that reasoning, were they loved enough to be molded properly? Then, I look at myself and wonder that odd question; am I an angel? Or had I been beginning to see into a window that did not appear to others? _

_If the latter, what kind of girl did that make me?_

**I CUT MYSELF TO SHOW HOW DEFORMED THE INSIDE OF ME LOOKS LIKE! DADDY! TELL ME YOU LOVE YOUR DAUGHTER, DADDY! I FEEL FREE, I FEEL-**

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"What's wrong, mommy? Don't you wanna play anymore?"

_I figured, shoot, maybe I've become a devil girl, already held captive by that particular darkness. Unsurprisingly, there are a whole lotta violent shows that air on television. For sure there had to be children and teenagers who emulated that sort of stuff. I looked into it, and the results didn't surprise me at all, but were horrifying to learn in general. Kids before my generation, before my time, were killed for the fun of re-enacting fictional crap from movies. Chucky. Slenderman. Pennywise. Ghostface. Idols that sick people worshipped to a degree. Were these the very same type of people who would go around and bully other people? Or maybe, this would be their future? _

_Has there been different kind of foul people alive? I did more research on it and came across serial killers of past and present. Dahmer. Bundy. Wuornos. Old generations, up until the fourth one I discovered; Luan Loud, one such woman still on the run, leaving a blood trail. More information on her revealed she was a pro-prankster and had a YouTube channel filled with comedy content. Interesting, and it made me think. But..._

_What did I know? I'm just a fourteen year old girl with some big boobs, and nowadays, I get more stares from horny boys than the teasing. Still, fat Fred joked about him not wanting me to suck his peepee for I'd scrape it like a sausage with my "railroad tracks". Fuck Fred and fuck his Tic-Tac dick. _

**I AM ALIVE AND I LIVE TO LIBERATE PEOPLE VIA HARM!**

"L-Lois... Why?"

"Unchained, mommy. Be free."

_Society, society isn't perfect. Is it maybe corrupt? Hey, have you heard? Freights were born! You can count on them to devastate the world one building at a time. The media calls them terrorists but there's been some talk, words not even the news reports can't say, for they'd be biased. These words, they came directly from the Freights; it was said they were on a mission to wake people up from their comfort zones, that no one was spared from tragedies, but also that no one would help these poor souls. There was some truth to that; Uncle John died, we all went to the funeral, but literally no one, apart from his direct family, had given a hand to his widow and the kids he left behind. Tje family only did so out of mandatory obligation, that I knew. They had to because of family rules. In other words..._

_They were bound to that. _

_This, it made me click with the Freights' ideals, and it was rather insane for me; I actually fucking sympathized with them. What I understood of it was that they had the goal to free people from the common reality, those very boring and insignificant lives they lived, merely using their so-called terrorism as the cover. At least, that's exactly how I interpreted it as. I got it, they apply the heartbreak and fear onto people so that these said people can jump right into the madness. It was a weird concept, didn't understand why they would want to pull people into their own hell. Then again, it wasn't anything new at all. It never was._

_A gunman could enter a restaurant at any given time and shoot the place to shit, that alone was a crime, I knew that, but the families of the victims they'd kill- Well, those would be the ones who had their lights switched off. The concept of God closed on them, the happiness and perfect illusion of a normal, peaceful life to be forever deteriorated, never mending back into the perfect life. One dead child, or a dead wife, that was basically all it took._

_All it took to free them from the worldly deception. _

_Kill, hurt, mentally scar._

**KILL! HURT! MENTALLY SCAR!**

"Kill all your friends... Hurt the collective... And mentally scar the witness and subject them to trauma! Come on, come on, recreate these people, these... Mindless, happy drones. These poor fellows who have yet to learn what true pain is!"

_Tell yourself-_

**THAT YOU HAVE A REASON-**

"There is an agenda at work! Kill for this, kill for that! Find reason, find solace, find your true self in the murders of-"

_Did I tell you I started with animals? Kittens and baby chicks, of course! I drowned them, just underneath the bridge where a river ran through. This was usually done right before dark, and I made sure that no one-_

**FOLLOW ME, SLAVES OF MANKIND! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU'RE MISSING?! FEEL ALIVE FOR ONCE! I PROMISE YOU THIS WON'T KILL YOU!**

"People have to know, I have to spread it... My voice must not be silent."

_Somewhere along the way, it made sense to me- and gradually, I think I lost my mind. No, wait, I know I did. I mean, come on, this is a chapter thought up by me, Lois Harrison. I opted to go around and be that freak of nature I'd see on the news. Kid me would have never imagined I'd become what I become today. _

_Without a doubt, I am one sick, disturbed individual corrupted not by the violence, but by being a curious girl. I guess, in a sorta sense, I'm childish that way, I can admit that. But hey... Is being childish a bad thing? It certainly differs from immaturity- Well, I think it does. Asking prominent questions is essential, but these kind of thoughts? I make myself sound like RainCourt of the very fandom you're in right now- And don't even tell me you've never heard of him! He likes Girl Jordan, wrote a fic about her.__ Can't blame him, she's a nice girl... Nice enough to strangle and slice, that is. Hey, can I meet her? I know you have plans for her here, D! I'll meet everyone! ...I hope. _

**ONE KILL, A BUNCH OF FREED HUMANS WILL NO LONGER BE CONFINED!**

"Hey, hello... I'm here... And I'm- A-alone again. Hello? Hello, I-"

_I could have been wrong all along. After all, I'm only human, and I might as well have only fallen into the psycho's path, where my thoughts were wrong and I was just an idiot all along. I'm not the smartest, but I saw the escapism and I willingly tossed myself just so I can have it. By that logic, I wanted it for some reason, right? I wanted to break away from the norm, and there is a reason behind that._

**I'LL BASH MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL! UNBELIEVABLE NON-FICTION DREAM MATCH WITH-**

"Anyone? G-guys? I'm here... Did you not like it? I thought this was truth... Why are you scared of it?"

_"Why does it scare them? That is such a good question. I mean, they choose to believe the lie. Do they even know? Are they forcing themselves into buying it? Or maybe.."_

**"YOUR MIND IS BREAKING! MIXING UP THE GRAMMAR! STOP, FOCUS! Focus... Concentrate..."**

Am I wrong?

_Am I wrong?_

**Am I wrong?**

* * *

Lois Harrison, your average female two thirds Caucasian and the minority third being German; she knew nothing too much about that side, only apart from the fact that her ancestors on mother's side were immigrants, fleeing the country around World War II. A girl rather curious by nature, she wondered much, because she read much because she was alone, an outcast made not by her own hand or decision. She simply had no voice, with what being the shy girl with the voice as loud as a mouse.

It felt forever for her before she had begun to look outside the box and see a sort of truth she didn't expect to see. The world wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, she had known this; but she had not looked too closely at everything until she'd gone weary of the bullshit harassment.

Two lines set; the weak and the strong. She was made to be the lesser, but it wasn't what she wanted to end up at for the rest of her life. But she was a firm believer of non-violence, meaning that there had to be ways to diffuse and disassemble these troglodytes. The world of today, words amounted to less and less with each and every day that passed, dictated by physical action, and you know the old saying, right? Actions. Actions speak louder than words, an expression, timeless forever.

Maybe there wasn't an innocent, clean way. Maybe her fists, or tools, had to knock a devil down to size- the last resort she'd ever choose. At least, she'd have agreed that it was back then. Now, she was changed, and not for the better; Lois had become a free-thinker, adopting the dangerous idea where shackles kept the world bound, either placed by each other or through predestined means. She was afraid of that dark side, that life that affected people in one way or another, however small it would kick off from, whatever tiny thing, the snowball that ran down that hill, would start the end of heaven's gold path.

It was maybe the fear that kept her down like this, that was an idea that came from the inability to do nothing. To put it simply, she was suppressed, refrained from acting against the strong. She felt herself to be shackled this way, a poor, voiceless beauty of a teenager, a victim of one form of worldly cruelty. Bound no more.

* * *

**FREEING YOU FROM THE CONFINED TIGHT SPACES OF YOUR LIFE! DO NOT BE WEAK, DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO FALL TO THE MANIACS OF TOMORROW!**

**FREE YOU! BE FREE!**

**LET THE BLOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES TURN THE RIVERS RED! STAND UP! STAND UP AND RISE TO THE OPPRESSION! **

_I'm only doing what I think I'm supposed to be doing, turning the tables on them. And why stop there? The weak should have the power! The silent should be loud, and I should wake them up! All of them, I can do it!_

It started with the deaths of mother and father.

**I WILL BE THE ONE, ONE IN A MILLION. CHANGE STARTS NOW! CHANGE.**

_Starts._

"NOW!"

* * *

**Dark Before Dawn, Act II Special #2: Prophecy**

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**August 4th, 1986 - New Mexico**

The archaeological dig site had been set up since the previous week. Tents went up, surrounding the entrance of the cave, and some old-class jeeps and RVs covered the backside of the site. Today was a hot afternoon, but the digging waited for nobody.

The group consisted of twelve people, half of them being experts on the field, and the latter being here for other reasons, including the coverage for a story, being there for someone who was part of the team, or to advise what it was they'd find.

Thirty feet into the cave, which ran down into the ground after ten feet or so, and the six experts had already been brushing their way around the layers of the cave.

Ten minutes in, Marlene Wilson, a short-haired brunette of a short 5'4, unearthed an artifact in the form of ancient hieroglyphics. "Adrian!"

Her husband, the man whose last name she had taken, came jogging lightly to her direction. He was older than her, only by three years, and was a man of almost a full six feet and short blond hair. "What did you find, hon?"

"I've come across this-" Marlene pointed cautiously with the toothbrush in her hand. "I found this, I get the honors! Hold that lamp up to me, would ya?"

Adrian did as she requested, taking the shine to the cave wall, taking a closer examination to the material of interest. "Hieroglyphics? Here?"

"I'm just as surprised as you, babe," Marlene shook. "Looks like they've missed something after all. Lucky us, right?"

"Leland! Garrett! We've got a discovery here!"

"Not so loud," Marlene warned. "Here, let me just-" She continued to clear out the dirt that hid the drawn images. "I'm seeing it- Hold on-"

"Is that-?" Adrian either had to get his eyes checked, or it was just as he saw it. "This has to be a like, right? Maybe some kids-"

"Get the historian, Aid!"

The man rushed back to his colleagues while Marlene, squinting her eyes in bewilderment and a dangerous curiosity, tried to make sense of the entire painted image; drawn right on the wall, there was a figure, a likely girl, in a red dress, and the figure was looking up from the ground level, attention set on a second person painted wholly white, and this figure was floating in the air. This was then followed by some ancient text Marlene did not recognize. From what she can determine, it seemed like a brawl between these two beings.

**Minutes Later**

"Mmmmm..." Professor Norman McAlister took a magnifying glass to it- right after having the others turn off the lamps and bring out the glowsticks, rendering the tunnel green. "This isn't some kid prank, nor was it freshly made, that much I can say. However..." His words began to slow, and the croaking of his voice was audible, just barely. "There certainly has to be more, if we found a piece here-"

The professor began to smoothly brush away to the right of the drawing, believing there was more.

"Hey, 'fess, what dialect is this?" Leland Jameson wondered, rubbing a finger on the lines. "Surely the Mayans-"

"No, this..." Professor McAlister shook his head at Jameson's guess, "This is nothing familiar to me. I have never seen such a- A new, primitive language before..."

"What?" Marlene blinked at the idea of having discovered a new group of ancient natives. "If this ia true, then we've just made a bigger discovery-"

"Or good old Prof here doesn't know all the ancient languages," the jokester Wade Garrett mocked with good intention. "Oh, hey, I'm just saying."

"Didn't fake my way here, son, I can assure you of that."

"Goddamn it, Wade."

"Sir?" Adrian awaited for the further instructions from the historian/college professor, one of which had been his own a few years back.

"This is literally beyond our comprehension..." McAlister announced. "Yes, I can see it now. This place may just become the perfect landmark for tourists, and- Oh dear, I seem to be getting way ahead of myself."

"What's the number for National Geographic?" Garrett teased. "I am going to look my best when they send the photographer down here."

"There's gonna be a whole lotta talking around this, guys," Marlene thought. "I mean, a new language as you say, that's gotta be a challenge if one were to try and translate it. Professor, are you absolutely sure this really is new?"

"Miss, I've been teaching for well over twenty years, and that required me to learn a whole lot of history," McAlister lectured personally, "why, I cannot believe one of my old students just so happens to be doubting me!"

"Erm..." She choked. "Sorry, prof."

"At least I'm fairly certain I do not recognize it," he admitted. "I'm not getting any younger, if you all need to be reminded."

"No shit, pops," Garrett wheezed.

"Why'd we let him tag along?" Jameson whispered to Adrian.

"Drews was out on vacation," Adrian responded softly. "It was Wade or Kyle."

"Aw, hell..." Adrian rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Keep dusting this out, for all we know, we might find a panorama of events before the next hour-"

Without a faint warning, a bright white glow further down the unexplored area of the cave had caught their attention, and this was immediately followed by an ominous, chittering sound that sounded like crackers being crushed underneath a horde of shoes. The light grew closer, and the source of both it and the sound grew alarmingly closer.

"What is that, another party?"

"Can't be..." McAlister focused their light to the other side. "Hello! Who's there?"

Trembling had taken the cave by surprise, horrifying the group when this earthquake had started. Dust came crumbling down from the newly formed crevices, the group stumbling on their knees while coughing and covering their mouths. Adrian acted as Marlene's shield, professor McAlister slid into the edge of the wall, hugging it, and idiot Garrett picked up Jameson as his own protection. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER, YOU!"

"Steady! Be steady-"

They had been fearfully distracted with staying alive that they had all taken their eyes off the illuminating light. The thing behind it, a rather large ant-like creature, had come crawling towards them, blinding them horribly. The rumbling stopped as the creature had, but the light it strongly emitted did not go away.

"What is that?! Can anyone see it?!"

"My eyes!"

"Too bright-!"

"Its the Russians!"

"Shut up, Wade!"

The life-sized ant clicked its antennas together, projecting blue lightning to strike upon the painted wall, and then it worked to zap the five people in front of it. _"Let me show you the prophecy..."_

**Unknown**

Black. The atmosphere was black, and there was nothing in sight, not for miles. All they could see was each other and nothing more. Marlene and Adrian tried to pat their way out, thinking that they'd been caved in, the only two of the five to be attempting to escape.

"Hey, why aren't you guys-?!" Adrian berated them.

_"Humanssssssss... I bring you the utmost of greetings..." _The deep, telepathic voice of the ant-creature echoed through the pitch darkness before it appeared to them, this time appearing as big as a bridge, hovering right above them. Its light source, the very skin it wore, had not been as blinding as it was before. _"I am a Chromite, hailing from the Silver Legion."_

"The what from the what?"

_"I have laid dormant for long periods of time until visitors-" _The Chromite thing connected its antennas again, sending a lightning bolt behind the gang, revealing a floating image of the cave drawings they unearthed. _"-Arrived and discovered the only artifact of a story that must be told. A prophecy, if you will."_

"Puh-prophecy..." Marlene found herself being drawn towards the floating visual of the cave drawing. "Prophecy of what?"

"Dear heavens, I have lost my good mind," the professor muttered, patting his head.

_"Children of The One, open your hearts and minds, and look into the artifact," _the Chromite urged pleasantly. _"A horrible destiny awaits the future of humanity..."_

"Horrible...?" Adrian joined his wife, looking deeply at the floating drawing. "What is this pertaining to? What's this-?"

The two tiny figures began to change before everyone's eyes; they rendered from their drawn form to actual people, and the being in red had transformed to a little girl in a red dress. She looked to be a regular girl, with her brown hair set in a pretty bun. The glasses on her suggested her very nature to be associated with a nerd, or close to it. But she looked grim, a faintly angry, brooding expression that intrigued Marlene herself.

As for the second figure, it was a blonde woman at first, with an elegant pink tank top and brown yoga pants. Her hair reached all the way down to her neck, but there was nothing to say that she was some sort of being of interest. At least, not until she took on a new form, a deadlier form that looked like a silver light was applied to her character. The gang of five were soon quick to notice that the silver skin of the blonde woman glowed heavily and ceased, as if she were a light bulb going on and off. And at the times she didn't glow, her silver skin was reflective, almost like a metallic surface. They were able to see their own faces within the body.

_"The greatest battle of the universe is but invisible and secret to many worlds... It is written and known even by the ones you call gods."_

"What...? I'm sorry, I have trouble understanding..." Jameson rubbed his eyes. "Greatest battle, worlds, I-"

_"The endless battle of free will, of which you are not bound by anyone or their ideals-"_

Lacy. Liby. Lupa. Leia. Lyra. Lois. **Lynn Loud III.**

_"-Versus predestination, that which must be followed with no question." _

Lynn. Lincoln. Lynnette. Lisa. **Lola. **

_"This girl in red is the representation of free will, and will be born to restart a new battle. And here, this woman is the representation of predestination. Her goals are ambitious, corrupt and purely selfish by the time she acquires the power of gods. It is her who restructures the balance of our universe."_

"This sounds divine and scary..."

"Why are you telling us this?"

_"We cannot interfere in these affairs, humans. The Allfathers are in mortal danger of falling to... Lola Loud. It has been pre-written in the stars above, and under the circumstances, this must not be prevented for it will entangle with the space-time continuum."_

"Sounds like this huge insect wants us to kill this person, or maybe-"

_"Lola Loud will be born on the sixteenth of September, in the year 2009. That will be long from now, but sufficient time to prepare."_

"This... This is a joke right?" It happened too fast for them to process this, even for the young woman. "A big bug just shows up out of the blue and asks us to kill someone who hasn't been born yet! Is this right, or am I way off track? I hope I'm wrong."

"That last comment..." The professor had analyzed the Chromite's words. "It can't be prevented, that's what you claim, so why do you think we can change it? What is really the fine print of the rules here?"

_"We are unable to act, this is true, but you guys are expendable and inferior to us."_

"Oh. I see..."

"What? What is it saying?" Adrian tried to get on their level hopelessly.

"Our ant friend wants us to break the rules so that they won't have to. This... Assassination attempt, let's call it that- It means altering the written future and ensuring nothing happens. Of course, those who carry it out will all pay for it."

"What... No, screw that! Helping you just to be changed by otherworldly beings?! Nope!"

Marlene looked up to the Chromite. "What are the consequences if we ignore this?"

The Chromite changed the imagery before them; now, the image-Lola had her hand raised up, and above her palm was the entire world. This meant to suggest that she had achieved world domination- but that was what they all thought. Then, the global sphere disappeared along with Lola. _"This world will be destroyed, only for it to be...-"_

The sphere appeared again, only for it to explode, and several large chunks drifted away from the blast, with each of them shifting into their own sphere. The Wilson couple gasped at it, seeing how intense and perilous the doom was- and they had no longer any sort of skepticism in them to suggest this was a huge lie, some cruel ruse that had ulterior motives attached.

_"A new multiverse will form in its wake."_

"I... I can't kill anyone! That's crazy!"

"You're talking about a baby! There has to be another way!"

_"The death of Lola Loud instantly guarantees success in the prevention of the worldbreak. However..." _The Chromite gave the five a look into the future, a city that looked war-torn and desolate from one look. Buildings were burning and devastated on the outer paets; cars were flipped over, damaged beyond repair and rusted out; not to mention the bits of wildlife that had grown, suggested by the grass that grew through the cracks and crevices of the sidewalks and roads. Then, the sky was also filled with black smoke, ensuring the sun would not bless its strong, bright rays upon this once beautiful, busy city. _"This has always been the choice the past excavators have chosen, well over the death of one baby girl."_

"Can't imagine why," Garrett joked again.

_"Lynn Loud III will be born in the era of World War III-"_

"W-World War III?"

_"-She is to survive long enough through the war to make a very special trip, and until then, that is where you can enter and guide her until that very point. Her survival is key to the entire galaxy's survival."_

"Wait, you... You said Loud was both of their surnames," Marlene pointed out. "They're related?!"

"Wow, fucked up family, yo."

"Wade, shut up already!"

"T-time traveling? Accepting this means you will... Displace us to the future- This worse future?"

_"The obstacles and trials will not be so dangerous as long as you avoid the forces this war concerns. There is a perfect window where Lynn Loud III is alone after a personal matter occurs. Tell me now, Children of The One, do you accept this mission?"_

"Guys-"

"Jesus!" Marlene placed her hands over her head and fell on her knees. "This can't be real, Aidy. This can't be."

"The fate of the universe..." Adrian acknowledged. "I wanna say it's... Too much... Crazy, even! But... If this is all true, and if there's a chance that maybe this Lola person can be stopped without, well, killing her-"

Her stomach felt queasy enough that she wanted to vomit, but Marlene held it in. Adrian bent down to her size and rubbed her back gently, to which she tried to calm her shaking breath. "This was not how I wanted to spend this day."

"I cannot accomplish such a task," Professor McAlister dropped. "It does not meet my-"

The Chromite emitted its blue lightning from the antennas, shocking McAlister to return him back to the cave. It focused on the remaining four others. _"You are free to do as you please, the choice is yours, but the clock is ticking, and the window is closing before the Fragmentation occurs."_

"I say yes..." Adrian decided. "This is insane, but I'm in... I'll help this girl until this trip happens, whatever it is."

"Hey, no, you can't-" Marlene protested.

"Babe, come with me," the brave husband implored. "Will we ever have a chance again?"

"Y-you crazy bastard! No, I-"

"Marlene..." He pulled her in as she turned around and hugged her tightly. "It can be our only chance. Our only chance."

There was a sudden fluttering change in her facial expression. Her eyes glittered with visible pain, pupils going unfocused when meeting his steady eyes, lips quivering from the thought that was born in the dark of her mind. The upsetting revelation that affected her settled life with him, the one man she wanted to be with forever, and sure as hell long enough to start a happy family with. "Oh, God... Oh, my God, I'm sorry- I'm so sorry-"

He watched her break and cup her mouth, eyes already closing when her pain and the sense of being the lesser than the ideal wife had done her in completely. But he loved her nonetheless, and her infertility, the inability to reproduce, was just a minor flaw he could not ever hate or frown on.

Here, what this Chromite presented, was the closest chance for the both of them to know what it was like to be around a kid, namely a girl whom the large and had hinted would need guardians. He accepted it because he saw a nice perk. And now, so did Marlene.

She changed her mind. "Yes, we're going! Take us!"

Jameson and Garrett remained silent, agreeing that they would not follow the couple.

_"Very well, I give the most gratuitous thank you to the both of you, and I trust that you will not find trouble along the way. Anything you need to know, you will come to find in the future. Once the girl leaves your grasp, you may be brought back to this year and you can live the rest of your life together in perfect peace and harmony."_

It zapped both Jameson and Garrett back to the cave, and then the couple, redirecting them to a darker, broken future, both of them ready to seek out the nerd girl in the red dress.

* * *

**AN: Going everywhere here, that's a given! Oh, more extraterrestrial lore is expanding here, we've just hit the iceberg on that baby! Chromites, the time-traveling insects that reside in the same world as the Silverheads/ Silver Legion! Now, for the life of me, I don't know where I've shared this about them among the past works. Maybe it was with curious fellers through DMs, been long. **

**Anyways, I've just dropped the ball on the main conflict of the Loudiverse, meaning many of the fics; free will versus the idea of predestination, which is what Lynn Loud III and Lola are supposed to represent. This battle has carries out in past works, if anyone were to look closely at it, like, Survival of the Sinner's Lacy and Liby were acting on their own, trying to change what Lynn and Lincoln were trying to keep regulated. Estrangement's Lyra questioned God's methods, wondering why Loan had to go. It's not clear in all cases, you'd have to look real closely at where it lies. **

**This battle here, it hasn't started yet, but when it does... **

**The prophecy, written by natives who have encountered this Chromite, right after it had showed them a vision of the two Loud girls and their destined battle. **

**Next time you see the Wilson couple, they'll be aiding Lynn Loud III. Noted, this is a D fic, which means don't get too attached, you hear?**

**To MasterCaster, yes this is a reboot, to put it simply. And then it's not. Well, more like what Brotherhood is to the 2003 Fullmetal anime. Fic here combines the trilogy in one, changes/expands what I've established. Bahaha.**

**Take care, good day to you all. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Lyrics to I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin**

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_Now the dark begins to rise_

_Save your breath, it's far from over _

_Leave the lost and dead behind_

_Now's your chance to run for cover_

_I don't wanna change the world_

_I just wanna leave it colder_

_Light the fuse and burn it up_

_Take the path that leads to nowhere_

_All is lost again_

_But I'm not giving in_

_I will not bow_

_I will not break_

_I will shut the world away_

_I will not fall_

_I will not fade_

_I will take your breath away_

_And I'll survive, paranoid_

_I have lost the will to change_

_And I'm not proud, cold-blooded, fake_

_I will shut the world away_

* * *

**Two Days Later... Whatever The Date Is**

The black van was coming up fast towards the college campus, the driver going at a firm rate. The backseat passenger set their hands to the minigun that was hooked up inside. The plan was simple; they'd drive up into the clearing where the college students were assembling for school and spray their ammunition onto them. One block away, and already the driver and front seat passenger could see the parking lot of the large campus, and the young students all huddled around the parked cars, on the grass fields, and even on the sidewalks, engaging in these rather social activities.

"Ready?" the driver asked the would-be shooter.

"Let's get some!" the minigun's handler roared excitedly.

"Yeah, I don't know how I feel about this..." the passenger riding shotgun had their doubts about such a crime- especially when they'd never have thought it would be possible.

Finally, the van entered the block, and the sliding door of the van went open. Linka, the insane clone with a superchip embedded into her brain, yelled in sing-song like a housewife, and fired the minigun right at the innocents.

"Oh, my God, why did you rope me into this?!" Martial artist and blade-wielding Carly Evans-Nguyen, a simple child with a deadly complexity, found no reason for this to be, and as such, had shut her eyes and ducked her head while Leven just made a poker face.

What came out of the minigun was not bullets of the deadly variety, but a literal jet fire of erupting waters- and Linka, being heavily horny for the college babes, aimed at all the women she could get. "YEAH, HOTTIES! I WANNA SEE SOME SKIN! SHOW ME THOSE NIPPLES!"

"We're not subtle at hiding, A," Leven groaned. "Enough of this."

He drove off, making Linka screech childishly. "No. Wait, Leven! Ahh, my pussyyyyyy! I could get a girlfriend... I think."

"Get one later, you child!" Leven sneered, going at fifty miles per hour. "We're leaving!"

Linka waved to the cluster of wet, crying girls, and a few unlucky guys, giving them kisses before she closed the side door. "Okay, boss, but if we're concerned for eyes watching us, then we've gotta get disguises, like our hair that needs a new dye."

Carly kept her eyes to the side mirror while engaging with them. "And nothing ridiculous, I'd hope."

"Hey, Lincoln Loud mastery, of course I'm no amateur!" Linka sat herself down in a crisscross position. "I'll go adorable blonde, and... Hey, let's make you a redhead!"

"Brown hair is more fittingly an option," Leven chose. "I guess we've gotta hit the stores for supplies."

"Negative, brother," Linka shook, "I'm broke and so are you. Uh, Carly, babe?"

Carly shot her eyes on the front mirror, looking right at Linka. "What makes you think I'd have money?"

Linka crossed her arms, pouting. "Worth a shot."

Leven reached a red light, and upon stopping, he dared to give his clone sibling the stink eye. Linka caught it and raised her left eyebrow at him, bobbing her head up higher. He broke contact and faced forward as she looked to herself and wondered what was going through his head.

"Don't think I can't see you're upset, Leven," Linka blurted out. "Let it out like it's piss!"

"Well," he sighed with an unnerving but hurtful tone, "I've been thinking about what you said back there, you know, at the Division HQ."

"Uh-huh..." Linka went.

"You said it was because you care, and that is a veru natural, humanely emotional response to receive, but it does not line up to be a logical one."

"Explain what you mean, bucko."

"I mean, you knew who- What I was, you've read the file on me and knew my value. So, I've been thinking, you had us defect from the Black Network as to deny Lisa having her key superior human around them, nothing more than that."

Linka twitched at this. "That's over thinking it-"

"But not unreasonable at that, A. You just play with the very concept of siblings to ensure I came with you, is that right? Tell me if I missed the mark."

The little clone girl shook her head wildly, hair swaying from side to side. "No, that's not the primary reason-"

"Primary?"

Linka found herself stuttering like she was Bill Denbrough, and she knew the author could so easily change this fic to become a Flagg1991-esque tale. _Why, you little shit, D..._

Carly peered over her shoulder. "C'mon, uh, Leven, I'm sure Linka here thought of your well-being along the way."

"My heart bleeds for you, big brother!" Linka assured. "No, fine, I mean I wanted us out of there immediately! Lisa had Lori and her group of shits, no way was I going to stay around that! Ooooooh, if I can get my hands on Lori the bitch-!"

"Yeah, that's a no on a vengeance quest, okay?" Leven was the rational one of the group as of lately. "We're staying low until we get public updates on the state of the Black Network."

"Right, that happened," Carly whistled. "That thing inside your brain, you dropped the entire data mainframe out to the world. Friendly reminder, Lisa put me into the computer, so now I'm branded as a bad seed, so... You know, thanks a lot."

Linka blew a kiss to the passenger with a sarcastic smooch sound. "Hey, at least your parents will know you're alive, right?! This is a good thing."

Carly turned away from them, leaning further to the side of the door in misery. "Ugh..."

"What, did I say something weird?"

Leven raised his hand off the two o'clock position off the wheel, grasping it onto Carly's shoulder with warmth. "Hey, I know about what happened, kiddo. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Well, at least one of you bothers to do their extra credit work," Carly coldly insulted the first clone.

"Oh, well... Hey, I didn't want to stalk you, or anything like that," Linka defended, "I'd rather start a friendship with no cheats of any kind."

"Y-you're literally a clone created to kill," Carly pointed out. "I fail to see how we can be friends."

"HAHA! HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST, CARLY! DON'T TELL ME YOU WEREN'T SIGNED UP FOR A LITTLE MURDER!"

"I didn't finish..." Carly turned on the air conditioner on the van. "You're way off your marbles, it's... Somewhat annoying, even though it's pretty cool you have the literal internet right inside that head of yours."

"Aw, passive aggressive Carly, why, I could marry you."

"I'm not into girls, sorry."

"Enough of this childish squabble," Leven strictly commanded. "A, report on current events."

Linka fell on her back and closed her eyes, focusing on the peaking itch in her head, starting up the live computer she controlled once again. This way, she prevented the nosebleed she'd get, which still needed checking out, as Lisa had not figured out what was the cause behind that particular side effect. She virtually maneuvered into the Google site, accessing the recent headlines, personal thoughts, articles and news sites. Kron. Fox. CNN, any such site regardless of them being biased or not.

**Secret Agency Patriot Division In Existence! The Battle Of Two Titans!**

**In light of recent, controversial events, the citizens of North America are left widened with absolute terror revolving the mysterious revelations of the Patriot Division, an off-textbook agency dedicated solely to dismantle Vial Corporation and its founder James Shepherd, as well as the menacing Black Network, the underground facility to house the founder, successfully putting him off the grid until recently. As to where or whom was responsible for the leaks, it has not been clear yet, but the government board is drawn into a state of panic, and computer analysts are doing their best to decrypt the files, all of which were primarily sent to all news outlets via emails from the unknown source. **

**The Patriot Agency itself had employed actual phenos (the term for the mutations made by Vial Corporation), specifically a group of six supers with apparent blood relations to each other. The revelation of some of their identities itself proves that jaw-droppers get the better of us; the two speedsters that frequent patrols over the New York area have their identities confirmed as Lana and Lola Loud, a pair of twin sisters born and raised in Royal Woods, Michigan. If that is not subsequently enough, we also have a third speedster thrown into the mix; one Lynn Loud, which some of you will remember appeared in the news earlier in the year as a missing FBI agent, just one of four young women, all declared dead by FBI Director Richard Mathers. Mathers gives no statement to this stunning truth, but one can surmise that he is left overwhelmed with shock. Luna Loud, a danger to reckon with, and one who has had her DNA infused with that of a reptile, paving the way for a carnivorous human much worse than your average cannibal, really a person drugged on bath salts. As I write this article, I want to save the best for last. Now, I'm sure you followed reports on, or have at least heard about this particular slasher going eastbound. That's Luan Loud, the crazy girl slasher that the authorities have not been real eager to name-drop with the reports and media. Of course, the Patriot Agency needed one such Harley Quinn for this, what, blatant version of the Suicide Squad? Let the records show that no one (to the knowledge of the world) had been held against their will. **

**Keeping count, only five of those six have been revealed. The last one, it should already been known, just so happens to be the one and only Lincoln Loud, the very same man behind the death of the Freights. Yes, that ex-terrorist is alive and well, and definitely a part of this little collective of "heroes" if you want to call it that. We can agree Vial Corporation has been run by scumbags with little regard for human life, but employing the aid of two, maybe three bloodthirsty beings, all of which come from the same family tree? Begs the question, why is it that a family was chosen for this? And, how is it possible that Velocity and Momentum are related to Lincoln Loud? **

**May God cast common sense into the government and have them rip apart the leader behind the Patriot Agency for absolute negligence on his or her part. No American should have to depend on such a person, especially one who participated in Freight activities in his prime. **

"Oof... This fucker sounds biased as hell. World knows the Louds, don't know how they'll be reacting to Lincoln's resurrection."

**Horrors Of Vial Corporation Leaks; The Secrets Behind Their Secrets**

**Vial Corporation was stopped, all facilities forced to shut down, many employees involved with the heinous crimes arrested. Story seemingly ends there, up until the wave of leaks hits everyone like a plague; James Shepherd has hidden in an underground facility in Maine, and then proceeds to run away to Malibu, California, where he is ultimately captured and detain by the Patriot Agency. What is the Patriot Agency, you ask? This is simply another black ops regiment built to fight the indoor battles, or so they claim. The simple addition of a pheno team, branded the Patriots, because why not, has changed the rules of the game by a long shot. We now have basic confirmation that authorities and agencies will not hesitate to weaponize these phenos, and I don't think I need to remind you what a pheno is. Personally, I do not seem this the best of ideas, given the state of the situation around all phenos at this time.**

**Regarding this Black Network, the world gets a deeper look into the dreamscape Shepherd sought out to accomplish. A revolution, the very start of a better, superior race of humans. We, the people, now know how he had advertenly planned it if he got his way; Kapacity Korp's many facilities just so happens to be owned by Peter McMahon, a veteran politician who made his way to a senator's seat. They had a friendship it seemed, a simple ruse where Shepherd had access to Kapacity Korp, which recently opened up its own clinic service, which lines up with Shepherd needing the DNA of every single person in the nation, and combine it with the formula of the so-called Superior Human, which had not been disclosed, sadly. **

**In other words, the Black Network was really a clone workshop, and Shepherd would replace the authentic, natural people for what he hoped would be better clones of themselves. This is, in no question, a plotted genocide, so incorrectly justified with the salvation of humankind. They simply thought they were doing good, and clearly and obviously crossed the line several times to get here. I mean, all of those poor phenos, they're the undesirables, the failed attempts to find and create the next evolution of human. **

**As of yet, the government officials and other select authorities are working on a joint operation to extract and contain the leaked documentation while the aftermath in what can only be described as an atrocious conspiracy as big as World War II.**

"Nothing we don't already know, big brother! The spooks are trying to put a lid on the whole shitshow, but they're also trying to keep the obvious out of the media as much as they can, and that would be expert, freelance code-crackers decrypting the files and gaining something out of it. For all we know, there must might be some sort of civil war around this."

"Civil war? Explain," Carly requested.

"No one is dumb enough to talk about the Black Network's stuff in details that discloses certain stuff, there's a sort of restriction placed on the outlets, I'm sure," Leven assessed. "But we know for a fact that there were schedules, manifests and weapons- an actual playbook of their sales, along with all of their connections."

"No, not all of them," Linka corrected. "That fuzzball bastard McMahon covered his tracks, faking and hiding his involvement with the Black Network. He's good, he never stepped foot on the base, it's always been video and audio communications, and let's also not forget that we don't actually know what he gains in being a part of Lisa's crusade. I mean, he's a senator with high power as it is, why did he need to join Team Body Snatchers?"

"A valid point," Leven figured, rubbing his chin briefly. "We'd best be looking into it from afar. McMahon walking freely is all but good for us. At least we know Lisa's dead..."

"Yeah, that's to be expected from daddy," Linka excused. "Yeah, I'm calling him that cause why not?"

"Um, yeah, no from me," Leven groaned. "Thankfully-"

"That's where I come in," Carly smirked, feeling useful and somewhat pleased with herself. "Pretty ideal for you two to basically kidnap me and have ready that perfect story that I had both of you as My hostages." Of course, she then dropped her obvious sarcasm and looked back at Linka. "That's not going to work, I can't really beat you both at once."

"Isn't that obvious, my pretty?"

"Won't hurt to try it, Carly," Leven reinforced. "He knows I crippled the Division, but as to who did the Network in... Well..."

"You son of a bitch," Linka scoffed. "Okay, looks like I'm being pegged as the bad girl among us, I'll take that."

"Back to my initial point," Leven continued. "All that information circling the internet can't be taken down at this point. It's a gold mine, artifacts that belong in the dark web, and where people are looking, people have to be buying or profiting off each other. Blueprints, names of their contacts, and the very formulas that enable the creation of new phenos. This, this is what the entire globe is in danger of. The concept of a civil war here would apply to the public, a small group of real concerned individuals forming to fight against anyone they believe to misuse this for their own gain. Say the government, well, these citizens would protest or something."

"Oh..."

"And then there is the matter of the phenos themselves..." Leven went on.

**President Bruce Greenwood Makes Statement; Government Officials Address Secret Agency**

**To quickly make an announcement regarding the rising conflicts faced within the nation, President Greenwood stood before the press at the White House, where he vowed to break down the doors of the matter. "Effective immediately," he says with a brazen look, "This Patriot Division is to shut down, all of its assets detained for questioning. The very nature of this recent event, and the inevitable animosity this will bring to the public will not be tolerated, and as such, me and my wonderful colleagues are working around the clock to ensure the safety of this nation, and to held all parties involved to be tried for their sizable crimes."**

**Furthermore, he addressed the good nature of the pro-pheno organizations, but warned them to tread carefully around the super beings, which only gives us a clear indication that there is fear growing in the wake of this unstoppable spike of incidents.**

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was reading another piece for the readers! What were you saying?"

**Pheno Shelters Attacked Throughout Eastern US!**

"Actually, you seem to assess and understand the dilemmas we face- Go on, Leven, do tell us what the likely civil war will be about!" Linka flashed a thumbs-up in midair.

"Right, well, this revolves the significance of the phenos. Sure, they're all victims of Vial, and that's what the whole world should see upon first glance, right? How long has it been since the Dadetown incident? From then to now, I've seen headlines of what went on, and it's not pretty."

"Just cause I don't want to read...-"

"Let me guess," Carly inferred, "it's not about the phenos directly but rather the people who view them as either a threat or a victim. This fight will be between the people who say either save or destroy. All it takes is for the anti-pheno group to go far enough that the pro-pheno guys make it official, and-"

"Anti-pheno guys have already attacked the safe shelters," Linka dropped. "Maybe the time for war is now. Anything else you need me to search?"

"Hmmm... Is the status of the Kapacity Korp facilities still the same?"

"Yeah, the protests are still going strong, but the forerunners assure us all there's no shady shit going on. You buy that?"

"As soon as McMahon is taken down, I'll start believing it."

"Hey," Linka snapped her fingers, quick to remind Leven of a smaller mystery. "That punk girl with the greenish hair- Who _is_ that?"

"Right, I remember her."

"Sorry, what?" Carly had not been on their level. "There's someone else?"

"If you didn't know-"

"Great," Leven groaned, troubled yet again. "We've got players that never stepped foot on the site, that's just terrific."

"No use calling for help, we've made both sides hate us- At least it's safe to assume that." Linka giggled to herself. "Pity, I would have loved to be around Lynn and Luna, but oh well, I missed out on jelly jam references! I was always a sauerkraut person, if I do say so myself, and I do! I very much do!"

"I wonder what Lincoln is doing at this second..."

**Elsewhere**

The Ungodly Stormbringer had gone to work. Nothing new and nothing clean about it, if anything. Chaos emerged at an unprecedented rate, but what was a dark avenger to do but go and hunt down the leads to McMahon? The only thing he could to, and the tactically reasonable, in his opinion, was to start the killing chain with the employees that worked for Kapacity Korp. Pity he had no list of who was ex-Vial, for he didn't spare anyone of his judgment, even the innocent.

He had already wrapped up his third kill this fine day, smashing the battered keyboard on a Griffin Horton's skull, near the late young man's desktop. No wife, no son, survived by no next of kin whatsoever, just an empty one-floor abode on a quiet suburban neighborhood in upstate Maine, where it looked too peacefully tranquil for any such crime to occur- and Lincoln broke that streak today just by setting foot around the place. Bloody were his hands, reaching up a polkadot decor upon his arms. The warm blood droplets on his skin, he did not mind. The keyboard, with some of its keys having come loose after the fourth blunt impact, had slipped carelessly out of his hands.

He was done, but the body was still twitching about, engaging in some sort of seizure. It would stop, pretty soon it would stop. And so would the body.

**Back To Linka, Yeet**

"Oh, how I love it when the transitions focus back on me!" She dabbed shamelessly, almost as if she were Raganoxer, the personal cover artist for Flagg1991's edgefests.

"As we already didn't know what his current agenda is," Leven guffawed. "We know his style, we are practically him- Yeah, so maybe in my case it's partially, but to each their own."

"Is this agenda blood-soaked just the same?" Carly looked into the glove compartment for peppermint gum and stuck a piece over her tongue.

"Oh, yeah, totally," Linka rolled her eyes as she confirmed it. "What I'd do is go hunting for Kapacity Korp employees simply to drive McMahon desperate, considering that he's still the head boss of the entire landscape. It's good for us all, people will notice and questions will be asked, but also bad for us because daddy is putting a bigger target on his back. Who knows what fucking faggots McMahon's got wrapped around his fingers? Lincoln might as well be going up against military powers if this goes on. Then again..."

"If people look closely, it will be certain there is foul play at work," Leven added. "Then again, the world is clouded by events- and this is only occurring on this soil. If Lisa sanctioned the agenda to foreign countries, that would heat things up massively."

"Ugh..." Carly facepalmed herself with guilt and anger. "I joined this shitfest of madmen because I was told- guided, actually- that it was my fate."

"Huh?"

"What kind of fate would joining evil scientists be?" Leven grasped. "But, you're a mere child, why did you allow-?"

"I can't even tell you that!" Carly yelled. "B-because I don't know... I guess I made a really dumb choice if anything..." She concluded with a sigh, feeling heavily tricked by that deviant liar Ray Robertson, the handsomely suave magician guy from-

_From like, ten chapters ago! Hi. Linka here, taking over in the form of italic sentences build to be my thoughts! Hey, since this is my chapter, mainly, I have the power to take over every so often! So... Do not get any spelling errors, you dumbass author. _

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter I: Linka's Bizarre, Amazing Adventure Into The World! (Co-starring the Linka Log, a space alien, a clone, and a cute Asian girl she wants to dildo. Jk, we were kidding about the Log)**

* * *

"Okay, so there are some idiotic, nonsensical choices that behold us to burdens, I see," Leven muttered. "Well, at least we're all assembled."

Linka quickly sat up and vomited out reddish chunks of moist, bloody innards along with some metallic fragments, the remnants of the hail of bullets fired from both Allison and Lincoln since, well, you know, the previous act. Sorry, Linka.

_I'm wonderfully hurt. _

"Whoa, ew..." Carly squirmed. "I'm not cleaning that up this time."

"Fucking hell!" Linka gagged. "Better this than shitting out the smaller rounds."

"What-? Don't be so disgusting!"

"Sorry, force of habit," Linka grinned, coughing violently. "Anyways, there is something I want to add. This concerns you, Leven."

"Tell."

"Right before you made the leak, I advertenly wiped the clone files from the duplicated ones."

"Uh, yeah, I think that was made clear, considering we're not on the headlines of photos of any piece or article. That's good, A, keep five prominent weapons out of the spotlight. For sure, they'd want to ensure our deaths, no doubt about that."

Linka sighed with grief and bobbed her head down, depicting a sort of troubled feeling while she went on to wipe her red, tiny lips. She had sighed this way only due to the very few sentences she had read in a very specific file that Leven hadn't even, a very terrifying thing to get her scared- and it fell on her to say or forever hold her peace.

Only, the very second she unleashed it, Leven's instincts had kicked in. "What troubles you, my insane clone sibling?"

"Oh, was that out loud? Ribbit, ribbit, the frog croaks not what she means!"

"Very well, if that is your choice." Leven continued to drive, to a destination unknown.

"I'm hungryyyyyyyy," Linka groaned, patting her soft, small stomach. "Let's rob a bank!"

"No!" Leven and Carly disagreed in unison.

"That's not very cash-money of you," Linka snorted. "Fine, a convenience store."

"We aren't committing robberies out in the open..." Leven then developed an idea. "Hold it, girl. Supercomputer inside your head... Hacking abilities, I'm certain- Okay, wait."

**Fucking Minutes Later**

Linka put on Carly's special uniform, the dark but comfortable get-up with a feel similar to pajamas, which Linka's child nature loved dearly. "Mmmmmf, the essence of baby girl."

And Carly herself had switched with Linka's new clothes; an orange sweater and dark blue jeans that were more loose on the Asian girl. "No, you, and... Wow, you're skinny!"

"Too tight for you, honey?" Linka blinked flirtatiously at the girl.

"I'll be fine, just walking around in these- Jeez, they are pretty tight."

"Just like-"

"If I have to hear another sex joke, I will punch you!"

"Make sure to hit my pussy, that way I can feel you."

"UGH!"

"If you two ladies are done playing with each other..." Leven was the genius one here, and yet he wholeheartedly agreed to a little stunt that would place them on the radar. Certainly no other way to acquire monetary funds, this had to be the only way. The only advantage Leven knew they had was the imminent shut down of the survellaince systems on the shop they'd hit, courtesy of Linka.

Plan was fairly simple, only said of course; Carly played a customer, Linka was the robber, all masked up in Carly's suit, where she'd take the girl hostage, the leverage against the poor cashier who had to deal with it. Leven stayed out of it, making himself the driver only. No one had anything to worry about apart from the possibility of the cashier, or any witnesses having photographic memory, and a clear head for them to take a glance at the license plate.

Leven found a 7-11 store just up ahead, but he drove past it, dropping Carly off five blocks away. Ten minutes later, he'd circle back and drop Linka off closer to the store, just opposite of the street. By then, Linka would tamper with the systems, cleaning the board before she entered. It was all well and good, and no such obstacle got in their way- well, the three of them made that initial assumption.

Carly went out of the van when Leven pulled over at the first planned stop. "I got this," she told her clone friends, closing the van shut again, scurrying away back to the store's direction.

This left Linka and Leven alone again- and with the elephant in the room being too big to go unnoticed. "So, uh, how's the weather?"

"Link-A-"

"Oh, be formal, big bruddah! It's Linka, and it will be that until I die."

"Yeah, yeah, I don't know about formalities, it's not like we're real humans."

"Pffft, I feel real!" Linka believed. "I can express emotion, as you two can clearly see..." She pointed her head to the blood stains on the floor. "That is no walk in the park, you know? So, what's the plan? We've gotta lay low, right? I suggest Clyde McBride's place! He helped dear Lincy with stuff before he renounced his ways with the Freights. Surely he can help us."

"What, go to Royal Woods?" Leven pondered it. "I am unsure of it."

"It's not a bad choice, bro!" Linka tossed herself into the passenger seat. "Trust me, we have no other sensible option here. Plus, who'd think to look for us there? I mean..."

It started to strike into her mind and heart, and Leven raised an eyebrow as a response to it. He caught on. "Hey, Linka..."

"Oh, you finally-" She sniffed. "-Said it, you! I'm...-"

"You okay?"

The emotionally injured girl faced frontwards and thought of nothing but to bash her head against the glove compartment for what she perceived as stupidity from these dreary, weakling emotions. They brought her down, wreaking havoc upon her mind, hurting her again with the ghosts of the past. Not, her actual first time that felt like the umpteenth time, and this was because it happened before. Not to her, nor to Leven, but to... Him. "F-fuck me in the ass and spread barbecue sauce on my titties, you albino wretch!"

"Uh..."

Linka snickered hideously and waved at him. "No, no, the Linka is fine! Moment of wuh-wuh-wuhhhhhhhh-"

"Okay, kiddo..." Leven gave a hefty nod now. "Royal Woods, we go."

"Huzzah..." Linka opened the window and glanced outside.

**TRANSITION TO CARLY, M'DUDES **

_"M'dudes," I love that. That's totally a Cryandia phrase. _

Shut up, Linka.

_Okay, m'dude._

Ugh.

Carly walked around the back of the aisles, scavenging for the drinks she wasn't interested in purchasing at all. The cashier, a young Indian feller in his twenties, had followed her with his near-mindless gaze, ensuring there was no shoplifter present in her. Sure, maybe the security can could pick it up, but there was currently only him at station. Typical, 7-11 would run to the ground like this.

_WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU, SAN ANTONIO LOCATION._

LINKA!

_BORED SITTING IN THE VAN!_

Truth or dare!

"Have you tried the Red Bull drinks?" Carly caught herself skipping a heartbeat when a brunette girl around her age approached her. "Those are pretty good."

"Oh, I haven't, but I wish-" Carly was lost in her conversation enough to let it slip that she was broke. She would have slapped herself for that, if not for the girl still being right in her face. "-Errr, I mean, I don't know, heh."

Gwen raised a finger and attached it to her bottom lip, eyes rolling from top to bottom, checking out the cutie pie from some other country. She remained silent and gave Carly some googly eyes before Leia appeared behind her and pulled her away. "We have to get moving, you!"

Carly just scratched her head cluelessly. _What just happened?_

"I pick truth!" Linka selected, closing her eyes with her hands.

"Okay, what would you relive again as Lincoln if you could any?"

Linka pondered it. "Hmmm, well, that time I overthrew Lori with the babysitter role. You know, you gotta remember, right?"

"I think so, yes."

_For those who forgot, it's the No Guts, No Glori episode! God, I would so repeat that crap. _

"Looks like time is up, we should move! Hey, access the store's monitors and tamper with it."

"On it-" Linka sucked it up and did her thing, all while the irritable sensation to bleed came a-knocking, followed by the blood that fell and stained Carly's get-up. Leven punched it and drove forward, making a U-turn on the next intersection. They aligned themselves with the store, and Linka quickly jumped out of the van and dashed across the street when it was barren of cars. Midway, she hopscotched it like a schoolgirl, shaking her hips side to side in an adorable fashion. "Watch me hip, watch me sway-sway!"

Leia, Marsha and Gwen were already at the register, purchasing their road snacks when the albino clone in the ninja-like uniform pounced in and drew the deadly blades out. Carly drew closer to Linka, picking up on the cue. Marsha quickly scattered behind Leia, prompting Leia to shake her off while backing away from Linka. "Oh, shit, is this-?"

"THIS BE A YEEHAW-BBERY! ON THE FLOOR, GIRLS!" Linka advanced to the counter and readied the blades. "CASHIER MAN, GIMME ALL YOUR MONEY-"

Carly waltzed over to the entrance without being sneaky, the perfect card for Linka to take. The albino turned and grabbed Carly before she could get out of the store, an act that was worth an Oscar award. "AGH, HELP ME!"

"OR THIS UGLY CHINK GETS IT!"

_Well then, you're so not kissing me, _Carly thought, grumbling.

Leia and company followed Linka's command and went on their knees, hands extending outwards, but none of them were silent about it, giving off girly whimpers and cries, panicking for their young lives. The Indian cashier followed the standard protocol and opened the cash register.

"Oh, my G-God-"

"Put the money in a plastic bag, you miserable bastard!" Linka ran the blades up against Carly's neck mercilessly. "And hurry!"

The employee complied willingly and wirelessly, dropping the half-full plastic bag in front of both girls. Linka had Carly pick it up, only for her to sic the katanas back on her small neck, and then she began backing out with her hostage. "NO COPS, AND DON'T FOLLOW ME!"

"C-call the cops!" Carly mustered with pretense. "Please!"

"SHUT UP, YOU!" Linka dragged her out while Carly held the bag firmly. They were soon out of the store, and everything had gone according to plan.

Then, there was a clank and some barrier that stopped Linka from moving backwards. She assumed she hit a car, and turned around to face it. "Just my luck, Carly-"

Oh was no car, but rather a metallic suit of some sort that had blocked her. "Halt, robber!"

"F-fucking Iron Man?!" Linka dropped the katanas and went for a direct punch- and hurt her entire left arm in the process. "Ow, what the hell?!"

Carly gulped and fainted moments after, accepting a heavy loss today, and Linka didn't catch her for shit.

"I am placing you under arrest," the metal suit spoke with an echoing distorting voice. Here, it was obvious that there might have been a man under there, rather than a drone operated by some network; no such thing had existed yet. Or maybe Linka was wrong.

"Arrest-" Linka gagged, picked up Carly and ran for the van. "FUCK YOU, TIN MAN! LEVEN!"

"GET IN, GET IN!" Leven boomed heavily. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?! AND WHAT IS THAT?!"

"DO I FUCKING LOOK LIKE YOU?!" Linka shoved herself and Carly inside, and oddly and miraculously, the armored being had not given chase. "C-cosplayer, has to be... Damn it, I lost the swords and the money!"

"You what?!" Leven floored it, speeding away from the curb and exited the area. "HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! WHO THE FUCK-?"

"Calm down, we're far away from-"

Leven took a look at the side mirror, and to his horror, the metal man was zooming right at them with what could only he described as a flight ability. "AGH, NO WE'RE NOT! MINIGUN, LINKA!"

"I COMPLETELY MODIFIED IT AS A SUPER WATERGUN!"

"IDIOT!"

"SORRY! JUST SPEED UP-" Linka jerked forward along with Leven, impacting right out of her seat. Carly slid forward, bumping the back of her seat; the van had barely stood on stable road, nearly being overturned by the mystery man in the metal suit. "SHIT, OH SHIT!"

"Surrender willingly or be terminated!" The figure flew over the van, latching their arms right on it it once laying right on the roof. "Final warning!"

Linka poked her head out the window and screamed at the whistleblowing vigilante. "FUCK OFF AND DIE, CAN OPENER!"

"IS THIS THEM?! HOW DID THEY FIND US?!"

"HEY, BROTHER, I RATTLED THE SYSTEMS! IT CAN'T BE THEM, IT JUST CAN'T!"

Just then, Leven formulated an idea. "Follow my lead!"

The van came to a grinding halt, pulling over to the side of the road, right around a clearing. The man of metal rolled right off the van, coming down to land on Leven's side, opened the door and heaved him out, ripping right through the seatbelt. The clone hit the pavement hard, getting pinned by the foot of the metal man mercilessly. It was here that he observed the suit more closely and noticed that the design was unlike anything he had seen before. It was akin to that of a medieval knight, decorated with some weird markings on the chest plating, but the helmet on the person was a basic motorcycle helmet.

"What?! What fucking lead is-? Ohhhhhh!" Linka jumped out of the seat and dropped out, falling on all fours and quickly trying to link up to the high-tech suit's systems. She hoped to the angels that there was something to connect to- and indeed there was... Only that she found herself reading a bunch of mumbo-jumbo random signs that was totally not English. She looked past it for a second, rearranging the settings against the suit's user. "Abrakadabraaaaa!"

The vigilant Samaritan stumbled over backwards once electric shocks sprung all throughout the knight-like armor, and Leven gained an advantage and flipped the metal man hard on his back, turning the tables successfully on him. "Linka!"

"Yeeeeeees, call me by my custom name!" Linka raced around the van, face bloody from her nose downwards again, leaping right on top of the metal man. "Let's unmask twitchy here!"

"No, no, please don't!" The iron man begged frantically. "Do not-"

Linka forced her hands on the helmet and yanked it off the man. "BOOYAKASHA-"

The face that revealed to them was not human in nature, but a reddish face with some bright yellow eyes, pointy years, and no hair at all, save for a scar that ran alongside the left part of this inhuman's head. He screamed and covered his face, rolling over to try and hide it, despite them having already seen his true form. "Humans!"

"Are- are you a pheno?" Linka looked towards Leven for an opinion instead. "This is a pheno!"

"Looks like it to me," Leven agreed. "Hey, you, what's with the sudden halt?"

"I think we should kill him," Linka suggested. "He's down like a weak puppy! And I want his shit, too!"

"I'm rather curious as to who and what the goal is here, please be patient." Leven flipped the metal man over, and kicked him right in the gut, making the pheno react and toss his hands up. "Start talking, tell us who you are."

"Do not be damaging my armor, good sir!"

Linka placed on the helmet and frolicked about majestically. "I'm a Stormtrooper! Pew pew, my aim is shit!"

Leven kicked him again, this time in the face. "Your armor is the least of your concerns! Now, again... Linka, you hungry for pheno meat?"

Linka removed the helmet and smiled erratically. "MOMMA IS STARVES!"

"Pheno? Nay, I am not a modified human!" The figure raised his arms up carefully. "I am... How do you say, an extraterrestrial being?"

"An alien?"

"Yoooooo!"

"Are you being real with me?"

"YOOOOOOOOO!" Linka howled louder.

"An... Alien-"

"RAID AREA 51 HOURS ARE NIGH, MY LORD!"

"Zip it, A..." Leven studied the being now, analyzing his expression. "Sure, let's say that's true, but why would an alien with this technology bother with us? You seemed to emulate, take a role on, of a power of authority. What, you're a cop, or law enforcer, that's more believable than this, and a pheno one at that."

"Not a pheno," the alien said.

"I say otherwise," Leven disagreed.

"But I have been keeping track of earthly events, and I side with the phenos, therefore-" The Alien pointed to his face. "Humans are to believe I am a pheno, so that they do not frown upon these poor humans, a turning of the race opinion. As it had always stood, euality is the gateway to piece, I believe, and through that-"

There was rationality in that, but the fact to get Leven in a loop was that this person, not a pheno by his word, claimed to be from beyond the stars. "Okay, well, that's..."

"Aliens in Dawn! Aliens in the fucking fanfic!" Linka waved her hands to the sky. "Now, I know Lulu is an icicle underneath Area 51 at this point, but wow, my first real alien right fucking here! Lame, I don't have a phone yet. Say, wasn't there a show named Alien Dawn on Nick? How incredibly bizarre. READERS, I CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP!"

"What- What's with the female human?"

"She's being herself, a bit annoying- Oh, don't derail me, man. So, what's your name? What do I call you?" Leven patted on the armor, feeling the cold, clattering metal upon his palm. "Not to be rude, but aliens should not speak English, and clearly you do."

"Universal translator- Let me up, Leven."

The clone took his foot off of the visitor. "How-?"

"This suit be an advanced model, features are never faulty, a true craftsmanship made from the finest-" Alien stopped. "Uhhh, the word here is blacksmith, according to the translator. Well, might be the closest thing to it."

"This is completely sketchy, dude. An actual alien playing good cop with some... War suit, at no doubt, but just to help phenos?" He laughed, then frowned. "No way, man."

"Tis but the truth, human friend."

"Where are you from?"

"The distant planet Calagitos, of Qudrant Four of the galaxy."

"Uh... Hmmm, and why are you here?"

"A war consisting of Calagitos and its two neighboring planets. Refuges escaped, ventured all over space, and some few landed here, me included."

"So... Not the only alien?"

"Ohhhhh," Linka understood what the alien's true plan was. "You sneaky motherfucker! I see your game!"

"Explain?" Leven was lost for the first time.

"He wants to send out a message to those aliens, using the situation of the phenos to give himself a name. Media will cover him, playing the superhero role, to get attention on him all over! Boom, I connected the dots, me! Linka Loud!"

"Oh, well..." Leven assessed it. "Okay, that makes more sense-"

"And it only works around these reporters, and... Dignitaries? I'd like to keep my entire suit on until I'm ready to reveal my face."

"Huh..." Leven was baffled. "So, a soldier, I'd assume?"

"No, no," the alien responded with a wave. "I've been examining the earth history to compare to mine. Back home, Calagitos was a planet that ran just like a kingdom. King and Queen Virescium ran it, and just like here, the planet inhabitants were mostly peasants, the poor who lived beyond the richest part of the planet."

"Yeah...?"

"I was a member of the Scythe regiment. Scythe, or Scythers, were the royal guards that protected the royal family, but I soon uncovered a conspiracy within the walls of Flegorensce."

"The what?"

"Shush, Linka."

"The members of Scythe and the young princess of the royal family had concocted a devious plan to kill the Royal Pair, and the power would pass onto the princess. Now, the Virescium family had power over not just Calagitos, but the two planets next to it, Golegkium and Starigion. The ruling figure would have immense power, and the wielding ability to bring about war. You see, Golegkium sits on a... You call this a gold mine, and Calagitorians have this ability that, when tapped to, turns them into enhanced beings. Throughout our history, all the Calagitorians have been oppressed and weakened so that they don't have a slim chance to reach this frightening power."

"Damn, that's a pretty good story."

"A story I would rather it be fictional in dire nature," the Scythe guard expressed. "So, it happened already. The king and queen are dead, Princess Viscerium rules with a heavy hand, and Calagitos is at war with both the next-door planets. Even worse, Golegkium and Starigion have engaged in battle with each other."

"Well, damn, that's even more complicated!"

"Hmmm, Linka, consensus?" Leven requested.

"I googled all keywords, and not a match to any such media or novel. Maybe Mr Scythe Bodyguard is telling the truth. I did see those weird symbols when hacking his suit, after all."

"Alien war, that's just great, and we're no better on this end of the galaxy."

"My eyes can tell," the guard agreed. "You can see why I have to detain you-"

"No-"

"YOU UGLY SHIT!" Linka came and tackled the alien, landing right on his face. "Excuse us but we are clones made in shitty lab, running from two parties at once, so fuck you and your agenda to message any Calagitorians or whatever the fuck has landed on our planet!"

"You're-?"

"Stop telling the world we are pheno-modeled clones, A!"

"You are phenos?" The guard got up and studied them, taking back his helmet from Linka. "Thank you!"

"Ugh," Leven groaned. "Complicated matters, but plainly put, yes we are."

"Yeah, now go away and capture the real criminals around!" Linka brushed away. "Shoo, shop, back to Venus with you."

"Well-"

_Quickly, transition to the next scene! Fuck this alien guy!_

**Later, At Linka's Request**

"Intriguingly shocking..." Leven had let the visitor board the van and had him curl up on the back, much to Linka's grumpy irritation. "So the female can link with any technologies of any sort?"

"And you said no to spilling the tea," Linka pointed out, calling out on His Majesty's Hypocrisy. "You dipshit clone."

"That is her advantage, yes, but we are equal apart from that," Leven explained. "I mean, in terms of abilities. I beat her in intellect... On most areas."

"Just cause you inherited half of Lisa's brain-" Linka scoffed and flipped Leven off. "I hate you today."

"Say, what of alien technology?" The Scythe guard had been contemplating requesting Linka the human girl's aid in his space mission. First thing was first; locate and train any extraterrestrial strays from the three planets to form what little of a resistance he could gather and fight the big fight that had not ended, at least by his belief. Linka seemed to be a huge upscale of an advantage if she were able to take control of the opposition's war toys and weapons systems, plus more. That would require Linka to actually learn the alien language- and in the grand scheme of things, the crazy girl with a brain that short-circuited to an instability level was likely to say yes only on the condition they'd quickly assemble a team, and Linka tossed out the options of having Lyle, Lindsey, Caroline and the hottie Sam back in play.

Maybe it would have been strategically advantageous for the trio, seeing as how they had to be off the grid, and who would look for them in space? Far away, specifically, in ground zero of an alien war?

Only, the Scythe alien guard wanted Linka and the aliens in hiding over Linka and her own crew.

"Pffft, I think so, yes," Linka believed. "I just need to translate shit, cause... I don't speak lines."

"And I doubt you would be able to," Leven added in, already sensing where the alien was going with this. "Well, I hope you find your little resistance and win that war that is in no way our battle to fight-"

"Humans, I implore you to see reason!" The alien would not let up. "This is a heavy sign from the Allfathers! A grand, divine outcome that pushes my kind towards the salvation of the Calagitorian race, and the future generations we carry! Linka of Terrenius, I so desperately need someone of your magnitude-"

"Hey, man, I'm totally flattered and all, but I don't wanna leave sweet, sweet earth for an escapade- Wait, are there hot girls?"

"LINKA!" Leven developed a headache. "Still having trouble processing this, in all fairness."

"I would gather it would be overbearing for a human, yes."

"Listen, I'd love to help you cause all of this, it sounds like a true injustice, and I've got an itch to correct whatever that shit would be, and Linka here is the same-" Leven shook his head. "-But we can't help you, and that is the bottom line."

"I see..."

"Hey, you can pretty much use as many phenos as you can, as long as they're as open-minded as we are."

Linka nodded repeatedly, smiling mindlessly in the process. "Yeah, and hackers, too! You want guys like me- Or girls- Earth supplies aplenty of tech whiz people."

"Supposedly good an idea, yes."

"I'd love to help, but we have our own problems here to deal with here," Linka shared. "Maybe... After our story arcs end? Or at least in the next act? Does you fourth wall break, my dingly E.T.?"

"Very well, if this is your choice," the Scythe guard allowed. "I cannot influence or shift your decision, but I surely hope to meet you two again down the line, and on better circumstances."

"Sounds good, boss! Get our license plate, memorize it, and find us later!" Linka signaled to the exit. "Get the fuck out so we can head off, we've got business in Michigan!"

"My, aren't you of the kind variety?"

"Of course! Oh, where are my manners?" Linka felt embarrassed to skip over the initial greeting. "I'm Linka, this is Leven, and you were...?"

"Oh, you'll have to excuse me, but my name is-"

**Another Time Skip**

Leven sped away, hightailing it across the highway, going to Michigan. That, and no money for food had been given, achieved from a botched robbery. No biggie, they'd try it again elsewhere, and with no obstacles from outer space, nor any sort of crime-stopping pheno. Linka had tended to her own thoughts- and grew visibly angry at the tiny headache that nearly halted them.

"This close!" Linka bashed her hands over the glove compartment. "THIS FUCKING CLOSE, AND I HAD THE MONIES, LEVEN! THE GREENIES!"

"Yes, yes, quite a shame, but we got lucky to walk away-"

"The idiot alien bought what we sold easily... Not that we lied, but anyone can claim to be a pheno-"

"But can anyone also tap into someone else's advanced suit? You proved your worth... In the lowest way possible."

"Yeah, okay," Linka brushed off. "I guess we really are lucky. But can you believe that? An alien playing pheno, and not just any pheno- No, we've got one of those dependent-on-fame type of guys-"

"Which is an act," Leven reminded her.

"Yes, of course, but that's just annoying, it might as well be fucking DiscretionAssured underneath that suit, looking for validated attention. Oh, that little weasel."

"Di- I'm sorry. What?"

"Ooh, oopsie!" Linka dragged her hair over her face. "Me no speak Engry!"

"Hey, Carly's not up yet."

"Spoiler alert, she's fucking dead, mate."

"Go check on her, A."

"Ooh, goodie!" Linka decided to play molester to the unconscious Carly.

"And don't even think about touching her!"

"Awww, no pokey-pokey the baby girl!" Linka sprung to the back, laid down and pulled Carly right over her.

_Carly opened her eyes, which sparkled in the powerful sunlight, they'd never have looked so beautiful. Her face was also just as perfect up close to Linka's own. She raised her hand to the white girl's face, gently pressing to stroke against it in a loving manner, staring away at her with a blossoming feeling that arose from her stomach. These were the butterflies initiating. "Oh, Linka-Sama..."_

_Linka smiled with pure content, looking down at Carly while holding onto her. This setting could have been anywhere else; the park, the theater, a rowboat in France, or maybe Carly's room. Her lips were dey, but Linka ran her tongue in a clockwise position around them to make herself scarce and moist before leaning in and kissing the gorgeous older girl. "Y-yes, Carly-Senpai?"_

_"I lust for you," Carly said with arousal, sticking her tongue out, panting like a thirsty dog. "I love you, I love you..."_

_"Oh, Carly... Give me your bodily fluids, p-please-!" Linka felt herself about to get wet, and slid one hand onto her private area and rubbed. "Jump me- My bones- Lick my pussy, eat me out!"_

_"T-take off your pants, doll baby..." Carly insisted, upping to a sexual advance. She tugged on Linka's jeans, craving for sexual intercourse. "You're mine, all mine."_

_"Dildo- Dildo!" Linka shoved her mouth into Carly's own, letting her tongue crawl around the visiting face of the latter's mouth._

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" Leven screeched.

Linka had given in to her sick fantasy sequence a little too much that she drifted from reality, and pulled back to see that she was smooching the knocked-out Asian teenager instead of a consensual lesbian scene taking place. Yo, sorry Linka.

"Agh, I want you to want me, Carly babe!" Linka moaned. "Soon, she will be licking my pussy hole."

"All sex jokes with you," Leven sighed. "Lay off the craziness for just a bit."

"MY CHAPTER, MY RULES!"

"Starting now."

"END CHAPTER!"

**Fin.**

* * *

**AN: Well, I can't say anyone could expect this, and, neither did I, on the account I aimed for something else, and a longer chapter at that, as well. I guess I also deviated far from home, the original roots the show is founded on, and taking another step further by tossing in aliens and an upcoming space arc for Linka and company- Oh yeah, they cross that bridge- I guess nothing should surprise anyone at all at this point. **

**Act III has begun, and thus, here is the listing;**

**1\. Linka's Bizarre, Amazing Adventure Into The World!**

**2\. The Living Dead**

**3\. What She Was Missing**

**4\. Bittersweet**

**5\. The Clone War**

**6\. Retaliate **

**7\. The Expelled**

**8\. Razortooth And Fentannyl**

**9\. Rampage**

**10\. The Bounty**

**11\. Dark Before Dawn Act III Special**

**First off, the Linka trio heads to Royal Woods, where the other clones will meet again, followed by the Louds who are prioritizing the clones first, which you'll come to see. More characters are inbound here, and more revelations as well, and not the same as before. Errr, I mean, not just. Oh dear.**

* * *

_Hold it! You! I will not stand for this insubordination! I WANT MORE CONTENT!_

So be it.

* * *

Linka dug around a Best Buy dumpster, diving to find some stuff worth selling real fast for much needed cash. She got dirty for it but what did she care? However, all she got was boxes, cardboard mainly, and nothing of value. "AGH! D FOUND TWO XBOX ONE CONSOLES AT A GAMESTOP DUMPSTER AND I CAN'T EVEN FIND A KEYBOARD?! M'DUDE, THIS IS FICTION, I SHOULD BE DROWNING IN TVS OR SOMETHING!"

Suffer.

Leven and Carly kept a lookout from the van, the vehicle being at the far end of the parking lot, away from Linka. Just then, an ugly, vintage car with flashing red lights stopped right at the dumpster, the horn honking loudly to stir Linka alert. She cried out and lost balance momentarily before standing again on a pile of boxes, peeking her head over the edge. Not cops, but a random party. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"

Two men got out of the car; one short-haired redhead who looked like he worked with computers, a rather skinny geek with no real muscle as far as Linka could see, and that was what counted, and the second guy looked German, slightly chubby and definitely balding, with a stone-cold expression that labeled him a piece of shit through Linka's eyes.

"Come out of there, hun," the German man beckoned, accent heavy as she expected it to be. "Let's go."

"No fucking way, Herr Baldy!" Linka spat. "You're not cops, so fuck off!"

"No, but you are interfering with our business-" The German lifted his plaid shirt and revealed a handgun. "Dumspter diving is business only conducted by us, the Collective."

Linka stared at them long and hard for a bit before she broke down laughing. "JEW KIDDING ME?! A MAFIA FOR DUMSPTER DIVING?! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH, HERR BALDY! AND YOU, JIMMY OLSEN, GO BACK TO DC, YOU SECONDARY CHARACTER, YOU!"

German dude drew out his gun, and Linka ceased the laughing track and tossed her arms up. "Attagirl."

"Dumpsters are not your property, though!"

"They are now, sweetheart," the German grunt corrected. "Up we go-"

Linka disappeared back into the dumpster. "FUCK YOU!"

"Get in there, Ian!" The German grabbed and pushed his buddy towards the dumpster. "That stinkin' girl didn't get the memo."

Linka never lost the image of their faces, keeping them perfectly fresh to cross-reference against the local police database. She pinged only the file of the German man; Hans von Heisehr, charged with first-degree murder, three counts of child abuse, one count of larceny and disturbing the peace. "Chuh- child abuse..."

This alone had her tap into the Lincoln Loud rage reserves, enabling her to quickly act against the two. Her versus them, and no Leven nor Carly to intervene. Her nose bled wildly again, and already, Linka had linked up to a Kapacity Korp automated car, activated it and send it speeding towards her. She was briefly vulnerable just as the redhead threw himself in and grabbed her. "Okay, out with you-"

_"PREPARE YOUR ANUS, YOU COCKSUCKERS..." _The automated car's radio had blared at and level and startled the two gentlemen, as well as Leven and Carly. She had it ram and flip over the vintage vehicle in a roll, stopping just right in front of the German criminal. _"Step away from the girl."_

"What the-?"

Ian the redhead lost his grip on Linka and hopped back out, stumbling upon his landing. "Holy shit, I'm not doing this! You're on your own, man!"

"H-hey, get back here!" Hans bellowed angrily.

Linka disconnected the second Hans turned his back to her, and dug underneath her feet, finding a metal rod. She firmly held it as a weapon and then jumped right out, while also having her car pawn skid forward, crushing his feet. He screamed, and just three seconds later, Linka let out her own scream and drove the metal rod right through the top of his head.

"AUF WEINERSCHNITZEL!"

"Oh, my God!" Carly jumped from the back, eyes flinching at the sight of death.

"Jesus, that girl!" Leven berated. "I knew I should have gone!"

"Go pick her up! We've gotta go!"

Linka had fallen on the windshield, shattered it, and rebounded from it, falling right on the concrete, striking her head against it. "Ouchie!" She was quick to get back up, and, drenched in blood of the bald German, rushed over to the corpse and dug out the gun she had been threatened with, as well as the wallet she didn't expect to find. "OH BOY, THE MONIES!"

Leven made a drift with the van; any faster and he could and flipped over. He honked at Linka, telling her to get her noisy ass in the van.

Of course, Linka had other ideas. And the next thing you'd know, Leven drove off, and Carly placed herself on the passenger seat, looking over at the side mirror next to her; Linka manned the Kapacity Korp vehicle while riding on the roof as if it were a skateboard, pure insanity from the girl. "YEEHAW! GIDDYUP, LIL DOGGIES!"

**Fin (again)**

_Wait, what about that Ian guy?! Loose end, loose and! Noooooooooo! Okay, never mind. Goodbye. _


	24. Chapter 24

**July 24th, 2030 - Maine**

Lincoln finished the killing business by setting the house on fire, forever burning all evidence of Horton's connection to Kapacity Korp. This was simply a house fire, nothing more. Not by public eye, that was to say, for the sneaky whisperers still in play would push the media, those small connections they could influence and control, to suggest it was an untimely accident. Be that as it may, he was still aiming to drive the corrupt official Peter McMahon to act out of desperate force in this long-running chess game. The Louds were still on the board, but separated in the meantime, while McMahon, now the only leading force on the opponent's end, had maintained control over followers of Lisa's primary goals.

With the superhuman formula circulating the internet, and the horrid revelation of what had to be achieved for it to be a true reality shift, the chess match had not stopped. The radicals were to grow interested in it, namely those who frowned upon the government, and the higher-ups, the world controllers, were damn adamantly eager to ensure that it was not to occur. Sure as hell had to be someone looking closely at McMahon, the man wasn't that smart to avoid that kind of attention.

Lincoln was only going over it with pure strategy and tactically. The leaks could very well create more enemies- or potential allies who were against the notion of human evolution by actual genocide. Then, there was the matter of the clones, namely the one known as Link-N, who turned out to be the key to creating this bloody reality, and that was what Lincoln could not hold off forever.

The clone came first; if Lincoln was to find Leven, he'd have to kill him right on the spot just to ensure no such person developed a silly idea, and in turn, all files of Project Superior would be invalidated. Good plan, one death to prevent the continuation of what Vial Corp had been doing, on a much larger scale this time. And then, the rest of the clones would also bite the dust.

Weapons, such weapons to be utilized by the Black Network, how god-awful and despicable of the late Lisa to have created them. It was barely a miracle that A and N had caused noise on their own turf, upsetting their comrades and freeing the captured Louds. No, it was a mere act, and the girl and the guy were out there, doing fuck knows what, and all that mattered was pulling the trigger after aligning the sights right to their foreheads- and Lincoln needed a bigger gun. Or better weapons. Anti-pheno weapons.

Lisa was dead, it should have been over right then and there, but it got too complicated, and out of Lincoln's hands as well, and he hated it. He hated the enormity of the mess, the many dangers that were only on a hypothetical level as of yet, and the greatest thing to truly despise was that he was officially alive to the world. The Freight killer Lincoln Loud, thought dead for four long years, came back and joined a group of phenos to fight the good fight. It was never lost on him that he had been praised only due to the fact that he died, and died a redeemed hero by the eyes of many. Now, he understood that not everyone would be pleased, and also the inevitable fact that he would vw wanted by basically everyone.

Patriot Division fuck-up would hold everyone connected responsible; that's real life for ya.

Here he was, a young man shaped by death, misery and the inconsolable emptiness that not even the killing or pain he inflicted on his foes could ever fix. If he kept believing otherwise, it would never be true, for there was a valid reason to murder; they did wrong, and he put them down. Freights. Lisa and her goons. Who else would, if any, tamper with the very nature, the sanctity of mankind, just for their own ideals? That was the type of person he truly despised, and would not hesitate to end.

He had shit to do, multiple objectives, one too many. Find the clones, kill the clones. Drive McMahon desperate to kill him, but not before finding his own puppets and killing them, too. Secondary objective that belonged under was to kill any free-thinking pheno, amd for that, he needed to hijack a special weapons shipment, which involved interrogating close workers who had that type of knowledge. One mission too many, and all of that while he avoided the authorities. Life wasn't this hard when he first joined the Division. Never had been.

What he needed was a Microchip to his Punisher.

As he made his way to the truck that belonged to his newly recent victim, a Toyota Tundra of a vray color, abandoning the soccer-mom purple minivan he came in, a faint sparkle reflected right on the truck's hood, which caught him off-guard. He thrusted himself against the front left side and fell on the pavement just as the thundering sound of bullets ripped through the air, bullets striking against the Tundra's front side and fenders. Lincoln hugged the side and rushed around to the back. He made a leap on the back and reached for the duffel bags, quickly taking out his prized sniper rifle.

The shooter had ceased their bursts of fire, the perfect time for Lincoln to get on his weapon and scope out the mystery shooter. Can't say he expected this out in the open like this. Oh, he did, but not in a neihhrnood such as this. Maybe that was his disadvantage.

Lincoln looked through the scope after setting the sniper rifle on the roof, moving it left to right to tag his guy. No one in sight, as if they vanished, nothing but parked cars and trees-

_Oh, hiding, I see... _Lincoln changed his point of interest, shifting from an armed assailant to the gunsmoke that had to be there. And then, a grenade fell from another direction, landing right on the back of the truck. He took his eyes off and spotted the green, round object rolling among the duffel bags, and acted insanely quick to pick it up and jump right out of the truck. He had no time to throw it, so he went for the harder choice and shoved it right into his chest and embraced it. "FUCK-!"

The grenade went off, knocking him flat on his back. His arms opened up to reveal his chest and stomach having been opened, exposing his flesh and the blood that dripped out of him. At least he managed to spare a true fireworks display from the ordinance he had, at the cost of him being down for the count momentarily.

Being weakened enough, to not move above the waist, the enemy who had just defeated him made their way over to him, and Lincoln grit his teeth hard and looked up from his spot, amidst the pain his body had just endured. "Who the f-f-?"

The figure was not one to conceal their face under a mask, but for one thing, they, just one person, sported some body armor and padding, loaded like an expert serviceman. Gun holsters on both sides of his legs, filled with two Colt 1911s, and in his hands was a high-grade G36C, top-notch of a beauty to gaze upon. Three grenades strapped to his waist had told Lincoln this was possibly McMahon sending his lapdogs to end the match. A closer look at his face also angered Lincoln further; this was not a man, but a mere brat who didn't look close to twenty. A kid with long, brown hair that looked like he had a bad hair day. "Bleed to death here, Loud," the armed teenager coldly stated, aiming the assault rifle down on him once before leaving.

All Lincoln could do was gargle with blood in his mouth while he healed slowly. The time in between now and then would not beat out the speed of the authorities, and they had been called the very second the house he had set the fire had begun to burn. He groaned and turned on his stomach, but was unable to drag himself like this. He felt the gravel and some pebbles strike against his flesh, which made him uncomfortable to the point of a desire to scratch his flesh away.

Not long after, he heard the rampaging echo of sirens from all directions, and the only objective in mind was to get the hell outta shit's creek. He thought of how stupid it had been; the goddamn mockery of one such teenager with a gun to have beaten him like that. It embarrassed him, it enraged him, and it put him on the sharpest edge he'd never experience. Good to know that the fucker hadn't emptied the rest of the magazine into him.

Three cop cars arrived before the firefighters, blocking both sides of the road to prevent a vehicular getaway. Next thing was the five officers drawing their guns about and circling the area. They saw nothing up until noticing the sniper rifle perched on the rooftop, dazed and confused about the details. They inspected the truck- and found their suspect, at least one of two, wounded severely, stomach flat.

"This is Officer Dallas responding to the call on Wabash and Van Buren, we need paramedics-"

Two officers approached Lincoln and made the slow connection of who he was. "Oh, shit, d-do you know who this is?"

The officer Dallas let his finger slide off the button of his radio, directing his attention to the downed suspect. "No, I- Wait, white hair-" He gasped.

"Guns high!" another officer instructed, "This ain't yer average crook here."

"Jesus... That terrorist Loud guy? This is a Homeland Security matter, man!"

"No shit."

"Get them over here," one officer implored. "I don't wanna-"

Lincoln had his cold blue eyes shit up until now. He lifted his head and grabbed the officer in front of him by his leg and cut him down to size. It was rather easy, but getting back up to find the other four cops raising their guns at him was a disadvantageous ordeal on its own- or it would have been if they used the correct firepower on him. He turned to them and started fighting the units, which wasn't much of a fair fight for them at all. He was some sort of titan, indestructible and unfazed by the bullets that struck against his body. He punched and kicked at them, holding back quite a bit to spare them from critical strikes. Once they had all slumped on the ground, he checked his chest, which had barely healed albeit being laced in his dry blood now. He grabbed a gun off one of the cops and took an L, last minute decision to switch vehicles.

He fled town in one of the patrol cars, gaining access to the police database. At least it was a start.

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter II: The Living Dead**

* * *

**Later**

By the time he stopped, it dawned on him; McMahon was already driven to act, no doubt. Since he survived, he'd be dealing with the same brat again- but only, Lincoln had an advantage now. Maybe the next time he came after another employee, one of those under-the-radar criminals, he'd have his dance with the kid. He needed to work up a trap, get a body double or something useful to get the drop on him. And it would not prove to be easy nor simple in task.

He pulled over to a fast food joint and parked at the far end of the lot. His shirt, the long black one he kept on after taking from the closet of Nicky Cardella, another employee, was all blown to high hell, save for the shoulder half of it dangling on him, but only barely. "Fucking millenials."

Of course, he forgot he was one in the moment.

The man exited the cop car, taking the keys but leaving the car unlocked with all guns still inside. Who'd steal a cop car, am I right? Lincoln walked across the lot into the joint, showing off his exposed chest and indestructible six pack for the ladies, and maybe gay men in the vicinity. It wasn't until entering where he had gained the attention of several on-lookers, folks from the line and hefty eaters seated at the table. It wasn't so much as uncomfortable as it was unnecessary of him to rack up that amount of attention- especially with him showing off skin and blood. He took to a table at the far right end of the joint and sat there, turning his back to them, promptly staring out the windows in front view.

The chatter kept going as it did, and footsteps impeded all around. He expected the interruption of some employee to get him to evacuate the premises for the safety he looked to be compromising, a paranoid-induced move urged on by those who spotted him. This, over the sudden connection to be made; the man who had just walked in was Lincoln Loud, the old Freight. Cops, FBI, and maybe SWAT teams were to converge on this position if anyone got too smart or frequented around the news. Even know, the call had already been made, and it was barely a miracle he made it here without being stopped by other patrol units further from the Horton residence.

Three minutes into silence, and complete silence from even inside his mind, someone had the courageous audacity to approach him. He sighed and let himself submit to the rule, and his only thought when the shadow at his side was, why did he even bother to come here when he should have been trying to run away? What was it, what halted him to take a sudden, out-of-character stray from the ascending madness?

"Can I help you?" He didn't turn to the figure, only lowering his head in a brooding sense. He expected a reply, but instead, the person jumped into the seat across from him, filling the empty void. It was at this point that Lincoln had his ears pick up the sound of pure silence, and when he picked his head up, what could he see but the motherfucker who had dealt him the near lethal blow?

"Hell yeah, you can," the fuzzy-haired teen nodded to, holding up a folder and laying it on the table. "They said you'd be hard to kill. I didn't believe that, but the news, and my friend- Why, the same words from everyone!"

Lincoln felt his veins fuel up with fire, humiliated, disgraced and enraged enough to begin anew a fight, and the boy was rather unarmed and harmless, it seemed, making for quite an easy kill to satisfy the displeased, uneasy ex-Freight. "You have some nerve to show up like this."

"Is that a fact?" The mysterious adversary tapped on the folder. "I'm not the one playing hero, trying to redeem myself by fighting with these lousy pheno fucks. Once a Freight, always a Freight, you piece of shit."

"Redeem-?" The albino with the forehead scar leaned forward enough that his chin was mere inches from hitting the table. He dug his hands around himself, letting slip that he had also forgotten he abandoned all weapons. He growled visibly and maintained his position forward. "As if I need something so irrelevant to cleanse my soul."

"I want to keep things interesting, Loud." The young man jerked his eyes to the folder. "Who I am is all in here, as well as what I know about you- or rather, this is how we're to see each other outside this place's walls."

Lincoln took off his gaze with dare in mind, lifting only one hand from under the table and opened it, finding only two pieces of interest on it; the first one was a wanted poster out for Lincoln, and underneath it, a torn-out newspaper clipping of a bombing at the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco, California. His eyelids split up further apart with the sudden connection he made then and there; this kid before him was telling him that he was a victim of that Freight-sponsored attack, of which was Lincoln's own doing. "This, I know this-"

"As you should..." The hostile boy arose from his seat. "Do you know what you've taken from me, Loud? Have you seen all those faces?"

Lincoln blinked to see the ghosts of the past; all the cars having stopped when the first explosion had gone off, but he didn't. He didn't stop then, insisting that he show off the magnitude of his everlasting hatred of all things that were, and all to come in all its bloody glory. They, the victims of Lincoln Loud, the Freight, either died or walked away wounded. He only thought about those two possibilities, the outcomes of his deadly actions, missing out the third one right underneath all of that; they who died had to have left someone behind.

In this case- "My fucking parents, Loud! You made me an orphan."

To have it all come back and bite him hard in the ass like that was so sudden, a heavy dilemma he should have been ready for since the announcement of his true status came to light. "The only regret I have today-"

On cue, police cars circled the fast food joint, sirens blaring out like a song being played from the skies. Everyone around them broke protocol and moved in all directions- but not the two enemies of yesterday and today. Lincoln let him know what was up, eager to have him reach over to simplify things. There was that chance the brat held a gun to him, and he didn't even know it. Peeking under would be cheating. "-Is not bothering to finish you off back then."

"YOU DARE SAY THAT SHIT?!" Turned out, he did have a handgun that occupied both arms, finally unveiling that card right at Lincoln's face. He fired once, but the bullet missed the mark. Lincoln countered it with a block of his elbow, and locked the teen's gun-toting hand down before bending him forward, having his head strike against the table. "RAUGGHH!"

"Little boys shouldn't be playing with guns, they have a tendency-" Lincoln forced the gun from his foe and shot right at his foot. "-To get hurt real bad."

"AUGHH! L-LINCOLN FUCKING LOUD!"

The stone-cold merciless albino took the injured boy by the collar of the leather sweater he arrived in, running him dragged through the ground just as the place had become surrounded with cops. He introduced himself with his leverage. "I'M WALKING OUT OF HERE ALIVE, OR I SHOOT THIS BOY! NO STRAGGLERS, EITHER!"

"LINCOLN LOUD, WE CAN'T LET YOU ESCAPE-"

Unamused, the Ungodly Stormbringer filled the air with the shots of the gun at hand. He warned them by sending out only three before turning it back to his "hostage."

"Hold your fire, men! Do not engage!"

Lincoln started walking back to the patrol car he rode in with, moving closer to the officers, in between two other cars acting as a blockade. They maintained their distance from him, backing up as he approached without so much as looking at them as he did so. The young boy still squirmed and bled away as he was forced away from the scene. "Quit your struggling, boy," Lincoln hissed.

"Y-you are so fucking dead-" He managed to slip fingers under his shirt and yank out a silver, round object, dropped it, and kicked it behind them. "I will be your reckoning."

Lincoln ceased and spun around, jumpy at the object. "What the fuck is tha"

"A very special grenade!" The boy jerked his head back, striking against Lincoln's. It dazed the man long enough for him to break free from his grasp and immediately hit the floor.

"Hold it-" Lincoln raised his gun, in turn causing the alarmed officers to initiate the firing- and then, the silver grenade went off in between the patrol cars he passed by. What it did was tug the police cars together to the location it had gone off, and from where it had, a bright silver-blue light emitted heavily on the ground. The gun in Lincoln's hands were being yanked by some unholy force at this point, shoving itself right into his chest and pushed him with no issue. And that's when he realized. _A FUCKING MAGNET GRENADE?!_

The police officers had trouble keeping their guns steady, only taken into the special magnet-light while Lincoln quickly abandoned his own and forced himself out of its way. This happened just before the car he came in on made a flip and flew over his head, crashing right down on the two other vehicles. "FUCK!"

"Heads up!" The young adversary had another card to play; he slid one of the tiny Matrix Portals right at Lincoln, which opened up and send him elsewhere, and the albino had barely the time to react to it.

**Elsewhere**

Lincoln found himself upon a cave dimly lit and narrow, like a point of excavation around here. He hot right on the dirt floor and got himself dusty, coughing as the dirt air settled around. He was even more greatly humiliated than before. "Goddamnit!"

_"Welcome, Lincoln Loud, to a grand spectacle unlike any other!" _The intercom boomed and rattled the cave system, the voice of the young juvenile sounding anxiously starving for his own game to commence. Here, the cave, actually a series of underground tunnels set as a maze, was the home-field advantage going against Lincoln's favor. _"All around you are various pathways leading in random directions, back and forth on an endless loop. They say you're good enough, so let's put that to the test. There is an exit, somewhere along these tunnels. Oh, and one last thing; the system is entirely rigged with traps of all sorts, some of which you cannot anticipate. Good luck, and I'll meet you in the end... If you don't die first."_

The intercom buzzed off, bringing about steadiness around the tunnel systems. _Traps... Of course._

Rapidly moving while crouched, Lincoln advanced forward and tiptoed over a tripwire, careful not to activate its death trap. Of course, it was set so that he could see that. The true set up was a pressure plate over it, a landmine that blew up in his face and sent him spiraling backwards. Now his entire shirt was gone at this point.

Away from at this, at the only spectator seat of the ensuing gladiator pit, the boy eagerly watched Lincoln suffer around like big game on a reserve, feeling so pleased as he continued to watch through the grouping of monitors set up, having every angle broadcasting live. "That's right, you pay for all of your sins."

"Hey, Lembone, how are we looking?" Allison Taggart popped up into scene and stood next to him, eyes focusing on the screens. "Good fucking shit, you've actually got him trapped down here."

"Fucking right, I did, and it's all thanks to you." Lemuel broke away and gave Allison his attention, leaving forward to plant a light peck on her lips.

Allison shot her hands up and plied Lemuel back. "Save it for later."

"Fair enough, baby," Lemuel agreed. "What's the word?"

"After him, we've got a lot of work that needs to be done. And I've found team member number three."

"Oh? Another shooter?"

"No, our own hacker," Allison corrected. "You know we need that kind of person here. I don't know how to... Well, tech stuff."

"Heh, I hear that!"

"Oh, look! Loud's taken an axe to his chest!" Allison clapped childishly and giggled. "Man, oh man, where's the popcorn?"

"Goodie... At long last, I finally get what I'm due." Lemuel raised a fist right to the monitors. "Die, Lincoln Loud."

Lincoln had turned one right and two lefts into the maze, removing the axe tool that kissed his bare chest. At least he had a weapon, carrying on to find the exit, wherever it was. Up ahead, things got dark; the next few feet of tunnel had not been lit, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell him that a hidden, unknown danger lurked somewhere there. And yet, he went for it, rather than turning back and finding another way. "When I find you, you are through!" His threat echoed through the cave, ceasing after being repeated ten times over. He had an idea; using the axe, he knocked one of the hanging lamps off its place, occupying his free hand with it, and ventured into the dark.

"He won't see it coming!" Lemy vowed angrily. "He can't! Come on, Allie!"

No tripwires this time, or anything as far as he could see. It was either a perfectly concealed trap from any side or psychological warfare paced out to drive him paranoid, and it would have worked if he wasn't a pheno, upgraded to superhuman levels far above the regular default setting. Inferior no more. "BOY!"

There had indeed been a trap laid out, but for this particular one, Lemuel and Allison had modified it greatly last second, the ultimate grand finale that halted Lincoln's advance out of the system. Right on both sides of the tunnel he moved along, two hidden passages were dug out, stopping right at the middle of the darkness. Each end of those had a hole at hip level dug out, providing a peeping hole out into the tunnel- or for shooting away at the intended target.

Lemuel and Allison took cover, armed with double barrels, sticking out the barrels right through the holes. One kill, shared by the both of them, and thus ended the death sport.

Lincoln stopped moving, just mere inches before he closed in on the perfect kill spot, eyeing around the darkness. He felt something was off, but could not point it out in exact. He lowered the lamp and rolled it forward, seeing if it would activate or detonate some explosion. Nothing. But then, the light of the lamp cast off against the barrel on the left just enough for him to break it down. _Oh, I see... _

He hugged the left side of the wall and slowly moved towards the weapon, hands ready to punch through the hiding space and get his opponent. Inches away and no sweat had dripped from his head. He took a deep breath and stood absolutely still before- "I'VE GOT YOU, NOW!"

The shotgun in Lemuel's hands flew forward- but he fired off both shells, and hit Allison instead of Lincoln, buckshot fragments passing right through the other secret passage. Allison fired back before she succumbed to the shells that hit and burrowed into her stomach, slumping right onto her knees, bleeding away helplessly. Her own shots hit jack shit, but Lincoln had found that he didn't bother to check of a second player here- and it drove him more mad that they were getting the better of him. No more.

"AGH! ALLIE, ARE YOU OKAY?!"

"Hey, your priority is me, punk!" Lincoln burst right through the wall like a fierce titan, yanking the shotgun right out of Lemuel's hands before he dealt unto him the well-deserved beating of a lifetime. It started with his knew being driven right up into Lemuel's stomach, followed by the elbowing on the back of his head after the poor boy bent over to grovel in pain. It was that easy up close, but hard up until here, and at long last, the Ungodly Stormbringer had triumphed violently over... "Now you're gonna talk, and as for your friend-"

Allie booked it from there, teleporting away to retreat.

"W-wait, Allie!"

"Then it's just you..." Lincoln broke Lemuel's nose with a punch, taking him as they left the tunnel system, using the secret passage.

**Minutes Later**

Lincoln turned it all upside down right after he learned of the boy's identity; the fifteen-year-old Lemuel Elliot Porter from the state of Arizona, just one of many probable orphans Lincoln had made all those years ago, an idea he never wanted to ponder over.

The little setup Lemuel had here, Lincoln broke apart. All the monitors were broken by punch or ripped out of its place, the tiny armory of some few weapons and explosives, ready for Lincoln's usage, and the few Matrix Portals he had in his possession- it still proved to be sufficient evidence that the two people here were under the payroll of McMahon.

"You surely have a phone," Lincoln insisted, searching thoroughly for a phone or some sort of radio. "You can't hold out the name of your bosses on me forever."

He had tortured Lemy, applying the empty shotgun to his limps and bones, using it as a bat- and it hurt worse than you could imagine. It did for the boy, and, despite all of that pain, the broken kneecaps, the scraped limbs that bled, and his bloodcurdling cries of pure agony, he had a strong will that kept him from talking. That, or he waa telling the truth, not following the orders of anyone. "Is this how? Is this how?!"

"I'm waiting, bucko." He had his torture toy pinned to the wall, furthering the strikes here as the boy would not have any recoil. "Stop that nonsense and just tell me-"

Lemuel broke into a heart, but nervous laughing fit. "How about you tell me, y-you psychotic bastard- Tell me how it felt to know, to actually do it-"

Lincoln used the double barrel as a battering ram and heaved it right onto Lemuel's chest, sufficiently knocking the air out of him. "Where does McMahon sleep?"

"He sleeps..." Lemuel coughed blood at the pheno's feet. "On your dead mother's grave!"

Lincoln kicked his face, hurdling him flat to the ground. "If you so badly want to end your life, kid, so be it." He bent down to lift the boy up and lay him leaning against the wall, leaving him there to reload the shotgun at hand.

"Ehehehe, j-just like them," Lemuel wheezed with his lungs aching. "Patriots... You're not worthy, you will never be worthy to-"

Lincoln returned and stuck the barrel right in his face, finger set on the double trigger. "Last call for that mouth of yours."

"-You will never be a hero."

He blinked, startled by something. Poked by a memory of the dead age, a historic relic of his past.

_Lori had taken the time, going out of her way, to beat him senseless. She did that, whereas the instant penalty for disobeying the Freights, by breaking the rules or risking exposure through sloppy means, was death, a gunshot to the head. Lincoln was he who messed up, losing control and acting out of nothing but that vile rage they so wanted to redirect for their own cause._

_Chandler himself was no merciful deity, and as such, it fell on him to send the boy to either God or below, whichever place Lincoln fated himself for. Rebekka, Cristina, Dana and Fiona were there to witness the execution, but Lori, the sister of this defier, the one to be hung up, pushed away Chandler's gun and moved towards the younger brother to beat him._

_He went through a great deal of being bloodied up, bruised all over, and with only one eye, his left eye not swelling up, he looked on to see big sister Lori facing the would-be executioner, taking and applying the gun right onto her forehead so that she pay the price of his sins against the Freights. She never broke away, never flinched, or so much as trembled with fear. If she had been terrified, he could not tell right off the bat. Chandler understood well that Lori was offering to forfeit for dear brother, and, being touched on a rare occasion, he redirected his gun and went soft, but had the guts to deliver dire punishment by shooting both of her feet. And that was that._

_All of that, and yet, he never walked away body-abled. That beat down she gave- He could never tell if it was his own punishment from her or a quick-thinking act to save him, spare him from a horrible death. Either way, he found himself thinking it. Thinking why she tried to play the heroine here, when none of them were practically worthy of noble acts. Why did she do it? Who was she in that second, when she gave her life up for her dear brother?_

_Hero. Hero. Hero..._

Lincoln closed his eyes. "I could never say that I planned to, I know that much perfectly well."

"And- And yet, you signed up with those bunch of supers, a handful of those mutates," Lemuel countered. "Wh- what did you aim to get out of that?"

Lincoln slid his finger off the trigger, but never moved the firearm from the boy's face. If anything, it was a good question, one that he knew he had the answer with him when he'd been with the Division. It was done to stop Lisa, her agendas, and in the current, go after the multiple loose ends, the messy fallout of all this chaos. All those people, all those victims, that was all that truly counted for him.

But maybe, just maybe, there had always been something else underneath all of that which drove him to play on a different team. Something else that had nothing to do with justice or punishment. He could never be a hero due to his past, and yet... And yet...

"I guess I just don't want to see anyone else fall."

Lemuel's breath shuddered like it was cold all of a sudden, taken aback by what he perceived as a joke, a terrible one told, highly insulting to him. "Anyone else fall?!" He briefly choked in blood before regurgitating it out. "Y-you've- You're a little too late for that, d-don't you think?"

Lincoln drew sympathy from his inner self, feeling the forgotten sensation of mercy possess him. This boy, this shattered soul, the aftermath of his own cruel deeds, had begun to feel like him; it was Lincoln, looking down at a version of himself, said version who had all the same traits on surface level. There was that overpowering anger, the hardened fight that never stopped for him, even at the sight of the end, that lust for dangerous revenge so justified by him who exacted it. "Yeah... Yeah, I just might be, but I'm gonna try, boy. You know why?"

"How's that?"

Finally, he lowered the boomstick, releasing Lemuel from harm. "Because I know what I've done."

"No-" Lemuel pressed a hand against the wall, forcing himself up. "No, you d-don't turn it- D-down from me!"

Lincoln turned his back to Lemuel, choosing to spare the living dead. "I no longer see you as my enemy, you're just another misguided tin man, same as me. Go, do good- Or find me again and we will settle this permanently. Your call."

"N-no, I won't-" Lemuel limped to him. "Kill me or I kill you! You, who left me with nothing to live for-"

Lincoln dropped the shotgun and then rammed right into Lemuel before going off on him. "THEN KILL YOURSELF! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN FOR YOUR OWN SOB STORY, BUT IF ALL YOU'RE GONNA DO IS CRY ABOUT IT AND CHASE AFTER ME-" Lincoln passed spit as he raged right on the boy's face. "I CAN DIRECT MY HATE TO THE UGLIER MONSTERS OF THIS SAD LITTLE WORLD! AND IF I CAN- IF I COULD TO THAT-"

Lemuel shed tears, but maintained his gaze at the man he'd been eager to kill.

"DO GOOD, STOP WASTING YOUR TIME ON ME! FOLLOW IN MY OWN FOOTSTEPS IF YOU'RE AO INCLINED TO SPILL BLOOD, OR DO NOT AND LET GO!" Lincoln huffed and puffed once concluding his fit, deciding he had said all the misguided child needed to hear. And Lemuel did need to hear; a young soul just as him on the path of ravenous vengeance, that Lincoln had known what would be of him. And he would be the one to kill the boy himself. That was the outcome most likely to be, without a doubt.

This was the equivalent of Lori's beating, to help the boy understand his ways and the errors of it. Lincoln passed it down without knowing it, and left it at that. What was left is wondering if those words were such words that he himself needed to hear. Maybe it was, maybe it had been. Either way...

**Royal Woods, Michigan**

He left Lemuel crying, a mirror of a human being broken from both within and the outside. Whether or not he had some resolve left to figure out his next step, whatever conviction to behold, Lincoln would not wait to see the result. Leaving one Matrix Portal for him, he exited the stage, with his destination set to Royal Woods. It'd be the last place anyone would find him, only he assessed that he needed a disguise- his white hair was the alarmijg feature to raise suspicion in everyone who saw him, a man going around with one red duffel bag.

He was bummed to have lost the advanced stuff, which included the ultimate sniper rifle among them, but to each their own.

He dropped right in the middle of a familiar road- and what could life do but present unto him a rather coincidental break? In the peak of daylight, sun shining brightly overhead, Lincoln jumped out to the other lane as a black van came screeching to a sudden halt, mere inches from hitting him. But it wasn't the van that had him settling his blue eyes on it; it had been the two troublesome clones on the front seat, and the Black Network ninja girl in between them, looking right at Lincoln with their horrific surprise. Linka clapped and smiled, applauding as if she had been meeting a celebrity in full-on fangirl mode.

"CLONES!" Lincoln wasted no time in opening the red duffel bag that was once Lemuel's, taking out the loaded shotgun. He fired at the front tires to prevent their escape.

"A shirtless Lincy enters the stage?! I can't make this shit up, baby!" Linka attempted to flirt in the most inconvenient of times.

"Back up, Leven!" Carly urged frightfully. "He's reloading-"

"I'll save us!" Linka unbuckled and dove out of the car, rushing Lincoln. She tackled him and threw her strong punches, striking his upper body. "HELLO, FATHER!"

Lincoln grabbed Linka's little head and performed a headbutt, and additionally drove his knees upward, a combined attack to damage her cranium. Linka let out a heavy cry, being thrown into the pavement mercilessly.

"AGH! SAVE HER, MAN!"

Leven jumped into the fight, body moving on its own. "You and me this time!"

"Sounds good to me, clone," Lincoln poked.

"THON OF A BITCH BWOKE MY NOTHE!" Linka wailed. She then laughed and brought upon the only trick she had up her sleeve. "MANEUVER ONE, MANEUVER ONE! MOVE!"

Leven quickly moved in front of the van- letting the automated Kapacity Korp vehicle thunder past and hit Lincoln at a rapid fifty-five miles per hour, sending him flying through the calm air. Carly jumped out of the van and went over to Linka, helping her up.

"Leven, weapons! Look, gunnies!"

Leven went for the duffel bag, leaving only behind the empty double barrel for the downed Lincoln, who laid in the grass in grand pain. "To the car! Quickly!"

They all entered the toner whip, settling for this over running. Linka navigated it from there and escaped with her crew right towards town- and the car engine had already been damaged enough unbeknownst to them, due to Lincoln's impacted force upon it. Soon, they'd break down with an overheated engine. Soon, they'd be halted at Rennis Orphanage, where Lacy, Lupa, and Link-B were hiding in. And soon, an insane war for the lives of all five clones would begin, while Lincoln would ultimately catch up to them.

* * *

**AN: Choose your side, readers; Team Lincoln, the anti-clone team, or Team Luna, the pro-clone team. It won't be a balanced thing, I could tell you Lincoln is the only force on this side, but I could also say he gets favor from the other Louds. Regardless, it's gonna be bigger than the original one, and the ending- This thing which I have never thought to create. It's the perfect thing that breaks down one such Loud. I'm not hyping it, I just like how it works out in terms of development for those involved. **

**Getting back to the main chapter plot; Here's Lemy Loud, except, he's not Lemy Loud. He's just this teenager who lost his parents because of Lincoln, in the very same way Vince Ventura had back in the original fic. Can I say that Lemy is going to step up to that very same role? No, he's not gonna be the VV of this fic. And also, VV will not be a part of this. I renounce that character, and the creator has moved on from the fandom. Hell, I bet you might not even have known him. Man, that was years ago. However, I do have a character, the main villain of this story, if you will, who has not made his official appearance yet, but he has been mentioned only once, in this fic. As of now, this person is in the shadows, watching everyone make their move, and for Act IV, he will be the big bad for that. Quote me on that, he's coming real soon. **

**Oh, right. Silly me, I strayed from mister Lemuel. His name, that's one of my headcanons here, and I'm feeling pretty good that I brought him in and gave him a sad background, just as ugly as Lincoln. I want to parallel them together, side by side, as much as I could here. Two halves of the same coin, but the difference in Lemy is that he is still young at heart, having the ability to change course the devil had set him on. Whether he will or not... Does *not* depend on him. I mean, he's working with this version of Allie Loud, whom you know is working with the enemy. He's part of their agenda, but neither he nor Lincoln has uncovered it. So, yes, more Lemy and Allie working together in their own little corner down the line.**

**Next, the chapter with the name that should be familiar to you. Finally taking a look into the life of Loanne not-Loud, featuring Chester. You know what that means. Or do you?**


	25. Chapter 25

**July 15th, 2030 - Hollywood, California**

"Hey, good morning, it's me- Ahem, good morning, it's me- It- It's me!" The young woman of long blonde hair running down to her shoulders, and the woman had also a row of bangs that added to her being more of irresistible eye candy to the collective of men who slobbered at her gorgeous image. Couldn't really blame them, Loanne Wardell was a looker of pale-white skin, captivating blue eyes, a awxy physique, and an adorable voice that had the additional perk of an adorable giggle, that in itself was in its own category.

Here was the young adult of twenty three years of age, an actress famously known for a couple of sitcom shows, these shows being _Family Matters, The Life And Times Of Olivia Winston, Wonderful Memory Lane, _and _Losertown. _For her, it had started out in the smaller roles, making cameos at around her teen years, which led to the agents inquiring on her involvement for the bigger roles. She thought of it as nothing but a great case of lucking out- but it didn't end there.

Who would have thought that Loanne Wardell would make a big name for herself in the timeless drama _What She'd Been Missing_? Certainly not her, nor her close circle of friends and family. She could have been too grateful for it, her role, the riches and fame that fell in front of her like a path being set by the god of fortune. She made no mistake and enjoyed it- But yet, she had been feeling like she was sorely missing something. This, she knew not what, nor how to, let alone, put it in words.

Her baby blue dress had not sustained any imperfection visible to the naked eye for all the time Loanne Wardell had been sitting on the stool, looking in the mirror of her own dressing room on the set of _Dementiation, _the latest in her career. This one was a horror movie blended of a psychological film with gothic vibes to it, and could not be done by any simple cookie-cutter visionary. Lines were read with her fellow cast members, mainly with Jennifer Welch, the second main actress to share the spotlight with Loanne.

"Good morning- Good- Ahem, good morning, I'm Loanne, and-" Her pet peeve was enunciating vocally on a clear note, as well as maintaining the perfect tone when conversing around the interviews and guest appearances, however little they were. Truth be told, Loanne was a woman with a minor case of stage fright, and a greater case of claustrophobia; crowds weren't as good as she'd want them to be, but hey, there wasn't much of that around the set. "I'm- I'm Loanne!"

"You sure are, blondie!" came the lovely voice of her co-star, the open-minded, vocal Jennifer Welch. Jennifer Welch, one of your old classmates with a fixation for the punk rock, grown to be twenty-two and a slight deviation from her past hobbies and interests. Her mouth was as big as her heart, facial features small to an adorable level, including beady green eyes. Her hair had been the short, Pixie style she always adored- usually it was black, but the role had called for her to dye, and it couldn't be a wig, which was of her decision to take for going about it with pure authenticity.

Jennifer had finished up her make-up, prepped up in the clothes of her character; a green track jacket and cargo shorts, considering her character was a tomboy.

"Hey, don't you know to knock?" Loanne blasted, eyeing the approaching Jennifer through the mirror.

"Hey, don't you know to wrap it up?" Jennifer set her soft hands on Loanne'a shoulders, shaking her about. "Come on, Loanne-star, you're like three minutes late."

"And you're not?" Loanne rolled her eyes.

"I'm blaming you- and it's true, you're holding me back-" The brunette leaned down as Loanne twisted her head backwards so that she could get another one of those soft, warm kisses from the latter. Their eyes closed, beings ascending to a dreamland, even if it was a brief moment gliding through the garden of the angels. "Mmmm," Jennifer lightly moaned.

It wasn't a long-timer that they shared, but lo and behold, Loanne and Jennifer were a thing, had been long enough to know how it felt and what it was. Jennifer had opened up to her sexuality with no fear, and Loanne took baby steps to swallow the fear and confide in the woman of her own claiming romantic feelings. She was glad to have, even if might have been a painfully slow process at that. Lovers around the clock, but lovers keeping it under the surface on the set. Away from all of this, one could get that they'd hang out, but not go on dates just yet. Certainly not with the amount of papazarri popping up here and there.

Jennifer pulled away and lifted Loanne out of her stool. "I mean it! Go, go!"

"Agh, you're gonna tip me over!" Loanne joked.

"I'd rather be tipping you down on my bed and stripping you down to a T," Jennifer teased, putting a finger on her bottom lip in a seductive manner.

"J-Jenny!" Loanne gently slapped her unrestrained lover, blushing and laughing all the same. "Not out loud!"

"Hey, what can I say? I'm just in love with all of you..." She grabbed Loanne by her hands, pulling her forward and hugging her. "Tonight, my place, just you, me, and some Marvin Gaye playing while I have my way with you."

"Oh, you, never afraid to speak your mind." Loanne rubbed her hands on her partner's back with sheer grace, half-closing her eyes. "That's just as dangerous as it is brave, sweetums."

"You say that, and yet I'm here, safe and sound!" Jennifer broke the hug, returning to leading Loanne out of her dressing room for the next few hours of filming scenes of the horror movie.

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter III: What She Was Missing**

* * *

**Four Hours Later**

The break had come, and Loanne found her time to walk out of the green screen set. A bunch of cameramen and advisors were here and there, talking over each other in relation to the scenes. It was quite the hard work, such that Loanne could not ever imagine or understand, even in Layman's Terms, but she was damn grateful for working with the crew. Lunchtime called upon for her to have a yummy pair of tuna sandwiches, a side salad, and a lemon-lime, preferably her favorite soda brand. The lunchbox, a mere plastic container in a brown bag, sat in a red locker at the far end, awaiting master's hungry stomach.

She went at it alone, taking seat at one of the dark brown benches there had been. _Thanks, Warner Bros, _she thought to herself, opening up the container and taking a bite out of one of her tuna sandwiches. Not even before swallowing up the first bite did she get a visitor, one member of the camera crew.

"H-hello," greeted the man, a golden-brown short-haired man, hair combed to one side while looking just one trim away from a military buzz cut, with an interestingly firm butt chin that seemed almost cartoonish, if not inhuman at most, packed in a blank white tee and average blue jeans. "Hi- Um, sorry to disturb your lunch, but um- I'm- I'm actually a big fan of your work-"

"Oh, well..." Loanne wasn't expecting an interruption like this. "Hehe, I'm flattered, really! I gotta admit, you're a brave one of the guys over there. Hey, do you have a pen or something? Maybe I can sign something for you."

"Ahhhh, oh, I'd love that," the man clapped with fanboyish content. "Oh, I'm sorry, my manners seemed to have eluded me! I'm Chester Flanagan, and I know you-" He held out his hand firmly, revealing an additional smile that took up the entirety of the bottom half of his face. That smile, it was not a rather pleasant one, but a creepy one- it was like a cross from a monster's sinister, grim one that had the aura of malicious intent stinking around it, and that of a game show host's prize-winning smirk, where it was just perfect, all pearly whites gleaming in view of the cameras that focused on it. Loanne could not decide whether she was fascinated or disturbed by the smile, so she merely formed one back- and her smile was wiggly at most, awkwardly formed while trying deliberately to not be phased by it.

Loanne ended up shaking his hand, touch brushing upon a cold hand with a strong grip, maybe too strong for her as she felt her fragile hand nearly break when during their handshake. "Oh, my, that's... Quite a strong grip."

"Hey, yeah!" Chester, the thirty-something-year-old man, took it as a compliment from the actress. "I carry around a lot of setup, you know, walking around and so much! Ugh, it's a hassle."

Loanne only smiled at him and nodded, then focused back on her sandwich for a second bite.

"Um..." Chester felt he had been cast aside, and then made sure that she recognized his presence again by switching to a random topic. "Oooh, what is that, tuna?"

"Um," Loanne raised a finger and waved it forward to him, "Didn't you want my autograph?"

"Oh, right, I'm-!" Chester then laughed- and by Loanne's own opinion, it was a laugh that truly sjook her nerves. It was a sort of maniacal chuckle of a high-pitch variety, as if he had just finished some sort of sick game- or watching episodes of _Two And A Half Men _somewhere past the eighth season. Let's face it, they did Charlie Sheen completely injustice. Either way, one could agree it was a deadly cackle that could unsettle the average mass, and for Loanne, it rattled her jumbos instantly. "I'm g-gonna go, I'll be right back, okay?"

"Do t-take your time," Loanne squeaked nervously. _Man, what a nutcase._

Chester bounced back on his feet and raced away from Loanne, finally letting her have some good bites in between the time she had before he came back scampering. He wasn't a weirdo, but rather a real creep at most, with features and characteristics on the border of someone who was a mental patient in some mental ward around. It was terrifying to say the least, but she remembered that Chester was part of film crew; maybe he was just that, maybe he was a total fanatic who could not hold it together at the sight of her. Him, just like hundreds of thousands of crazed fans who wrote fanmail, made vary suggestive, explicit comments here and there, and for one, had likely masturbated to her. It wasn't as disgusting when she would think of it, but all the same, she'd never wish to meet up with those types of people.

Speaking of him, the older man had come back not only with a marker, but two cans of sprite in his hands. "I- I figured you'd like this- Couldn't see a drink on you."

_Oh great, he's being a little too creepy... _Loanne smiled and took one of the cans, setting it down on her lap as she finished her first sandwich. "Haha, thanks, I-" She did look down on the soda and had noticed very briefly that it was only slightly opened. "Oh-"

Chester opened his and sat next to her. "Hey, what's-?" He saw hers seemed to be a bad can, and offered his to her. "Hey, I didn't sip mine so let's switch."

"Oh, that's alright, I-"

"No, no. i insist!"

The way Loanne perceived it was that he wanted that can, the can that she touched, merely so that he can keep it and sell it on EBay or something. This move was not creepy, but rather a cruel one, and she felt taken advantage of in an uncomfortable manner. "Oh... Okay, fine, here-"

They made the switch- and Chester put his changed can down near his feet. "Oh, right-" He had the black marker dangling by the collar of his shirt, pulled it out and gave it to Loanne. "Maybe... Maybe the can, here-"

_Bastard, this was your ploy! _Loanne felt truly bamboozled, but was a woman to not make a fuss over something so small. It didn't call for her to throw a hissy fit over him using her to make a little extra cash. Maybe he needed it, or perhaps she was assuming too far, giving him too much credit for being some con guy over a real fanatic. Either way, she didn't like both possibilities. "Assuming it won't be wiped so easily, sure!"

Loanne signed the goods and returned the market, to which she began to sip from the soda that would have been his. Stranger still, Chester showed off his devious-looking grin once she did so, and she hadn't noticed until she turned back to him and nearly jumped from the look. Maybe it was him being content with his prize, the can with her signature on it. But it wasn't it.

"Um, what's with the smile?" Loanne tried to pretend she wasn't alarmed or spooked.

"Oh, nothing, I just hope you enjoy that soda..." Things took a dastardly turn for the worst in those next few critical seconds; Loanne felt dizzy, and her eyes rendered the picture perfect sight of everything in front of her to a distorted, blurry level.

_"I just hope you enjoy that soda..." _

Loanne dropped her beverage upon realization it had been spiked by Chester, letting it fall and spill on the concrete floor. As for her, she got up and opened her mouth to scream, but the noise that emitted was nothing short of a girly yelp, and then, down went the actress, falling hard and flat on her stomach.

_"Enjoy that soda..."_

**Later - Elsewhere**

Loanne was in for the shock of her life when she woke up- and woke up tied tightly to a chair, bound and gagged by a rag, and in some place she could not identify at first glance. She observed her surroundings, nothing that she was in some room engulfed in darkness save for a source of light right behind her. It was a round window that so implied it truly was a room- or so it seemed. She focused on the darkness the light had no touch on, wondering what was within it that she could not see.

Loanne started tapping her feet rapidly. This projected a wooden sound, the sound of planks, echoing off the room. She screamed through the rag tied around her mouth, to no avail. Who could ever hear that muffle in a place like this? Surely she should have known, and she didn't know it, for she kept screaming louder and louder, muffles becoming aggressive by the second. Nothing. No living soul had arrived, nor would they, but the only soul to do so would be-

_OH, MY GOD, OH, MY GOD, I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY THAT CREEP! _Loanne whimpered, beginning to try a new tactic by leaning over on one side and then to the other. She rotated on repeat back and forth, swaying to try and break free. What she really managed to do was fall on the right side and hit her head on the wood planks, which caused another headache for her. Everything had become hopeless just as it had played out in her mind. Her heart rate elevated out of fear, her mind tried to find an out of this shitstorm.

She closed her eyes, heart still beating wildly up to the point she was hyperventilating. It was horrifying, it was insane. She was one of those people she'd see and hear about on the news. Loanne Wardell, kidnapped, and for what? What was it that Chester sought out to do with at? Was he in it for rape? His own actual sick pleasure of getting all handsy on Loanne? Maybe she was a good mine, and he could sell- No, that would be too suspicious, save for that stupid can. Loanne put it into her head by herself and gave herself all the paranoid reason to tremble at the sight of her deranged kidnapper.

Right in that moment, the fiend himself had made his evil presence known. He came up the ladder after a bright light shone off from the floor, and it was here that Loanne finally solved that she was in the attic of some house, probably his. Chester, sporting a lavender shirt and khakis this time, came into the attic, tugging the dangling switch on, which brightened their changing worlds. "Hello, my lovely," Chester greeted diabolically, "How was your nap?"

"MMMMM! MMM-MM!" She pleaded with him not to get near her, but her words weren't, and what could she really do in this scenario?

He made slow footsteps, keeping his special grin in place. It looked much like a game, and it was a one-sider that benefited him only, and the poor blonde, the game's loser, was to be ravaged by him either physically or much, much worse. At this point, Loanne had stopped her muffled yells, crying away with her eyes graduating to a dreaded red. Whatever he planned, whatever the sadistic goal was here, she hoped it was faster than the speed of sound, she had to get it over with. "Mmmm..."

Right at his feet, she lain a helpless doll, prepared for the worst. His freaky smile flipped upside down without warning, and she found him to be lifting her up by the chair, followed by a hidden rage that burst out of him as if there was a volcano laying dormant. "YOU LITTLE FUCKING WHORE, I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO LIKE BOTH SEXES!"

Loanne twitched- just one second right before Chester performed a nasty punch right on her stomach, then her perfect face. She took the abuse head on, force strong enough to have her fall right back down, this time on her back. For her, things became hazy yet again, but on a sharper, more painful level. She coughed up the blood to paint the wooden floor, sniffing away for the unbelievable atrocity her own mind could not actually deter as live. And yet it happened, the actual beating of one Loanne Wardell took place here, was taking place here by a piece of human garbage cameraman Chester Flanagan. No answer as to why, but did it matter? The psycho was getting what she thought he wanted, it was all that mattered.

At least, until she let his words be processed in the gears of her mind. "Mmm...?"

Chester yanked off the rag once bending over, facing right down to Loanne so close to her own face that he could practically kiss her. "You, you're just like them!" Chester growled. "An attention-seeker who pretends to be attracted- Attracted to men and women! Well, I don't believe in that-"

"What-?!" Loanne managed to croak out. "Y-you-" She was dramatically appalled to know the very reason she was being put in harm's way was due to her sexuality. "What?!"

Chester laid his hand on her mouth and choked her, but let go before she could turn blue. "Oh yeah, fuck you, bitch! You can't have everything when we get absolutely nothing! Oh, I'll show you... I'll fucking show you the price to pay for being a slut-"

Loanne dropped blood again. "What- What are you-?" She coughed. "I didn't-" Which begged the question; how did he know of her sexuality? As fast as it came, it hit her like a freight train. "J-Jen! What did you do to my Jenny?!"

"You look and focus on me!" Chester raised a leg, connecting it to her pelvis. "I AM THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH!"

Loanne reeled in twisted agony, sorely wishing she could curly up and make herself comfortable while she writhed about. "Fuck- Fuck you!"

"NO, FUCK YOU, YOU NEEDY BITCH!" Chester pressed a foot against her face and attempted to crush it, but then rotated it back and forth. It broke her nose and caused more blood to jot out. "I'm going to make your inevitable death last!"

"ARGHHHHH! WHY, WHY, WHY?!" Loanne hurled out of her system. "WHY ARE YOU-?!"

"WHY AM I?!" Chester released his foot. "BECAUSE YOU BISEXUALS ARE CHEATERS! TIME AND TIME AGAIN-" He kicked her again. "CUTE GUY THIS, HOT GIRL THAT! YOU MAGGOTS CAN'T COMMIT! ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?!"

"Y-yes- I am, I am-"

"I DOUBT IT!" Chester never stopped beating the young woman. He punched, he kicked, he made sure his own voice and actions were heard, loud and clear. He beat her senseless, keeping her on the floor while she bled more. Her left eye had gone black, barely able to open up. Scars formed around her face, inflicted upon by his merciless kicks. Next was the tugging of her hair, bringing out the unholy, shattered screams of her voice. It was to his enjoyment, the marinating of the meat.

More than anything, the blond man found it in his heart, the lonely, broken heart, to pan the blame on the girl of his dreams, Julie Heisner, a long-time love interest, when she turned him away not for some other man, but a woman. Now, before that, he knew- he felt- in his own heart and mind that she was interested in him. What had changed? Did he mess up? Was he slow to act? Or was it the hobbies? The hobbies in which were not the conventional ones, but were more built to be the counteracting solutions to anger issues.

Right, it was what he had, who he was, and the beast that could very well break his mind and take over. Chester Flanagan, victim of sexual abuse and abandonment primarily, both issues adding to make him a madman, one such human being disturbed, deranged, and fueled on endless rage. This was him here, the man who told himself that every other woman like Julie was a plague of a person, such who needed to be wiped out. If you had to ask him yourself, he would not lie and confess that he did Julie in, and in between her and Loanne, there had been fourteen bisexual women all beaten, tortured and dismembered the same way he had grown accustomed to. Next to die was Loanne.

Loanne, just a few more tough hits away from it now. Chester wasn't letting up, until the second figure, an angel of Loanne's dreams, had come in sneaking around the attic as slowly as possible. The being was Jennifer, bruised and bloody just as Loanne was, but with mobility. In her hands was a kitchen knife being gripped tightly, rising upwards. She wasn't as tall as Chester, but her hands would be all the difference. Jennifer had no other thought than to end the life of the psychotic man- and that's what she did when she brought it down with all her strength, driving it right to his head.

Loanne gasped and winced as the body had fallen next to her. "Oh- Oh, God- Jen!"

"H-hey..." Her breathing was all but heavy, made possible for the large knife that had penetrated her heart from behind- that she didn't take out at all. She could no longer keep her life, having given it her all just to save the love of her life. "I'm... Sorry."

And the poor brunette succumbed to her fatal wound, dying in the attic with Loanne still present.

**July 28th, 2030**

Loanne rested comfortably in terms of physical, but not within her own mind. She had become more shifty around the thought of knowing there could very well be some sick fuck out there with the mind to replay the hell she endured. And of course, she lost her partner, Jennifer, the one who probably let him know about them to begin with, not that Loanne could blame her for it. Life became more terrifying, driving her to develop a sense of calamitous paranoia. She had a shrink to pop in and out, talk and counsel her way out, and the crew who visited them- She was not so hot on it, and they understood why. Movie not cancelled but production had halted for an unknown time until she came back safe and sound, but even then, Loanne had been expressing herself to pull her own plug from it.

She learned nothing from the case, didn't wish to. It was on the news, an inevitable thing. At least the details were covered up, serving as only a case of obsessed man kidnapping two actresses for his own pleasure, nothing more than that, and no one had reason to look into it. Didn't matter, Loanne lived and sweet, pretty Jen didn't. It hurt beyond her comprehension. There was also that fear of looking into a mirror; she'd known she would feel a difference the next time she would, which was why she held off on it.

The door of her own room had been left open per her request, but a guard assigned exclusively to her was around to ensure her safety. It was fine, for the most part. Loanne just looked out the window, wondering. Wondering...

A teenager with long brown hair had just happened to arrive at the hospital and passed her room- and then reversed to notice the almighty Loanne Wardell alive and in the flesh. "Ooooooh, my God!"

Loanne took notice and spotted whom she thought was a fan, a real one this time. "Oh, hi," she greeted, waving from inside.

Lyra cupped her mouth, gasping through. "Oh, she just-! Eeeeek!" This was her on fangirl mode.

The guard attached to Loanne closed in to move her, but Loanne called out to him. "No, it's fine, she can come in... I'm lacking visitors anyway."

Lyra ran up to the actress with a goofy, wide smile, eager to meet one of her many idols. "Hi, I'm Lyra! Lyra Laude, I'm uh, a huge fan- Heh, um, I bet you get enough of people like me- Ha, s-sorry, it's my first time- You're my first one, I should be going slow-"

Loanne snickered. "What is the context, Lyra?" she joked about.

Lyra turned ridiculously red in the face and tugged on her purple leather jacket. "Uh, m-meeting an actor or actress, I'm sorry."

"Don't be a prude!" Loanne assured it was fine for Lyra. "If anything, I'm sorry. My good hand isn't feeling so hot, or I'd be giving you an autograph."

"Aw- I mean, no, that's fine. It's fine." Lyra nodded about, letting her smile fade. "I... I have to thank you for some of your shows. They were funny and they got me through a rough childhood, s-so thank you. I mean it, thank you so much."

Loanne studied her facial expression, rapidly noting Lyra's sincerity all the same. "Oh? D-did it really?"

Lyra nodded again. "You have no idea."

Loanne brought herself to smile. "Well, that makes me feel good inside, Lyra. Thank you for being a fan, you're an awesome gal. Say, maybe you could take a picture with me, that'd be just as great as an autograph."

"Oooh, it would... If I had a phone..." Lyra slyly confessed.

"What?" Loanne was surprised. "What girl wouldn't have a phone? I'm sorry, how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen, and... I mean I didn't bring it with me," Lyra explained.

"Oh, I see, you came here in a rush, right?" Loanne looked outside again. "I'll be here, go, go meet whoever you-" Turning around, she saw that Lyra had already gone away, and she hadn't heard any footsteps at all. "Yeah, fly away, little bird. Fly home."

What she was missing; the very thing it might have been, now no longer one such thing anymore, for a dark event had taken place in her life and stripped much of her, leaving her with half of who she had been, maybe even less. Loanne Wardell, broken and infected with the diseases that would spread, plaguing her mind to fear the monsters lying in wait on the corners, cracks and crevices. The shadows, the places where no sunlight passed through. The place of endless nothingness, the black despair, the lifeless woods. The home. The home of one such entity without one would become that vessel that was all but upbeat and positive.

Loanne Wardell had become the host to the Shadow Demon created long ago, previously attached to Lisa Loud and James Shepherd, influencing rage from deep within. And if it could do such a thing that easily, Loanne Wardell could not be, nor would ever, an exception to it.

The Shadow Demon and Loanne would soon become good friends, and from there, the birth of terror would shake upon the earth. The terror.

* * *

**AN: 4chan threads have some good justice going on and will make sure you credit the right people for their OCs. Can't say I don't do that, steal an OC. **

**Chester belongs to Trillhouse. Not sure what the last name is, but I did my own thing. Now, I don't know about you, but my Chester iteration is drawn (not to fullest extent) in influence the MCU version of Bullseye. I saw it and I wanted to do that right away, which didn't happen. Plan stayed the same; evil Chester targeting bisexuals which is drawn from that "they're likely to cheat more" idea I've come across a great many times. That's probably gonna set off some folk, I get that, I just wanted to depict a conflict about this in particular. **

**Loan in the Loudverse, Loanne in the Loudiverse, you name it, I change it to offer new because old lines are dumb on repeat. Reruns? Nah, new episodes. Loanne and Shadow Demon Excetum, bet you didn't see that coming, did you? Boom, babies, Loanne will be the first ever host to have a full dynamic with him/it, bleurgh. The concept of this came to when when someone else offered a Loan/Symbiote (Venom) fusion. Not to steal, but credit to him for rolling the ball that rolled mines. **

**In other words, I say this because I'm reshaping their concept and adapting and say I'm not is denying otherwise. Yes I am, and he's not good people, D has no regrets. **

**So this might be the only Chester appearance, can't say for certain at this time. **

**Originally, Linka was considered a part of this chapter, serving as Loanne's savior here, as hinted on one of the Test Footage chapters I've made way back when. This would have been speedy on her arc. Don't worry, Loanne's future will see her on the front lines, first glimpse here meeting Lyra, and will soon come to meet Lemy, Leia, Lupa... Etc. **

**Next up, the continuation of the Lyle/Lindsey story, followed by the Clone War. **

* * *

Lyra reached the room of Lynnette Loud, the young teenager with no such background or identification. As expected, cops had taken over the room, having been assigned to this person of interest caught at a crime scene. The scene where a battle had happened. Lynnette had gone ahead and disgraced herself. _Idiot..._

Lyra stopped just short of the right room, took a deep breath, and let her zoomer powers do much of the talking; she raced in, ramming right through the door. The two officers on either side of the door blew back on their sides. Lyra had shoved a third from inside right into the wall, and took upon a fourth.

The blonde Lynnette ceased her sleeping act and moved out of her bed, taking her claws out and slashing the cop that stood right over her. He screamed, leading her to throw him up into the ceiling with the green reptilian tail she brought to the party. "You're way late, sis."

"I didn't think you'd make a move on him this fast!" Lyra slapped on her, storming to the window.

"Make a move on him? What are you, fucking incestuous?" Lynnette looked down at the hospital gown they put on her. "Work on your context or wording while I find my fucking clothes."

"No!" Lyra grabbed Lynnette with one arm and sent her flying out the window. "We have to go!"

"A LITTLE MORE WARNING-!" Lynnette landed on top of a land rover over the parking lot, flat on her back. Lyra raced down sideways and came lifting Lynnette up on her back. "HEY!"

"If I'm gonna carry you, I will!"

Lynnette pushed herself off. "No, do not baby me! I am no one's baby!"

"Hey, you found Lincoln, right? You know, daddy?"

"Yeah...?"

"Is- Is he how they described him?" Lyra gulped while asking.

"Find out for yourself," Lynnette answered. "Trail is hot."

And she led the way, putting them on the journey to find the one and only Lincoln Loud.

* * *

**Time travelers have essentially critical roles in the lore, and there are plenty of them, and for Act V, one such alteration shapes the future of Dawn. May not want to miss Timeline X this time. Time. Ehehehe. I should probably post teases on Tumblr again.**


	26. Chapter 26

**July 18th, 2030 - Two Hours Later**

Lyle Jefferson still had the drive to keep going, but Lindsey Sweetwater, the girl who had less energy and stamina than him, had been going rather slow and delayed their rush order to flee southbound.

For one, their plans were all shot up to high hell when Alexander Elmont, your average spook working in the shadows under the government payroll, came in and tranked them involuntarily while they trekked to his place, where he hoped his family would be. It was an interestingly perilous obstacle to say the least, one that not even Lyle's canine senses could so easily detect. Lo and behold, the two phenos whom had shared a cell in Dadetown, Colorado had entered a more fiercer world made up of deadlier allies and foes- none of which they'd have agreed to be affiliated with, nor to take part of the hubbub where bloodshed and chaos befell them. Surely not the ideal lifestyle. Lindsey had accepted what she'd been sold, and had misguided herself on the path where she thought no harm could come to pass, the path where she'd have her justice on those whom took her away from her family, as well as all the others Vial Corporation had snuck onto cells. And she understood the danger during the fall of the Patriot Division, getting scared of the storm.

Lyle, thank God for Lyle, the sweet, kind and gentle soul worthy of praise from social media users, had not once given her the lip or berated her. It was to say that was all due to him following her, and maybe, just maybe, he never strayed away in a different direction solely because it was his duty to watch over her, a good, loyal friend to the end. Lindsey could have never lucked out greater than this. A friend, and yet her young heart had started racing around the track field of love.

He carried her on piggyback, jogging through the streets around lower Manhattan, passing through apartment buildings, low-tier family shops and laundromats. The thirteen-year-old had gone hungry, and Lyle was only thinking of panhandling for quick cash, or to quickly find and fill a service around immediately.

Lyle was not one to acquire essentials through illegitimate means, even as desperate as they would become down the line. As of yet, nothing had really changed for the pair apart from the increased enormity of the dangers they faced.

Once upon a time, Lyle was a kid living in a good home with two good parents and an older sister in a small town of Tennesse- which was their current objective. Who knew if they'd still be there waiting for Lyle's return? Who could ever say that they never sold the house and moved out to some other town, or maybe state? It wasn't there to make a worry wort out of him, but there was always that slim, faint chance. And for Lindsey, her reunion with her family had reached a dead end when it had been discovered directly that the Sweetwater clan was no longer living in her old home. She had that chance elude her without ever knowing that it had, all hope having been taken away from her.

That was why Lyle had to carry out his hope, where his had not left home, and that Lindsey could be given hospitality while a search for the Sweetwater family. It shouldn't be that hard, he'd imagine, but lack of even the basic of technology deterred them from a proper investigation.

"I'm also tired, Lyle." Lindsey moaned abruptly, stroking the long sandy-blond hair on him. "How far is... What was the town's name?"

"Little Harley," Lyle answered. "I wish it wasn't that freaking far, honestly..."

Lindsey had too been dismayed by the estimated length of their journey. "Mmmm... Don't you have any extended family here? Something that can help us go about it faster?"

Lyle ventured through a short path in between two buildings, presumably to stop. "Actually," Lyle began to recollect, "I do know of a distant cousin who's a cop, if I remember right. It's either Margo or Marla, I don't recall, but she's in New York-"

"Which is where we've passed by!" Lindsey wailed. "How dare you tell me this now?!"

"I... My apologies, I didn't think about extended family. I'm not exactly close to most of them, not even... Marley."

"Her last name is Jefferson, right?" Lindsey wondered.

"Uh... I mean, sure if she didn't marry," Lyle fondly answered. "It's been longer than me being taken, if anything."

"Oh..." Lindsey groaned. "Ugh, what the hell? Let's turn it around and find the yellow pages. There's gotta be a book around there-"

Something in the corner of her eye; the poster of the four missing FBI agents waa barely loose, flapping its corners about to no end. She was drawn to it like candy being handed to a sweet tooth, grasping upon a curiosity of an interest, and even moreso when she immediately recognized one of the four missing agents. "Hey, look!" Lindsey turned Lyle's head to the poster. "That woman was with us back there!"

Lyle examined the poster top to bottom. The fact that Lynn Loud, the zoomer in a red and white suit, had been law enforcement prior to their group involvement did not act as shock value, but the other fact was; in clear daylight, there was that facial front photo that belonged to none other than Margo Jefferson, and her name hashed out in bold, black lettering. "Oh, dear."

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter IV: Bittersweet**

* * *

"Okay, okay, so maybe it's not so bad!" Lindsey attempted to diffuse the difficulty of this new development. "Maybe your cousin has been found! I mean, it says they all vanished since May! It's an old ad, Lyle, nothing more!"

"I had no idea that Lynn woman was partners with Margo... Then again, I don't know squabble about her."

"FBI agent went missing- Why don't we go asking around there? Surely, they know something, right?"

Lyle looked upwards to the sky. "Not a good idea, I'd say."

"Well, we- We have to try something, anything!" Lindsey screeched. "I mean, apart from going a long way to Tennessee!"

"I concur, Margo is likely to have contact with my folks, but snooping directly around her workplace, of a law enforcement agency, well..." Lyle nudged his shoulders. "Tell me you see what's wrong."

"Oh, we shouldn't be facing any trouble!" Lindsey brushed innocently. "Not if we keep moving fast."

"That's really assuring, Lindsey, thank you."

"Aw, you know what I mean, Lylie-poo!" Little Miss Redhead kissed the top of her best friend. "Let's not worry about all of that now."

"Hey, Lindsey?" Lyle readjusted in carrying her and ventured back onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah?"

"We'll find your family, I promise on my soul."

Lindsey twitched, losing the enthusiasm of her spiritual tone. She recalled it again, playing the memory over in her mind. Lindsey, right in front of the entrance, had knocked upon the birch white door, flustered with grand hope and excitement. Her heart throbbed with pure, giddy excitement, ready to see mommy, daddy and brother again. And right as the door knob turned, right as the other side of the door had become occupied, the happiness took its exit and fled from this place, replaced forever by the odd look and soft, formal greeting of a complete stranger that currently owned the old Sweetwater place.

Just like then, the sharp knife of that precise downward spiral hurt her perfectly, its serrated blade cutting down her heart in half. Nothing more in this life could ever amount to getting back to her family, not even her own life.

She rested her chin upon Lyle's head, falling into the vat of pain that left her empty and dead inside. "It's a big world, man... No empty promises are needed-"

"Hey, don't be all hopeless on me, we have to stay positive until we find your family-"

"And then what?" It was this question in particular that had the power to distract Lyle, make him stop and think about it. All he could really say to it was that he had no such idea, his agenda had been fully set on getting Lindsey back home safe and sound, while he continued to pray to the good Lord they'd be in His safe hands until the end of the line. If only things were easier, like the current resident of the old Sweetwater place having some clue that would lead them to the finish line. He did, he really did give it all the thought, but what was there after?

What _really_ was there after Lindsey went back to her world? What, for him?

"Well..." Lyle hadn't the answers, but he did have a response for the redhead. "Anything can happen, I guess. I do have a life, just like you, ya know? I'm gonna make an educated guess and say we're looking at a whole lot of testifying both verbally and written."

"Yeah, pheno this, illegal experimentation that..." Lindsey near lifelessly ran a finger around his hair. "C-can I tell you something?"

"Of course you can," Lyle accepted. "What's on your mind?"

"Well..." Lindsey faked coughing and cleared her throat for drama points. "It's- It's about us, and... Well, I know what you mean when you say we have lives but, I... I wanna say I don't want us to end-"

"End?"

"Nuh-not like a relationship-" Lindsey hiccuped, "I mean, you know friends- I don't want to lose touch with you..."

"Oh? And...?"

"I felt- I mean, I figured that it would be weird to t-tell uou, seeing as how I didn't- In the cell, we started out complete strangers, and I can't help but think our beginning carries over as the end of us."

"Hmmm, I see," Lyle wondered about. "It... Surely overwrites the stuff earlier- I mean, restructures what we've gone over."

"Uh...?"

"I mean, change. I know it'd scare you and I alike, but this here, what you're saying is that you've gotten used to me, and you don't want me to walk out of your life."

Lindsey blushed, thankful that she had not been facially visible to Lyle. "Psshhhh... Yeah... Man! I mean, you're cool, ha! A cool guy friend who helped me, talked to me, and... Actually, you're- And don't take this the wrong way- Great boyfriend material."

"Sounds like a compliment to be taken the wrong way," Lyle laughed lightly. "I'm flattered, but I have you to thank just as I do myself. I'd like to think we've taught each other a great deal of things back there, and I'm grateful for it, are you?"

"L-Lyle, I... I love you," Lindsey openly confessed. "I want you to stay, man. I really do."

"My, aren't you direct and sweet at the same time? Hey, you're a good girl, I could say the same thing if it weren't suggestive."

"I'll pretend I know what you just said..." Lindsey forced a weak smile, still talking quietly. "Also, I'm positive my parents would like you. Y-you are gonna meet them, right?"

"How can I not?" Lyle responded. "I'd like to see the happy reunion, I know it'll be pleasant."

Lindsey sniffed and squeaked at his sugary-sweet he was. "You're t-too good for me, sweetheart, awww!" She wondered if he understood it perfectly, her little love confession that still played off strangely in her mind; she didn't think it was a normal one at all, and under the right reasons, it wasn't, but not because of how it happened, rather it was that he played the role of big brother, and this she knew. Him, a sibling figure in a figurative sense, had not moved in for the snatch to claim her heart, but Lindsey was still a girl with girly feelings, and could not help but ignite the flame of her love. "But I do, I don't... I mean, I want to-"

"I know, Lindsey, I appreciate the sentiment, and I can say I feel the same way."

"Oh, Lyle!"

"Oh, you..." Lyle grinned. "Just a phone number would suffice, or maybe-"

"I have- Well, I left behind a Facebook account," Lindsey dropped.

"Swell, that makes it easier! There, see? You have nothing to worry about, we're friends and nothing could change that."

Her little heart skipped a beat upon that specific word that eluded his savory lips. "Um, Lyle..." She wanted to tell him what she felt, a little disgruntled he hadn't seemingly caught on to her message. Silly boys, she accepted. Whatever could be playing in his head? This, she wished she knew, only for the answers that she hadn't.

Friend, a simple word with a bigger meaning behind the sound and concept.

_Oh, God, is this weird? He's- He's older than me- Ugh, I... I want him, I want him. I like Lyle, I love Lyle- _She gulped, heart pounding erratically. _Man, I hate these weird stomachy feelings._

"Whoa there, your heart's gone fast," Lyle took notice with his canine hearing. "Something else on your mind, perhaps? Scared of something else? You know you can tell me virtually anything."

"I'm just shaken, that's all," she lied indefinitely. "Nothing to worry about, mmmkay?"

"Lindsey...!"

If she hadn't been alone in her thoughts for this long a period of time, she'd been caught with her pants down right about now. "It's- it's me- The new me- I've been turned into this thing, I'm a freak! I'm a freak, Lyle..."

"Then it'd be reasonable to say I am also one, so we can be abominations together, and I will protect you!"

"Joy," Lindsey faked. Now that she was on the subject, she let herself get sidetracked by it. "Hey, do you think they'd be able to cure us?"

"You mean take away... This?" Lyle knew what she was asking. "I honestly don't know if I really hate this new me, I'm completely augmented physically, and-"

"You're what?"

"Oh, sorry- I mean superior."

"Uh-huh- B-but a dog, that's..." The redhead shook her head dismissively. "I mean, cool, man, you have perks, but does that mean that you'll have a shorter lifespan? What about food? Bathroom breaks? You know!"

"Lindsey, I'm- I'm a hybrid, not a werewolf."

"Well, what's the difference?!"

"I can't transform, I'm just enabled with extra power akin to a dog... I just don't know which one, they have really never said."

"Yeah, no, I was with you, I know that."

As they were passing by an upcoming alley, Lyle's nose was suddenly sniffing out, detecting a faint, odd smell. "Something is delicious-"

"H-hey!" Lindsey noticed a black silhouette- A person- lying face down far into the alley, with a tiny puddle of blood formed around the top half of the bottom. "Is that a-?"

Lyle had reason to let the redhead down, sprinting right towards the body. Weirder still, Lindsey had noticed the lack of people walking about on this side of the street; maybe it was purely coincidental, as the other side wasn't empty like this side. Her intuition had told her something was wrong, but that she couldn't know for certain. "You stay there!"

"Uh- Please don't be dead-" She covered her mouth in shock and horror as Lyle approached the apparent dead body. "Ohmygodohmygod!"

Lyle hovered over the head of the dead person and listened closely. A heartbeat was racing, relieving him of an actual dead body to lay witness to in the most inconvenient of times. "Phew... Hey, mister, are you okay?"

Not even his uncanny ultra senses could have picked up on the foul play that came to be. The downed figure suddenly flipped right on his back, grabbed Lyle by one of his hands and made Him kiss the hard, uneven, bloodied ground. It caught the teenager off-guard without warning, but it didn't end there. The attacking man had him into a pro headlock in a matter of seconds, somehow being physically superior than Lyle.

"Hey, what's this about, man?" Lyle wanted to use words tp diffuse the situation, but it hasn't clicked that this was more than what he thought. "I don't have any money-"

"This isn't about greed, you... Pheno, you," the man declared, bringing upon fear into Lyle.

"Ph-pheno-? No, I'm not-" Lyle attempted to deny.

"Lyle Michael Jefferson, I know who the fuck you are," the man, sounding like a young man not yet in his thirties, dropped. He snuck out a tranquilizer dart from his sleeve and injected it right on the boy's neck. "Nighty-night, dog."

"Lyle!' Lindsey came running up after sucking up her fear, trading it for a brave sense of anger, charging wildly at the young assailant. "You scumbag, that's my man!"

If not for the gun, it would have been more effective for Lindsey to take upon the mysterious party at work here, but alas, the redhead went down with a tranquilizer dart to her neck, stopping only just mere feet away from the young man. She poked at the dart, slapping it away, but it had been vastly too late for her already. Falling on her knees, and going dreary, she gave the stranger the finger. "F-fuck- Fuck you..."

Three seconds later, the two phenos were down for the man to take back.

* * *

**AN: A new play has started within the shadows by a secret party right here, but what is their goal? What will happen to the minor phenos, and why have they been kidnapped? The answer will not come until the next act, unfortunately, which is where the pair will appear next! And, if somehow by some chance I created Lindsey x Lyle shippers here... Don't expect a happy ending for them. Heh heh. **

**Speaking of this pair, I have no doubt or second thought to place these two the way they are now, with what Lyle being an OC created by Wheatgrass, and Lindsey, a side character with only one appearance(?) It's not the most bizarre ship from me, and you can quote me on that. I just hope I managed to properly explain their personal stories in the two chapters they've received in solo form so far- and this like two-thirds of their own arc before... Well, you'll see later on, assuming you don't stop at all. **

**Next up is the clone war, chapter planned as long as the list of Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriends. November, readers.**


	27. Chapter 27

**July Something, According To Linka **

"Start it! Start the engine!" Linka urged, biting her fingernails in fear. "DADDY'S COMING HOME!"

"Linka-" Carly began.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! LEVEN, LEVEN- TELL ME YOU CAN FIX THIS!"

"Uh, Linka..." Leven tried to speak.

"AGH, I CAN'T EVEN WITH THIS SHIT!" Linka shrieked. "GREAT GOOGLY-MOOGLY!"

Carly bobbed her head, took a deep sigh and then slapped the albino clone hard on the cheek. "Linka, the car... Is on fire!"

The engine had already been smoking by the time the ride had ended, car only slowly rolling right into a tree after Leven force-steered off the road. Carly and Leven were fast enough to get out of the car before it crashed into the tree, but Linka remained inside for whatever her childish, odd reason it might've been this time. "Hahaha, look at you- All scared of it going boom!"

"Linka, j-just get out of there!" Leven guided. "Quit joking around!'

Linka stuck her hands out. "Wahhh, wahhh! Baby girl needs to be rescued!"

Carly and Leven only gave each other defeated looks- and then sprinted off further down the road to continue escaping the Ungodly Stormbringer.

"WAIT, YOU FUCKING- Okay, I'm coming!" Linka threw herself out of the car- and then came back for the duffel bag of weapons. "How practical of me! Yeah, make them forget to take this so that I lag more! Gee, thanks D, you fucking asshole, you! Guys, wait for the Linka Log!"

* * *

_**Act Tree Fiddy: Fucked Into Dankness, Chapter V-agina: The Cunt War**_

_**-Linka**_

* * *

Lupa had sat in between the two other clones, both of whom had laughed at the idea of being copies of the real Lynn and Luan- but for a joke, the albino clone was dead serious, not breaking face by twitching a smile or wheezing it out. Her whole story- No, experience count from being forced into it by Lisa, to seeing and fighting the pack of Louds alongside a transformed Lori and her own group. The details had seemed too science-fiction for their taste, but Lupa had swore that she was dropping facts rather than creating an original story at the top of her head.

"Wait, wait, wait... Are you being-?" Lacy stammered. "You're messing with us, right? You believed that girl-"

"That girl is right!" Lupa argued. "I saw Lynn- The real Lynn, and I can safely say there's a Luan wandering about somewhere."

"I can't believe you broke your silence now, a few days after you came back," Liby awfully berated. "I don't buy it, I don't believe a single word from you!"

"Why would I lie, Not-Luan?!" Lupa angrily retorted, getting up from the bed, circling the room. "Lisa had me and used you two to blackmail me to fight for her! Look, I found the answers, and I know for a fact Lisa and this place, this faction she called the Black Network- That was where we busted out from- It was them who created us to serve them! It's not a government thing, it's them- It's Lisa up to no good!"

"Lisa ran away all those years ago!" Lacy yelled. "How would she even-?"

"SHE JUST DID, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHY!" The voice of the Lucy clone echoed about, her voice becoming near close to straining on her. "Agh, fuck-"

"Hey, relax there, Lucy," Lacy dismissed, "we don't want Clemmons to scold us. It ain't pretty."

"I'm not Lucy, you meathead!" Lupa had only decreased her vocal volume, but the aggravation from their apparent slowness had finally sent her to give up. "Know what? Fuck you guys, I'm gonna go .outside! Don't say I didn't warn you when they fucking come for us, and they will! I can feel it!"

The albino raced out of their room with no hesitation, eager to run from the fools so ignorant and humored by her, so much that she had become that specific angry she distinctly recalled back in the time when there was a real Loud family back home. Home, the old house on Franklin Avenue, just a few many streets away from here, and this orphanage was not even that close to town. Lupa needed to clear her head- Her head, which was nothing but stressed out and infected with the deadly disease of discomfort, worry and chattering paranoia that could only do the opposite of tickling her fancy. Down she went, running down the steps of the stairwell, heading outside where the majority of the orphans were seen playing within the perimeter of the place.

The very second Lupa pushes her way out through the wooden doors, she was met with the sunlight- and also happened to be spotted by the very girl clone she met back in the Black Network. She gasped and choked upon the sight of not just Linka, but her, Leven and Carly around Charlotte Clemmons, talking to each other right out of ear range. _You've gotta be fucking kidding me!_

"Oh, and if there is some food- Like a snack or something, my little sister here would surely appreciate it," Leven sweet-talked to Clemmons.

"Why certainly, my dearies!" Clemmons bent down to Linka's height and pinched her cheeks. "Aren't you just adorable?"

"Oh, em gosh!" Linka toyed around, giggling like a spoiled brat. "Oh, stop it, you!"

Clemmons pulled back and stood up. "Okay, I have a cellphone, it's on my desk inside! Why don't you come with me while these girls can go and play with the other kids here?"

Linka dropped the duffel bag and looked around the place, as did Carly.

"Go on, girls," Leven suggested to the two girls. "Play while I make a call..."

Clemmons led Leven inside- and in doing so, it made him be the first to see a petrified Lupa, designated Link-D, joined in the untimely manner by both the two other clones. Lupa, Lacy and Link-B had never seen Leven before, but the two albinos gave each other deadly, stone expressions that could turn and lead into a quick conflict. Lacy and "Luan" pushed Lupa further outside, completely oblivious to the danger.

"You gonna tell me that was Lincoln, now?" Lacy teased.

"Idiots-!" Lupa tried to conceal herself and her clone sisters by turning them around, away from Linka and Carly. But it had been all but too late.

Linka howled about like a monkey, jumping twice while pointing at them. "LOOK! LOOK, CARLY! IT'S MY BIG SISTERS!"

"Oh, no... No way..." Carly trembled away, remembering how powerful Lupa had appeared to be. "It's that freak clone again."

"Agh, let go!" Lacy slapped Lupa's hand away with the jerking of her shoulder. "If you don't mind, I'd like to leave make-believe land and get my cardio-" She had made a sharp turn, greeted horrifically by the sight of Linka and Carly, and Linka waved her fingers at Lacy harmlessly. "Oh..."

Lupa let Link-B go, and together, the two faced the music as one, coming to face with the first clone and the self-proclaimed death angel. "Shit! You two, no sudden movements!"

"Is- Is she here to kill us?!" Link-B shivered fearfully.

"I'm not gonna fight her," Carly said about Lupa. "And neither should you."

Linka snorted to herself. "Fight? Who says we have to fight each other?"

Carly was gratefully relieved. "Thank you."

Linka immediately bent down and unzipped the duffel bag, drawing out a Colt handgun. "There will be yes killing, however! Hahaha!"

"What-? No! No, Linka!" Carly made a daring attempt to disarm Linka, but the albino magically slipped through the Asian girl, scurrying towards the three. "LINKA!"

"GUN! SHE HAS A-!" Liby pitched out, only for Lupa to perform her gift, waving her left hand once to knock Linka to the floor, and then separated her and the gun with both hands. "OHMYGOD!"

"She's down!" Lupa announced. "Bet she won't try that again."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Carly came running with both hands hovering upward. "She didn't mean to! We- we're not here to-"

Lupa didn't have the patience to listen to the obvious lie Carly spat out, giving her the same treatment as Linka. "Fuck- Fuck! Lynn, Luan, we're leaving!"

"What?!" Lacy protested, "And where are we going to go?!"

"Aghhhhhh!" Carly seethed painfully. "No, we defected from Lisa's organization! Linka, tell them!"

"Buy one Jumbo Jack, get a second one free! Limited time offer, while supplies last!" Linka had gone disoriented enough to catch and broadcast a radio station as if she were a machine. "Only at Jack In The Box."

"Not now!" Carly groaned.

Lupa grabbed her two clone sisters and began escorting them away from Rennis in a panic, eager to get onto the road. "Help a bitch out and run!"

"But I don't wanna-" Link-B looked back and saw Linka getting up, moving right to the dropped firearm. "Going! I'm going!"

Leven had finally returned from making a false call to his father, of which he hoped she would not notice on the call log. Plan here was to simply not cause any suspicion, and now that he was here, he had told her that they'd be meeting aid down the road. Unfortunately. Linka was Linka, and shit happened when it came to Linka. "What on earth-? What the hell did you do, Linka?!"

"She tried to kill them is what happened!" Carly filled in. "This is not how the official introduction between me and those two others played in my mind."

Leven went up to Linka and stopped her before she could lock sights and fire. "Could you be more incompetent?"

"What? Was that not the plan here?" Linka sacrificed her gun over to him, putting her arms right on her hips, swaying her body in a seductive manner. "Momma needs the target practice!"

"Oh no..." Leven went ghost white. "Are- are they going to the road?!"

It took a few seconds for Carly to catch on. "Oooooooh... We should warn them at least."

Leven broke into a run, tucking the gun underneath his clothes, followed by Carly. Linka was slow as could be, taking twenty seconds for her to pick up on the scary realization that Lincoln and the clones were likely to run into each other. "NO, I WON'T LET DADDY KILL MY CLONE SISTERS!"

Lupa, Lacy and Link-B had run as fast as their little legs could endure, which took them far from the orphanage. They came by a border of a plain field and a forest, northbound. This was where they figured to take a rest. "Trees! Hide around the trees!"

"No, use your powers to boost us up there!" Lacy strategized.

"Climb yourself!"

"LUCY!"

"NOT-LYNN!"

Link-B thought she heard faint rustling further into the forest, which aroused her curiosity. Maybe an animal was out there, lurking about and scavenging for food. She guessed it to be an animal when Linka and her crew had some distance between the trio, and could not have reached here before them. However, she came upon a lovely shock in her young life.

Here was the shirtless Lincoln, a white-haired man of a muscular physique, chest right in her face. He did nothing but stare at her with the coldest of eyes, and her only response was a peep akin to a wee mouse. "H-hi." Liby greeted tearfully. "P-please don't kill me."

Lacy came around the corner. "Luan, this is no time to be slacking- LUAN!" She caught the primary cell parent choking Liby to death, his huge arms wrapped around her small throat, seconds away from crushing her windpipe. "NO! LUCY- LUCY, HELP!"

Lupa came running, face going terrified when seeing murderous Lincoln trying to end Liby from existence. "NO! YOU-" Lupa pulled him off of Liby, leaving the Luan clone gasping and coughing for dear life. "SON OF A BITCH!"

"Clones..." Lincoln twiddled his fingers, looking at them before focusing on the clones. "You have come here to die."

"Oh God, Luan!" Lacy rushed up to Liby and bent down to her. "Come on, let's go- Oh, my God..."

"Get her out of here!" Lupa exhaled sharply. "I'll finish this fast."

"And finish it we will, clone!" Lincoln vowed. "Do your worst."

Linka popped up from behind Lincoln, clinging right onto his back and made an effort to shoot Lupa. "NYAAAAAH, YOUR BELOVED GENDERBENDER HAS CRASHED THE PARTY!"

Lupa stopped the bullets, and had an opening when Lincoln jerked his head back and struck Linka. He turned around and picked Linka up, bashing her head against a tree. With each strike against the hard wood, Linka let out a horse-like laugh. "Neener neener neeeeeeener! And suddenly you're running on the assumption I'm a solo party!"

Lincoln halted on that implication. "What?!"

Leven came in, tackling Lincoln right to the ground. "That's enough of the deluded self-righteous killing from you!"

"What a nice surprise-" Lincoln elbowed the back of Leven's head to break free. "The source of all noise, here and in the flesh! You, the ultimate- Hrrrk!"

Leven broke Lincoln's hands away and threw a punch right up into his chin. "I'm not so eager to let myself be a part of the willingly! I wouldn't-"

Lincoln kicked Leven away, both original and clone struggling up on their feet. "The downfall of the Patriot Division is on you and the girl, as well as publicizing all that should have never reached civilians."

"Yes, yes, I understand the consequences on my part, I knew what I was doing."

"Did you, really?" Lincoln formed a fist at the clone. "You gave our enemies- not to mention that senator son of a bitch, a way out of trouble, and in doing so, complicated things for us all."

"That was for all of us!" Leven reasoned. "There are unseen enemies and undisclosed facts we don't know, Lincoln! McMahon himself demonstrated a fraction of his influential power when Elmont deployed the second team to capture him! If I gave myself up to serve them for their own goal, it would spare you- Her, especially her, when he offered it-"

"And you took it..." Lincoln shook his head. "You did it out of doubt, disbelief in the system that gave you a chance to prove yourself- No, both of you to be of value to us. That automatically means little miss clone here wasted her time defecting you both over to us."

Leven had come under great fire. "Out of doubt...? No, this was-"

"Nothing more than an agreement out of fear, because you didn't know everything bigger than Lisa. Well, let me tell you a little something about an unknown enemy, you... Failed excuse of a clone modeled after me."

"What?"

"They are everywhere, and they can be anyone at any given time."

Lupa helped Lacy carry their taller sister Liby away from the battlefield made in a tranquil area, with Lupa looking over her shoulder in high hopes of not being chased by the clones in allegiance with Lisa, or Lincoln Loud, he who was playing hunter-killer for keeps, prize being their lives.

Meanwhile, Linka, Leven and Carly, the trio also in the shoes of the middle three clones, were after the same thing; a sanctuary of utmost peace, awaiting for the falling chaos, the inevitable manhunt and global noise to die down, however long it would take until the world, anyone who knew the existence of the clones, would forget about them. Or at least McMahon and the smaller loose ends were taken care of, and those were too many for one solo person to handle.

What they needed, and they didn't know it yet, was for the pheno team the Division assembled to continue the fight. Just how long was this going to pan out, some of them wondered.

"Can... Can, does not mean will be," Leven rerouted. "You don't end up on someone's shit list out of nowhere. You've had to have done something-"

"Which you know you did!" Lincoln bellowed. "I hope you'll own up to it... When you're dead!"

"Oh, you and that edge!" Linka rebounded, jumping up to Leven's side. "This feels like a 90s Marvel comic! Oooh, say more cheesy one-liners for mommy!"

"You have my word I won't let myself be a part of their agenda," Leven vowed. "That's why Link-A here brought the Black Network down as well. Both sides are in turmoil, in catastrophic disarray just as the world has become. With that being said, I also don't plan to let myself, and this girl, be killed by you. I know you, I can practically see it in your eyes."

"Can you?"

Linka scoured her eyes for the gun she had dropped, but was unsuccessful. "Even I've got a reading on it now, not like it's rocket science."

"Enough talk!" Lincoln dashed at his clone opponents, starting up round two.

"Not on my watch!" Lupa revealed herself from a tree overhead the two clones- and in control of all firearms from the duffel bag Linka left unguarded, hovering all around and pointed dead center at .Lincoln. "Dare try to attack us?! You may be Lincoln, but I'm not going to spare you for this!"

"Does that mean you're on our side?" Linka hoped, blinking her eyes at Lupa. "I love you!"

"After you tried to kill me?!" Lupa responded angrily. "Yeah, not a chance in hell! It would be you two instead of him, but it's damn obvious he's going after us for being clones created by Lisa. That's what you were saying, weren't you?"

Leven nodded. "Yeah, we're just weapons to him instead of people to him, nothing more than that."

"Weapons best disposed of," Lincoln corrected. "Especially you, boy. This right here-" He pointed to the floating gun display. "-Is exactly what I'm talking about."

"Excuse me, you fucking cunt," Lupa bitched, "but you're trying to murder us. It's self-defense at most."

"And I'm not gonna stop until you five are dead as dead can be."

"Ow is the edge, ice people of Loudnia!" Linka clapped. "Mighty fine work... Let's all get together for an interesting take on an incest harem! And Carly can play the family cat! I mean, this kinda happened on a Discord server, maybe it can be replicated?"

"L-Linka, not now!" Leven shushed.

"ALL HAIL THE SUPER SERVER!" Linka dabbed out on the spot, which weirded the other three albinos on different levels. "I'm gonna miss that- Even though I was never in it."

Lupa cocked back all the pistols and shotguns in the air. "Stay where you are, and not so much as a fucking twitch, or say goodbye to sweet life!"

"Doesn't she know?" Linka asked Leven in a silent attempt, clearly heard by Lupa. "Didn't Lisa-?"

"I thought she did."

Lincoln's blue eyes winced very briefly.

"Know what?" Lupa began to get an odd sensation starting at the base of her forehead, running its way down her neck, and not stopping past her back. "What, damn it!"

"It's gonna take more than regular firepower to kill him, Lupa!" Linka dropped onto the clone. "But go ahead, shoot him and buy us some time to hide! Oh, how I missed a good game of hide and seek!"

"Bullshit-"

"Regenerative properties and enhanced superhuman abilities, Lupa! Don't tell me you don't have that! We both do!"

"BULLSHIT!" Lupa let her guard down long enough for Lincoln to try running at them, but Lupa finally played her card and fired all the firearms before Lincoln could come close to get his hands on them. It was a fireworks display of deafening, thunderous sounds, a painful audio display of a grand ruckus that could have very well been heard by all of Royal Woods to startle and shake. Shell casings flew around, scattering almost all directions while the additional smell of the fresh gunsmoke filled the clear, clean air.

When all guns had become empty, Lupa dropped them all at once, finally flying down in between the clones. "Holy shit, I-"

What remained of Lincoln at this time was him, fallen right on his knees and grazed in many areas from the hail of bullets received. It was as if he were poked repeatedly by a pencil all over his face and body, when it should have been only chunks of meat and dismembered body parts left of him. It wasn't like that at all.

"That- That's not possible!" Lupa pointed. "He should be fucking dead!"

Linka tugged Leven away from the scene. "This bitch is leaving! Let's get to a motel for that eighties sex scene... With Carly of course!"

As fate would have it, Carly had appeared from behind a tree, scaring Linka. "Hey!"

"AGH, DON'T DO THAT!" Now it was time for Linka to slap her. "Turn! Turn around!"

"What was all that gunfire?! Tell me no one died!"

"No, tehe... Sadly..." Linka grabbed Carly's wrist and led her two human camels away in a run. "We pissed Lincoln off! Well, Lupa did that!"

"Lupa?"

"The name she gave the other white haired clone," Leven notified.

"Ah," Carly dismissed. "Go left! Faster opening to the road!"

"Thanks!" Linka changed direction on Carly's tip.

Lincoln allowed for his body to stop trembling, the aftershocks from the bullets that rattled him all over. "Hgghhhhh!"

"You..." Lupa took it upon herself to try again, and this time effectively. She moved closer to the fallen Lincoln and lifted him up in the air with a mere finger pointed at him. He groaned just a little, but she had no moral compass to deter her from this dark path; she planned to kill him, and did not care if she was only reinforcing his own ideology. "I didn't ask to be born, to be created. I want to be left alone!"

Lincoln was now five feet up in the air.

"So I'm going to make you leave us alone by making you dead!"

Ten feet.

"Die!"

Fifteen feet was Lincoln, high enough for Lupa to disconnect her finger from him, letting him fall to his brutal demise.

"NO!" Liby protested from the side.

Lupa was startled enough to flinch and stop Lincoln's fall at just three feet above ground. "L-Luan-"

"I won't allow it!" Liby came speedwalking to Lupa's side. "I don't want to see anyone die- And I was scared to come and see if someone did! Lucy...-"

"He tried to kill you!"

"It doesn't mean I want revenge! I don't, and neither should you! I'm alive, I'm fine, but we've gotta go!"

"L-Luan-" Lupa finally let Lincoln fall safely. "I can't just let him go! He's made it clear he wants to kill-"

Next thing Lupa knew, Liby, not afraid of the big bad wolf, danced her way to him with true courage. He had remained on all fours, still groaning out ferociously while his body mended.

"LUAN!" Lupa thought to stop her, knowing full well how enormous the danger level was. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Liby, the firm, gentle clone of the otherwise deranged Luan Loud, bent down to Lincoln and made an effort to establish a physical connection by touching his face slowly, hoping to take the beast that defined him, that had everyone around him scared shitless. However it was that Liby came to compromise with her fear and the immense feeling she had of him right when he was choking her life away. To defy Lupa, who knew more of a reading on Lincoln, would not go unpunished... Assuming Liby walked away from Lincoln unscathed. "I don't understand you..."

Lincoln kept his hands to the ground, letting Liby draw near before he started again. "What is there to know? You and the others, all abominations with no other reason to be but to be used against us, and at no doubt to replace the real predecessors."

Liby shook her head. "I don't understand all that's happening, but... I know- All I know is that I want to live... And with my two sisters by my side! And you won't take that from us!"

He only eyed her as if she had a say in it. Who was this clone to talk to begin with? Why did she, or it believe it had a voice? Lincoln could not be open to the blasphemous possibility that these five clones could very well be human beings with authentic feelings just like any other. So far, his pair of eyes had seen all that he believed they were made to do, to be. The albino trio were already proven to be dangerous on various degrees, and so it was only a matter of time until the last two, Lacy and Liby, would show their true colors and attack.

Surely enough, Lincoln didn't want to wait for Liby to have first blood with him, but there was something... Vaguely familiar and heartwarming about the way Liby had caressed his face. He couldn't guess her move at the moment, but had not considered that her words were her actions being taken. It had delayed him from attacking her, but maybe it was doing moreso.

It had to have been a perfect lie told from the lips of one Luan Loud, but there was some damned truth to that which he picked up on, and then there were those sparkles in Liby"s green eyes that told a story separately from her lines. Onto him, she was telling him in the non-verbal sense that she had come out of a chamber with all the world's questions and no such answer to keep her relaxed and at peace. Come to think of it, he had taken notice of the fact that they had never participated in Team Lisa's Anti-Patriot team in the private estate she owned. That meant nothing to him... Up until now. What was told more through her eyes was her, trying to find herself and a place in the world, and not just for being a copy off of Luan, but for actually being Luan. Luan, the murderous woman previously set on a road trip composed of dead corpses behind, and it was for this reason Lincoln believed the fair clone to be a danger to the world.

Only, he didn't see that particular version of Luan in the clone, which had him trying to figure out just what her game was. If it was one she was playing, that was to say.

"Tell me..." Liby requested, "why did you try to k-kill me? I don't understand that-"

"You should know why," Lincoln uttered coldly. "I won't stop-"

"I don't believe it... I don't believe you have a really justified reason to actually m-m-murder me!" And to truly shake the soul inside Lupa, Liby delivered into him a hard slap that even gave Lacy a nice dose of "eek" which was all but terrible on Liby's part. "Are you really the Lincoln that ran out on us so many years ago?!"

During the slap, Lincoln had blinked just the one time while the world continued to rotate. Rather than an unsettling plague of silence, nothing remained perfectly still for him. The air had not steadied, nor did the trees freeze up, branches insistent on swaying around in their holy dance for the ritual cult they formed. It was as if it wasn't that big a deal- maybe it wasn't, but Lincoln had gone feeling rather silly to be addressed as a wrongdoer. It was the same preaching song he usually heard sung by one of his weakling sisters- they who were not of hard stomachs to do what was needed, still tucked behind that thin, red line he wasn't conflicted on crossing.

Liby either played the part really well or she was indeed being true to herself and the other three who lay witness to her. One of those, and the Loud man had no idea on how to distinguish it. Liby truly felt like a true human being at that.

"Don't you dare hurt my sister, you heartless animal!" Lupa voiced, yet remaining in her place out of fear or provoking Lincoln to hold Liby hostage, and that would be a messy situation all the way around. "Not either of them!"

"How dare you judge me when you.. You had the audacity to run out on us!" Liby surely had the mind to pan blame on him for his actions long ago. "Damn you, Lincoln!"

And when little Liby clenched her hands into fists and banged them against Lincoln's bare chest, the unfazed Loud had made up his mind about the clone; he cast her aside as if she were nothing, abd stood up dramatically to face Lupa. He had already decided Liby was not the maniacal Luan, or came close to her in any way. Not yet, at least. "I'm coming for you."

"No you won't!" Liby latched her arms onto his own, pulling them backwards. "I begged her not to leave, I tried my best to do so!"

Lincoln walked forward, dragging Liby, who had firmly planted her feet on the dirt, with him.

"I thought it could work!" Liby strained fiercely. "I thought I could keep Lucy here with me!"

He grew closer and closer to Lupa.

"I didn't want her to leave, even when she made a promise not to be long!"

Lacy joined Lupa's side as Lincoln neared them.

"Don't blame her for her quest for answers!"

"I wasn't expecting to be kidnapped by them, or to meet all of you! She made me-"

"I HAVE THEM ALL BACK, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO TAKE THEM FROM ME?!" Liby bawled at the top of her lungs. "WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME SUFFER BY LEAVING ME INCOMPLETE?!"

And then, the madman of the area had stopped dead short before reaching the other two clones. The words of Liby's pain echoed through his eardrums. The familiarity of it, the feeling he picked up on, it was damn well mutual- Not in the now, but that place, the feet that filled in those shoes now, he had been there before the clone, knowing what it was, what it meant, and just how it left him.

What he had been itching for, was the very cruel thing that the devils had dealt into him. And he broke away from the current mission, eyes looking at an entirely new scene, in which he understood a new perspective- No, he was playing the role of antagonist here, seeking to take away the loved ones of a human he did not recognize as one. Just like before, just like the others; they who corrupted and turned Lori on him. They who weren't just the Freights, but anyone alive. They, now one with Lincoln Loud. He had already become the very evil he hated, feared of getting loose from his grab, and he had never changed since his fall.

And it wasn't too late to stop it.

Lincoln gave in and surrendered himself to them, a reaping of the whirlwind. It was only here when he had noticed a spike in silence, the nice, beautiful piece of mother nature growing ominously quiet, almost like the forest, dirt, grass and air became animate, conscious with a bizarre form of self-awareness, and enough of it for all to watch Lincoln be overwhelmed with broken sentiment that defeated his morally gray ideology.

Liby let go slowly, but did not move from place. Lupa and Lacy were in complete awe at the profound fact that the tall beast of a man, the former sibling once a child, had been dismantled internally by Liby, when in no way did she possess the strength or tactical intelligence to best him. But she did possess a tool as great as any that proved advantageous to her; that sense of humanly love and warmth, it had and could never elude a Liby.

She closed the deal and hugged him from behind, no longer under the assumption she had been dancing with the dreaded danger now. "I don't want to suffer... Please don't make me suffer. I missed them- I missed all of you-" Liby brought herself to tears, actual genuine tears that touched Lacy and Lupa slowly. The atmosphere had left its violent setting, becoming a heartwarming drama.

"L-Lincoln...?" Lacy advanced to his side, falling on her knees. "Are we okay?" Just like Liby, Lacy wrapped her tiny teenage arms around him, firmly resting her head on his shoulder. "We are, aren't we? Aren't we, little brother? I mean, big little brother?"

"Okay... Okay... Okay..." Lincoln mindlessly repeated. "You, Lucy clone-"

"Don't even think about targeting me!" Lupa warned.

"I'm going to need your help..." Lincoln asked of her.

**Down The Road**

"Hurry!" Linka kept taking the two with her, up until Carly stopped and yanked Linka hard back. "Ow! Wuzzabigidea?!"

"You're hurrying me and I'm already tired!" painted the Asian girl.

"No problem!" Leven adapted, carrying Carly on his arms, not stopping their consecutive running. "Up you go!"

"Oh, hey, I didn't s-say you could touch me-" Carly looked up at Leven's face, then seeing a hero rather than a pervert who used this as an excuse to lay a hand on her skin. "I-I mean, th-thank you, Leven..." she blushed.

"Oh, you'll carry strangers but not blood relatives, eh?" Linka sassed. "I see how it is! Doing me dirty, for fuck's sake."

"Excuse me, but are you tired?"

"No."

"Are you a regular human?"

"Nope!"

"Can you still run?"

"Oh yeah, baby!"

"Then I don't need to carry you, Linka!" Leven spat. "Keep going! We shouldn't be far from Royal Woods now! After that, we'll be home free!"

"Hopefully..." Carly prayed. "Still, it's not a freaking coincidence we ran into him! He's here for something."

"He's likely laying low here," Leven reasoned, "which means he's faced some trouble real recently, enough to spook him."

"Really?" It left Carly with her mouth open. "Man, it's all getting royally fucked up."

"And with a side of extra barbecue sauce," Linka jokingly added. "Oh, wait... Hey, then wouldn't that mean that daddy is also heading to Clyde's?"

Leven froze in place, considering it with calculations. Then- "Oh, shit..."

"Exactly!" Linka slapped his back. "We're fucked in the ass! We need a contingency!"

"We don't have any, Linka," Leven reminded. "We're just gonna have to keep running until we lose him. I just hope the ogher three clones can keep him off of them-"

The road up ahead elevated, suggesting a steep climb, and just over it, the town of Royal Woods would be visible to the three of them. Home at long last. Linka booked it first, flailing her arms like a retarded bird in silly joy, giggling away in her semi-feminine Lincoln voice. "I spy with my little eye, a glorious hometown! Big brother, cute girl, we are here!"

"Swell..."

"We can stop by Clyde's to raid for supplies!" Linka suggested. "At this rate, we can beat Lincoln there!"

"As good a plan like any, I suppose..." Leven accepted. "Okay, but we'll be fast!"

**Downtown Royal Woods**

At the one and only Burpin' Burger location, a table went occupied by four sisters with a spectacular, odd gift. Luna, Lynn and the twins helped themselves to burger meals, with only Lynn gobbling her own food down like a vicious animal. Lola was visibly disgusted, but made no effort to lecture Lynn on her lacking mannerism, minding her own business while munching on the fries.

They faced a couple of issues that had yet to be resolved. First on their minds, on all of them, was Luan; just where did she run off to, and more importantly, why did she? Luna believed that she knew the reason why, but it had gone unverified as of yet until Luan was found. It had to have been how they left her alone, making her the lonely Loud woman under the Patriot Division while her siblings were off fighting as a family. It didn't help that Lisa had given a terrifying fright. Either it was this that made Luan get out, or the other reason, and the more realistic one over this; Luan was simply afraid of the probability where one of them would not come back after a mission, and this was always a damn risk every time the team gone out to fight Lisa.

Luna and company assured each other they had to stat alive, doing their best to play team and practice teamwork- teamwork that Lincoln was against, which would end up being his downfall. There was that concern that he would fuck himself into a mess, and as of late, he had already by being on his own, the hand he showed and forced them to play against. They cast him out, and none had any regrets over it, not on surface level. If there had been something under the ice, none of them would want to bother breaking the ice over it. It was for the better, and to have freed themselves from that maniac insistent on his dark, bloody way, it was a heavy weight off of their shoulders.

While that was one less issue, and counting the Luan hunt, there was also the matter of their status as phenos, the specific bunch whom were interested by the main layers of the nation runners. It was a rising political matter that could only get more worse than it would be better.

The face of the public went back and forth these last few weeks, both supportive and antagonistic over the newest thing of controversy to date yet, breaking down into tinier subcategories, all right under the Vial Corp tree system, and not easy to keep track of, at least for the sisters.

The head of the hydra itself was Lisa, had always been her, entire infrastructure being both halves of Vial and the Black Network, and going from there, the phenos came in, the revelation the leaks that were dropped had presented to the world, the countrywide manhunts both open-knowledge and off-the-books of the Patriots' phenos and clones, and Lisa's high-up friend Peter McMahon, placed comfortably in a seat with the blunt possibility that he manned more than just the chain of Kapacity Korp facilities, all of which were just the front to continue advancing towards the Superior Human project, continuing where Lisa had left off.

All those issues, and there were only four sisters fixated on staying out of the spotlight in the meantime.

Samantha Sharp, the fifth member of this group, had fetched her own meal and returned to the table, sitting right next to her love interest. The significant age difference between them made Lola be the only one to judge Luna when their little infatuation came to light, but Lynn and Lana seemed to be fine with it, happy to see that Luna basically head over heels for the younger blonde. "What's the next step here?"

Luna tapped her fingers on the edge of the table, looking downwards. "Well, we're not painted as fugitives or wanted figures, so that's something."

"Not publicly," Lynn corrected. "You heard Elmont, they'll totally be chasing us, but they won't want the media to know. It'll give everyone the image that we are heroes- Or, well, heroines, but Elmont made it clear nothing was to get out the way it did, and it's a mess- Like, my face after a meatball special."

"Yuck, thanks for the image!" Lola sarcastically gagged.

"They won't come to silence us, this I'm sure of," Lynn reasoned, pointing to the twins. "The world will notice dear Momentum and Velocity having disappeared, and someone will go looking into it."

"Yeah, but couldn't that be made to look like someone else was behind it?" Sam wondered. "A special team with these anti-pheno weapons can do the job and make it look like the anti-pheno movements were responsible."

"C-can we not discuss about how they're gonna kill us?" Lola requested, worried.

"No one is going to kill anyone," Luna addressed calmly. "That would be fucked up of anyone to try "

"Yeah, it would," Lynn agreed. "But don't forget that we've got McMahon to watch out for. We know for a fact that he'll comes after us, and won't stop until he's got our heads on a silver platter. Man's lucky he pulled a solid sob story about being used by Shepherd. Plan is we don't separate, just as we've been doing so far."

"It's pretty scary to know that we're on someone's list..." Lana gulped. "I would have never imagined anyone this big coming after us. When me and Lola thought about taking revenue against Vial, we were worried they'd sent their death squads or something, but now..."

Lola patted and rubbed Lana's back to relieve her stress and fear. "Easy, girl. We're not going down that way, we're... Zoomers."

"I hear that!" Lynn threw in.

Sam looked past the twins, eyeing the television at the far end behind them. A special news broadcast played, this one being of police trailing the wanted Lincoln Loud just northeast of their location. "Hey, look at the news! That's your scary brother, isn't it?"

Lynn and Luna looked up from their food and gazed on the television, followed by the twins who had to turn around for it. The news suggested a firefight between him and an unidentified person of interest, which led to another fight a few blocks away at a faat food joint. The update ended when the reporter stating that Lincoln was still on the run as of yet, and for any citizen to come across a him to quickly call the authorities.

"Jesus..." Luna gasped. "Damn that Lincoln!"

"You hear that? He's busy with someone at the moment."

"You don't think...?" Lynn theorized that Lincoln was already being targeted by McMahon.

"Maybe..." Luna was open to it. "Maybe, Lynn."

"At least we know he's far away from us," Lynn sighed, relaxed. "That and the fact that cops are going after him. Hey, you gonna finish those fries?"

Luna brought her hands together, with Lupa's words still echoing in her head. _We aren't far from home... _

Luna narrowed her eyes.

_You know what that means. _

Blinked.

_We aren't far from home..._

She knew by now what the clone had meant; the trio of clones were in range of them, but just where were they? And for how long would that particular window be open for? This was the true reason for returning to Royal Woods, the one that made Luna desperate to find them so that they could team up once they were filled in of the web of conflicts that surrounded them all. The only thing waa that Luna had not shared this step just yet, but genuinely believed they'd be onboard due to the increase in the group, as well as having Lupa's powers as another advantage.

All Luna had to do was to solve where the clones were, convince both sides that it would be beneficial to form one big group and from there... Dealer's choice.

"You know, I didn't think I'd be back here this soon," Lynn revealed. "I know this is my- Sorry, our hometown, but I moved to a bigger world, I thought I'd either come back here in my forties or not at all, seeing as how I was a... You know..." Lynn gave a disheartening sigh.

"Life's full of surprises, huh, baby sis?" Luna hugged and smiled at the zoomer. "It's good to be back home."

The choices where the clones were ranged from Pop-Pop's old place, where he lived before settling at a retirement home, Aunt Rinn's, or maybe... Was it possible that Lupa meant the actual Loud residence? Was it Luna who went over thinking it? It couldn't be... Unless it was, and maybe... Just maybe, the trio was there, or around, close enough to know the original pack were coming. One thing was for sure, Luna would have to go looking without raising suspicion from her clan in the meantime until the right time came.

"I can't believe our identities are exposed," Lola angrily muttered. "There go my retirement plans."

"As if you had any!" Lana scolded. "What about me?"

"We can figure that out later!" Luna advised. "Hurry and eat before we're made."

"I'm already finished here," Lynn showed off, smirking proudly. "I've still got it."

"Pig," Lola scoffed.

"Didn't know I was a mirror," Lynn rebounded. "Anyone else?"

"Uh- You take that back!" Loka screeched.

"I'll take it back alright!" Lynn leaned forward to snag away at Lola's fries. "I'm taking ya fries!"

"LYNN!" Lola sought to defend her food territory. "HANDS OFF, HUNGER GAMES!"

"I'm helping you speed things up, woman!" Lynn protested.

"Mommy, mommy!" A passing mother and child, both coming out of the bathroom, noticed the odd, putrid skin color on Sam, stopping right at their table. "Why is she red?"

"Come along sweetie, she is an undesirable," the mother sneered with a hint of hostility.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sam took her hands off the chicken strip box. "Undesirable?"

"You don't fool me, missy! Clearly you're one of those unwanted good-for-nothing science experiments!" The noisy mother, clearly an anti-pheno citizen, made sure to make herself be heard by the nearby patrons, trying to gain some degree of support from her faction. "Look, this is clearly one of these phenos as seen and heard on the telly!"

"I have a skin condition!" Sam lied, raising her voice. "Get out of there!"

"Then show us your card!" Instantly, a handful of folk began moving up, and around the mother. "I mean, if you're not lying."

"Card-?" Sam collected what the woman meant. "Yes, of course! I have one!" Sam ended up giving the woman a slap that came from her pocket, pretending to pull out a medical card.

"Sam!" Luna choked.

"Teach her a lesson, goldilocks!" Lynn encouraged the blonde.

"No-!" Luna slid out of the seat and pulled Sam away before a fight escalated out here like this. "Not here, hon!"

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ME, WOMAN?!" the devil mother screamed, her child hiding behind her legs. "I WILL SUE YOU!"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, KAREN!" Sam raged. Her skin swelled up with fire, starting burning up Luna's fingers before the latter pulled away from Sam, hissing.

"Ahh! Cool down, Sam!" Luna directed herself in front of Sam, blocking both parties from attacking each other. "We're not trying to-"

A new development started just as this had; a battalion of heavily armed officers in tactical gear, top-tier rifles unlike anything ever seen, a cross fusion between a Scar rifle and a Mossberg shotgun. It broke the perfect sanctuary of the place, riling up the patrons, making both the customers and employees run and get to cover. The officers with the weird weapons circled around the group of phenos, two of them pulling away the mother and child away from Sam and Luna. "GET DOWN! GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR!"

"Whoa, how did-?!" Luna shot her arms up, as did the rest of the sisters. Sam remained as she was, fists forming, steam erupting right out of her red skin. She was flaring up at the heat of the moment. "Sam?"

"YOU, HANDS IN THE AIR OR WE WILL FIRE UPON YOU!" Five of the armed forces fixated their weapons on Sam, fingers hovering over the trigger. "NOW!"

Lynn counted the opposition quickly, pinpointing a way out of this. She rapidly jumped out of the table, jumping right onto two of the men, moving forward to ram through the rest of the platoon. "MOVE TO THE EXIT!"

The twins followed Lynn in the same speed, leaving Luna to try and calm Sam down. "Hey! Hey, we have to go! Come on!"

Sam hyperventilated violently, more steam coming out of her, now including her mouth and nose. "L-Luna, I can't- I can't move!"

"Oh, my God-" Luna observed the blonde. "You're... Hot!"

"Yeah and not the way I want you to mean!" Sam roared. "Carry me or something-" A heatwave began to burn Luna, making her disoriented in her head for the cold-blooded creature in her that weakened severely. Fortunately for them, Sam's bodily smoke set off the sprinkler system, turning the joint into a recreational hot summer day, the water putting out Sam and freeing Luna from lightheadedness. "Oh, fuck- I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

Luna blew away the heat from her face. "What the fuck happened with you?! Okay, never mind that, can you move?!"

"I can now!" Sam wiggled her arms and legs. "Let's go!"

Running outside, they didn't make it far from the glass doors. The three zoomers had fallen, bested by more men lying in wait outside, with a convoy of five black BTR-80 war vehicle lined up in a circular position around them. "Holy fucking shit..."

"Luna, what do we do?" Sam whispered nervously.

"We fight!" Luna whipped out her tail and claws, the main weapons she could so easily bring to the party. Not this time, for two of the armed personnel fired upon Luna with their anti-pheno firearms, revealing to be a special shotgun with special dampening shells that sprayed a white substance on her. Luna went down easily and painfully before she could attack, and Sam knew the cue to stand down and did so, going on her knees in compliance.

**Moments Later**

"How the fuck, Luna?" Sam sat across from her lover, seated firmly in the back of an armored carrier vehicle, hands and feet heavily locked in titanium cuffs, as was Luna. "Well, whatever they used, we lasted more time on the outside than I figured."

"That's not helping..." Luna planted her hands over her face, groaning. "This is it, Sam, this is what I was afraid of."

"They didn't kill us on the spot, sweetheart..." Sam pointed out. "So there's that."

"But who knows what's waiting for us when these rides stop?" Luna fidgeted her hands. "I know it won't be good, I know it won't be..." Trailing off, Luna looked to the exit hatch, half-closing her eyes. "I'm scared. I'm damn scared for my life here, Sam."

"Luna- Lunes-" Sam moved closer to Luna, dragging her way next to the brunette. "Lunes, you've got your sisters and me. Listen, whatever happens, it'll happen to us altogether."

They shared a deep kiss, and Luna's fear went away with the sweet, purely wholesome kiss from the beautiful, warn Samantha Sharp. It broke the negative tension briefly before things got weird for them. The vehicle they rode in on suddenly encountered a snag, causing a bump that had them jerk out of place, falling in the middle of the floor. Luna let out a grunt, but was turned on with Sam laying over her. Things should have been more sexier than this, but this she had to make due with. "Well, hi-"

The vehicle bumped again, this time harder enough to sent then both back to the end. Luna had her head bump against the metal, which hurt more due to the added dampeners that lowered her strength to base minimum here. "Ow!"

"Lunes!" Sam picked herself and Luna up, quickly digging themselves into the corner. "They're riding over manholes, those jackasses!"

"If only I could hear-" The vehicle slowed down, making things a hell of a lot more interesting. "We can't be here already... Can we?"

"I think I'm scared-" The terrifying thing that came next was the armored van flipping hard on its side, Luna and Sam falling over with it. Muffled gunfire entered through the crevices of the van, suggesting a second party at work. Whoever it had been to attack these men, Luna and Sam got the idea that this specific party was more resourceful and stronger. Maybe it was the work of phenos. The two would find out very soon.

"Get behind me!" Luna stood in front of Sam, both women crouching while looking at the exit. In a matter of seconds, the gunfire abruptly ended, and someone reached the two women, attempting to open up the van. "Damn it!"

"We can take them!"

Leven opened the van from top to bottom, holding the top door open. "Luna! And girl- Uh, it was Sam, right?"

Luna froze in place, mentally calculating what was occurring, trying her hardest to wonder how and why. She let out gibberish stutters, helped only by San who led her out by her shoulders. "Buh- kuh- kuh- the kuh- cologne-"

"Oh, I remember you!" Sam recollected her time with Leven. "You're a horrible person."

"I know."

"You fucked us so hard!"

"I am aware."

"So hard that I could be pregnant with your kid!"

"Can we not?" Leven broke the two lovers free from their cuffs with ease. "It's nice to see you again."

Linka and Carly looked down upon the pair from atop the flipped van. "I'd like to have your kids... If not, make you have mine, hottie!"

"Oh, not you again..." Sam rolled her eyes and moved away from the van.

'Did you miss me, sugar?"

"Hey, how did you find us?" Luna asked Leven. "How did...?"

"We didn't," Leven answered. "We were raiding for weapons and supplies, but we come across you instead."

Luna scanned her eyes around the convoy, seeing a bunch of downed men and the BTR vehicles emitting black smoke. However Luna and company weren't able to take upon them, the clones surely did, and that alone gave her the necessary heebie jeebies. "You three did all of this?"

"No, just Linka here," Leven corrected, pointing to the little girl.

Linka jumped down from the van, stretching her body. "I love my job."

Luna found the only other armored van there was, signaling Sam to follow her. The three defectors from Lisa's control followed to see Luna and Sam open the tough doors, revealing Lynn and the twins inside, with Lynn and Lola covering Lana, thinking this was an orchestrated pheno-napping. "Oh, it's just-" Lynn gagged and lost it upon seeing Leven, Linka and Carly. "HEY, WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?! LUNA!"

"Take it easy, sis," Luna calmly stated, "they freed us."

"Not intentionally, mind you,' Leven slipped. "Call this a simple case of lucking out, nothing more."

"Is that so?" Lynn went up to Luna, holding her locked hands up to her. "Help me out here."

"Right-" Luna propped her claws out and slashed across the metal cuffs. Lynn got her speed back and unchanged her feet, and then the twins. "You guys okay?"

"We are now!" Lynn was grunting angrily, almost seething. "That was too fucking close!"

"If I may, could I ask what happened that got you captured?" Leven inquired. "You didn't get sloppy, did you?"

"We... Might have..." Lynn crossed her arms and looked away, humiliated. "Bullshit, I could have handled this well..."

"I don't know, dude, we were careful! Honest!"

Leven grabbed Sam and ran a finger down the side of her face. "Are you sure this won't make anyone suspicious?"

"I- I can pass it off as a medical condition!" Sam pleaded. "I can!"

"That- You guys are joking, right?" Leven let out a mock laugh. "You might as well say she was born with it."

"That's... Wow, thanks."

"That explains us, but how about you?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Why are you two- and her-" Luna nudged at Carly. "-In Royal Woods?"

"Well-" Leven began to share, only for Linka to cut him off by leaping on him and covering his mouth.

"Hush, big brother! Don't tell them we've come here to hide from McMahon!" Linka processed her words and then rolled her eyes up, dropping away from Leven. "Agh, stupid! Stupid!"

"Hiding from him?" Luna looked to her sisters and Sam with this. "Wait, but you- Especially you, male Lincoln clone- You-"

"I didn't do it willingly..." Leven shook his head and folded his hands. "I didn't want to, believe me, I'm still with you on this."

"I smell bullshit on that!" Lynn growled. "The both of you are still in league with those off-radar maggots!"

"Negative on that, we three are on our own-"

Lynn pointed at Carly. "That girl's one of Lisa's! Cut the shit, we know you three were deployed by them!"

"Was! I _was_ one of hers!" Carly corrected. "We're on the same boat!"

"I doubt it!" Lynn zoomed right at Carly, delivering a wall of air right onto her. "Pity I can't harm minors!"

"Bite me, speedy!"

"We really should be moving," Leven suggested, pointing at the van. "Right now, if you will."

"Lynn, now is not the time!" Luna forcibly escorted Lynn to the back of the van. "Back in with you!"

"OH, COME ON!"

"The rest of you, get in," Leven ordered. "I'll drive."

"Hey, I'm coming with you up there," Luna told him. "You're gonna tell me everything, okay?"

"Yeahhh, no," Sam stopped. "I'm not gonna be back there with Linka."

"Okay,'" Leven listened, prompting Luna and Sam to smile at each other lovingly. "Linka, you can probably fit in the front with us."

"Whoa-"

"Um- Yeah, my hips are too thick, I suppose..." Sam jumped onto the back, only ever so embarrassed, worse than that Christmas party when she was seventeen. "Jeez."

Leven, Linka and Luna boarded up front. The driver had been taken out, leaving the engine running. Leven pulled out of the scene, driving the huge vehicle forward, past the other convoy vehicles. He was careful not to run over the bodies, but Linka was visibly biting her fingernails with frantic excitement. "RUN THEM OVER! RUN THEM OVER!"

"Linka, no."

"Linka, yes!"

"Is she always like this?" Luna poked. "All... Killy?"

"Yes, it's..." Leven shrugged his shoulders. "Interesting."

"You really are a Lincoln clone, aren't you?"

"Uh-huh!" Linka grinned, kissing Luna's cheek. "Good to see you, auntie."

"Don't ever do that again, little dudette," Luna pushed. "And I'm not your aunt."

"So, Luna, what really brought you guys here to Royal Woods?" Leven kept his eyes on the road, but nothing was lacking in his voice.

"We're just passing by..." Luna answered carefully. "Nothing more than that."

"Are you sure it's not due to the three clones?" Leven took a fast glimpse at Luna to read her expression, and detected confirmation when she made a funny face that rendered her speechless. "It is."

"I didn't say anything...?!" Luna forced out.

"You didn't have to, it shows on your face."

Linka turned Luna's face to her. "I don't see any writing, liar!"

Luna slapped Linka's tiny hands. "Okay, okay, yes, I admit it. That's why..." She took a deep breath before going on. "Look, I didn't tell the others that was why we came here, but I want to find the clones and have them team up with us."

"You've met them?" Leven titled his head. "When did this happen?"

"No, I met the other white-haired clone, the Lucy one, and she vaguely said she wasn't far from home. I know, or at least I think I know, it means they're somewhere around Royal Woods." She took a deep pause. "Wait, wait, wait, how, just how in the hell did you-?"

* * *

_Cue the Jeopardy timer theme! Love, Linka. _

* * *

"No... No way!" Luna threw fingers at them. "You guys know where they are!"

"We've come across them, yes..." Leven found himself reluctant to share what current issue they were facing. "It's just complicated."

"What?!" Luna yelled. "It can't be complicated, you're stalling-"

"Lincoln found us all," Linka casually dropped, setting her feet on the dashboard. "He's been trying to kill us three and we all bumped into the other clones."

"WHAT?!" Luna panicked.

"Yeah, we were lucky to get out of there-"

"Actually, I figured the other clone with the telekinesis could beat Lincoln, so we left it to them and ran."

"GO BACK! GO BACK RIGHT NOW!" Luna boomed. "WE'RE ALL IN DANGER FROM MCMAHON, WE HAVE TO STOP LINCOLN!"

"Could you be any more louder, princess!?" Linka had covered her ears to block Luna.

"TURN THIS STOVE AROUND!"

"We can't..."

"WHY NOT?!"

"That- That is literally the direction we were coming from..." Linka revealed.

"Oh..." Luna lowered her voice, it not having gone any more raspy than in her own normal pitch. "Sorry."

"Me too..." Linka moaned, rubbing her ears.

"So..." Luna grunted irritably. "Lincoln's in town, that's fucking great. I just saw him on the news" too! He was just reported back around Maine! What the fuck is his reason for coming here?!"

"That, we might know," Leven offered to explain. "Clyde McBride established his place as a hideout for Lincoln and Lori."

"Clyde...?" Luna shifted her eyes, sorely confused. "What do you mean? D-don't you know...?"

"Know what?" Leven and Linka hadn't the complete Lincoln Loud memory drives as of late, and neither did Luna, but the woman had been made aware of one key fact that played into the clones' plans. "Luna?"

"Guys..." Luna rubbed the back of her neck, unreasonably feeling the guilt turn on. "Clyde is dead... Lincoln murdered him at his place."

WIthout warning, Leven pulled over on a sharp turn, veering into the empty curb. He set the van to brake, taking his foot off the pedal. "Lincoln... K-killed Clyde?"

Neither he or Linka turned their attention to Luna, but the mood had dramatically changed, and so did their views of Lincoln altogether. "No, that can't be-" Linka squeaked. "They were... I mean- I don't understand- How?"

"You guys didn't... Know?" Luna exhaled through her nose. "Damn... But, a hideout for Lincoln and Lori? C-could you explain that?"

"Yeah, um..." Leven took his hands off the steering wheel, going into the details of Lincoln's past. "Lincoln wanted out of the Freights, and for that, he asked Clyde to help me- I mean, him- Jesus, I'm sorry-"

"No, no, I didn't know-" Luna kicked herself mentally. "Fuck."

"Clyde paved a way out of the Freight life and Lincoln had it... But Lincoln wanted Lori to come with him, and you know what happened?"

"No- No, what happened?" Luna gave her undivided attention to hear the piece of Lincoln's past.

"She said no to him," Leven whispered out, succumbing to the same emotion Lincoln felt when Lori rejected him, turned her back on him. "She chose them over him, Luna, she... She didn't want to go."

"She didn't...?" Luna went silent momentarily.

"I really wished- I mean, I can speak for him and I can certainly say he feels like she pushed him away, basically telling him he's on his own. And I..." Leven pounded on his chest. "I can feel how strong that pain was, I can feel how...-"

"Angry and confused he was..." Linka finished. "He went berserk and took down the Freights just a few minutes later."

"Took down..." Luna nodded at that part. "That we do know about... Man, it- It feels so unreal now... Lincoln, and Lori... And Clyde, I didn't know Clyde did that for him. It makes no sense why- Why Lincoln killed him."

"I can't rationalize it either, I don't know why he did that... Something surely went down that we don't know... But it doesn't matter anymore if it already happened."

"I- I can't believe it..." It overwhelmed Luna, driving her to drop out of the van, taking a hard breather in the opposite direction of them. _Lincoln... T-tried to... Save Lori and himself- _

Lynn kicked the reinforced doors open, jumping out to see why the van had stopped to pull over. "Hey, what's the big-?" She saw Luna crying for some reason, zipping up her grievance. "Sis? What's wrong?"

"Everything... Everything is just too depressing and heartbreaking..."

Lynn rubbed Luna's shoulders, glaring back at the clones with fiery eyes. "Did they say something?"

"Did you know Lincoln made plans to leave the Freights?"

"No..." Lynn removed her arms off Luna. "He did?"

"He wanted to, with Lori..." Luna closed her blurring eyes. "Clyde was helping him, and it was all set up, until... Lori- Hey, what did she say, clones?"

Linka hopped out of the cab. "You're asking for me to share something personal, which I know Lincoon would never like to share or recall. But what we've told you now, that's basically the reason Lincoln hates Lori today."

Luna wiped her tears.

"I'm not fancy of Lori either, I have that desire, too..." Linka held out her hands, bringing then up right to her face. "I know what exact words were exchanged back then, it was as if it were only yesterday... Do you really want to know what she said?"

"I do..."

"Luna-" Lynn didn't see the importance of it. "It doesn't matter."

"I need to know why Lori- Why she..."

Linka rubbed her left eye when it became twitchy with redness. "This is what she said."

Linka-" Leven did not wish to hear the words from those extracted memories placed into his head, but he was not one to restrict Linka.

"I can't go, Lincy, I can't. We don't have a family anymore. This world doesn't care for us the way the Freights do. Chandler, Dana, Cristina- they're our brothers and sisters, and I want- I want you to stay with me, with us. I don't feel like there really is anything for us out there, I don't feel... Alive anymore. I don't feel free.. " Linka developed shuddering breath, trying so hard to not let her voice break when it was apparent she would cry just like Luna, immensely broken in by the shadows of Lori's past decision. "C-can you believe that? Can you believe that?!"

Now was the driver's turn to exit. He did so and came to Linka's aid, locking himself around her as the girl clone broke from inside, the cries of her artificially grown heart sending deathly whimpers up to the surface. She felt what he felt, reliving that same scene, that very scene where Lincoln snapped towards the one true breaking point that sent him over the edge, where he needed to do what he believed he had to, so that no other Loris in the earth of the damned could ever fail their own Lincoln, so that it wouldn't repeat. So that the cycle could end here, once and for all.

"Lori, that- That fucking Lori!" Linka tried her best to smile and laugh it off while Leven held her tightly. "She decided they were her family! Not Lincoln, never him! He made it known he was going to end then- and she ran to warn them!"

"She...?" Lynn's mouth went agape. "She didn't choose him...?"

"Our memories run up to the point Lincoln sets off a bomb, and that was it," Leven filled in. "The hope of getting all the Freights never eludes us, even though we know how that went."

"I don't- I don't want to think about it," Luna dismissed, moving away from the pair, leading Lynn close behind.

"I wish she didn't- Why, why didn't she choose him, Leven?!" Linka went down on her knees, prompting Leven to follow along, still wrapped around her. "He did no wrong, he loved her, he did it for her."

"I can never tell you why, Linka, for not even I know why Lori went down that path..." Leven stroked her hair, and then her patted around her. "Can you keep a clear head?"

"As soon as I stop bawling my eyes out, yeah!" Linka rested her hands over Leven's arms, quieting down. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, big brother, it just hurts too much, and I want it to to away. I want all of it to go away. The pain, the misery, the memories!"

"I'd like that, too," Leven agreed. "I find it too distracting and stressful for me."

"I... I miss Lori."

Lynn had deemed the clones just as hostile as Lincoln had, having a sincere hatred and fixation to put them in whatever right detention center or prison they qualified for. The way she saw it, Linka, Leven and the other three were constructed weapons from the hidden base Lisa manned unbeknownst to everyone, and it wasn't just that these were toys to be used for war or combat, but that Lynn had enough reason to believe they could not be so human in the long run. For one thing, picturing a clone of Lincoln, any of these two here, made it simple; they were just bodies with the characteristics, features and memories of the one they were cloned after. They were here surrogates to her, empty in the head, depraved of an original thought, and no freedom for themselves.

Who knows how the other sisters really felt about the five clones? Surely she didn't, but maybe they were with her on it, believing the bunch of Loud copies to be dangerous, such beings who needed to be captured. Lynn wanted nothing more than to leave these two present with them to the right authorities, but there was that clear consequence in doing so; it would either mean they'd be executed, or taken back by McMahon for use among his Kapacity Korp properties. That, Lynn could not allow, and she understood it, she understood the last resort. Death, it had to be the only way, the the way that made her feel dirty and sinful inside.

She had to, she felt. An unbearable burden to take upon, but it was her. It was the Lynn Loud who branded and carried guns. The Lynn Loud who had to make tough calls, as so taught by her colleagues, her superiors. The Lynn Loud who had already done so, having forced to leave her two fallen in that sinister, mysteruius, grim future that was still in play. Margo, Paula, and Polly, the sacrifices in Lynn's life. What would they say? What would they do in this situation? She hated to think what, but she felt the answer had been clear, and yet she was doubting herself just enough to actually contemplate it. "So, these clones..."

"What about them?" Luna sniffed.

"That older one, he's-"

"Yeah, he's the key to Lisa's planned revolution, the final piece of this 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' level conspiracy. They have to come with us."

Lynn nodded, solely agreeing for a close chance to kill them while they were around. "Of course, we will... We'll protect them."

Luna wiped her leaky eyes again. "Also, they said they've come across the other three clones, so we're going to them, and then we've got another issue..."

"Uh..." Lynn went serious. "What... Kind of issue?"

"The Lincoln kind..." Luna looked over her shoulder, then turning to face Lynn. "He's after all the clones, and he might have already gotten to the other three. I hope not, I want to... Save them."

"You want to save them?" Lynn thought she misheard. "But, they're weapons-"

"Left when I accidentally released them," Linka pointed out. "So, you've met the Lucy one?"

"Yeah...?"

Linka tapped at Leven. "When the fuck was it revealed that was a Lucy clone?"

"You knew this," Leven scoffed.

"But... I mean, she died in the fire... Unless...?"

"We'll figure that out later!" Leven jerked his head to the van. "Luna is right, we have to move before Lincoln could kill them. I'd hate to know we were all too late."

"Ugh, that Lincoln, why the fuck am I not surprised?" Lynn returned to the back, fuming.

The clones boarded back into the cab of the van fast, but Luna took her time to do so, trying her hardest to shake off the most depressing thing she's ever heard in the world, now looking at Lincoln in an entirely different light. From her perspective, Luna narrowed down the most painful memory in his life, it had to be that. Not the fire, not the running away from home, but this. This, where Lori was the one last thing, the only person left to remind him of the past, of something that could have been better. Putting herself in his shoes, she walked enough steps to know that if she were in that place, she would never let Lori slip away from her to keep the memory of the Loud family alive- or she would forget by never being retold of those times, the golden memories Lori could share while she would recount her own. That was it, that was what Lincoln never wanted to lose.

And he did lose it, regardless of what he wanted. Life... Life was truly a cruel mistress.

"Sorry, loves," Luna apologized, getting into the van. "I'm ready."

"About time." Leven applied the brake and clutched on the shift gear- and didn't turn it to park when, in clear eye's view, two armored vans came speeding from the direction up ahead, and a bonus two more from behind. Leven quickly pulled away, only to be slow enough to allow themselves to be blocked in by the four opposition vehicles. In here moments, they had been the targets of a perfect cornering maneuver. "Hold on!"

"We can't fit through them!" Luna calculated.

"Not if we go straight!" Leven floored it, accelerating right towards the two vans up ahead. The men around the blockade had begun firing, but the glass and tires of the vehicle proved to be bulletproof to be stopped, making for a safe passage through it, and a successful one when Leven went around them, driving over the empty sidewalk.

"They'll be chasing us, you know!"

"We have a Linka!" Leven had the girl's chip on standby, knowing now was just as good a time to pull that wild card out. "Linka, tap into-"

In the skies above, a bizarre object had caught their eye. A literal floating dumpster hovered high in the air, something magically uncommon and real odd to them. Linka had to rub her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating, and then laughed. "Why, it's obviously the ghost of that German guy I killed at that dumpster! Ho, I knew he was trash!"

"That... That is no ghost..." Leven rationalized, squinting. "I could use glasses."

The dumpster had actually been nearing them, and upon a closer inspection, Linka and Leven were able to make out a figure standing on top of it.

"Oh! Oh, never mind!" Linka chuckled innocently.

"Who the hell-?" Luna let the dumpster get nearer before she made another comment.

"Oh, no..." Leven pieced it together. "It's her, it's the Lucy clone."

"Bullshit!" Luna slapped her hand on Leven's shoulder. "Why is it coming- Why is she coming to us?!"

"It can't be that!" Leven deduced. "Maybe it's just coincidence-"

The flying dumpster and its pilot, the telekinetic albino clone, uppened their speed and lowered its height to match the incoming van driving rapidly down the street.

"-Or not!"

"The trash is coming for a landing!" Linka warned. "Oh, you already knew that."

Lupa came in sliding with the dumpster as if it were a skateboard, skidding against the concrete. Leven braked the van ten feet away from Lupa, shaking his head and pointing his thumb over his shoulder. Lupa returned it with a crossing of her arms, expecting and waiting for them to get out. Leven was the first to, going out fast once looking at the side mirror. All clear. "What- What are you doing here?!"

Lupa stepped off the green dumpster. "Nice to see you again, man."

Linka pushed Luna off, knocking her to stumble about. "Hey! You survived big daddy! ...How sad."

"Yeah, the three of us did..." Lupa nodded, her face that of a stone. "Thanks for your help."

"Listen, listen, I'm sorry," Linka owned up to her cowardice. "We had to, Leven here has a huge target on his back like I do-"

"And I don't?!" Lupa yelled. "Ha! Lincoln wants us all dead, he almost killed Luan, or her clone- Whatever, but I wasn't having that! I wasn't having him kill her, she didn't earn it. She didn't do anything, it's- It's the same Luan we all know before the fire!"

"R-really?" Luna approached Lupa. "Tell me more!"

Lupa tucked her hands into her sweater pockets. "My Lynn and Luan sisters, they're... They act like the real thing, but Luan is the best of us. Luan stopped Lincoln from going after us..."

"No way..." Luna twitched a smile. "Luan's clone..."

"So, he let you guys off the hook?" Leven rubbed his chin, somewhat surprised. "Then, he's going to come after the two of us."

"Yeah, about that..." Lupa exhaled slowly. "He only overlooked them both, as for me, he thought I was a danger, so I offered myself to him, a favor he claimed, but I knew he was interested to end me. So... I'm sorry, but I don't know you two, and you brought this to my doorstep to begin with-" Lupa moved to the side and opened one of the dumpster's lids... To reveal Lincoln emerging from inside.

"No..." Luna made a break for it, only for Lupa to stop her by raising her in the air. "No, no! Lincoln!"

Lupa did the same for Linka and Leven, rendering them all immobile for Lincoln to finish one of his missions. "I'm sorry, but I want to live, and I know what your roles are, so I had no second thoughts."

Lincoln brushed away the dirt and wrappers off his skin, having no such weapon but his bare hands. "It's time to die."

Lupa had no idea that the others were right inside the van, and it was a nice surprise to be greeted by Lynn with a hard kick to her chest, breaking away her hovering hostages. Luna transformed and jumped right over the clones, ramming and knocking her brother down. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Get off of me, those two have to die before anyone can wise up and take them!" Lincoln tried to budge free.

"THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO SOLVE A SITUATION!" Luna brought out her roaring voice right to Lincoln's face, spitting mercilessly.

"With consequences, Luna. With consequences."

Lynn walked around the two, staring angrily at her younger brother. "As much as I hate to admit it..." She then focused her eyes at Leven and Linka with the same look. "The clones aren't human, and-"

"Lynn, I- I can't be hearing this from you-" Lynn pulled Luna away from Lincoln, nodding to him while the lizard woman struggled to get out of it. "HEY, NO!"

"Lynn!" Leven made his own move, and had then met the ground hard with a simple Lynn push. "Ahh!"

"You motherfucker," Linka cursed, raising her hands.

"Lincoln," Lynn signaled to him to move. "Hurry, I can't keep this up."

"Why are you helping me?" he asked. "Why now?"

"Don't get me wrong, I hate you," Lynn explained. "But these two compromise the world's safety. He is the key to an inevitable genocide, and she, with that device in her head, can cripple a country if she were to have funny ideas."

"LYNN?! LINCOLN?! DON'T-" Luna was helpless. "SAM! LANA, LOLA! ANYONE!"

On call, the twins appeared next to Linka, with Sam and Carly behind them. "What the hell is happening?"

Lupa recovered, flying back to them.

Tensions increased.

Linka dropped her hands back down, helping Leven back up. Lynn let Luna go as Lincoln slowed down, the latter man looking at the twins and company, while Lynn coughed and moved away from Luna.

"Don't let Lincoln hurt those two!" Luna ordered to the twins, both of them responding by putting themselves in front of the clones. Luna backed away to Sam's position, opposing Lynn. "And careful for Lynn, she's sided with him."

Lupa and Lynn joined Lincoln's side after he had backed away from the twins. "No, I'm not with Lincoln," Lynn tried to excuse. "We just agree that these two can't live, Luna. I thought you would see that."

"No, Lynn, all I see is you being like him, justifying murder."

"Murder?" Lynn laughed to herself. "These clones aren't real people! Lisa planned to clone the whole world so that they would all place their inferior... Parents? The ones we have- Mine, Lucy's and Luan's, were made so that we get replaced when they managed to kill us! I'm not going to be replaced by an artificial, pseudo-Lynn!"

"I... I can't believe you..." Luna was terribly hurt by Lynn. "Lynn, I came here so that we could team up with the Lucy clone and the two others we didn't meet. I wanted all of us to be one group, so that we had a better chance at survival... And you just-"

Lupa raised an eyebrow, alarmed.

"You just spat in my face..." Luna grieved.

"Lynn has made up her mind," Lincoln cut in. "Twins, step away from the clones. Surely you understand what's at stake should they remain alive."

Carly did the unexpected and joined over to team Lincoln, shocking Linka and Leven. "C-Carly, no- No, not you!"

"I'm sorry, but this is easier than what we agreed upon," Carly believed. "If you two die, it gives no reason for McMahon to chase us. Therefore, he won't be looking for me because his interest will plummet. Face it, you relied on me to save you if you got captured."

"Ah, so you were running from him, were you?" Lincoln welcomed the Asian. "You are among real friends, girl. I could not be more proud of you three to make the right choice."

"So, this is it, isn't it?" Luna stepped forward, and Lynn did the same. "We were on the same page, I would have never thought that you'd be open to taking lives."

"I'm not doing the killing, I'm letting Lincoln do it, which means I have to block and cover some of you until it's over. Lunes, just move for one minute, come on. Turn a blind eye and that's it. That's one problem solved-"

"They are not a problem..."

"Then, you're just as blind as them!" Lynn pointed to the twins- and then rushed them. "Hurry, Lincoln, before-!"

The twins had way more experience in the zoomer business, that they practically overpowered and knocked Lynn out, much to Luna's disappointment. Her next move was to point at Lincoln and Lupa, and before either could make a move, the twins grabbed them and ran away with them to drop them off somewhere else. Carly looked around, finding herself on her own, and with a look of sincere heartbreak from Linka.

"I-" But Carly had no way to weasel out of it. Today, she had traded her friends for the easier way, and it wouldn't go away that easy. "I wanted to live... I want to live-"

"Then go," Leven dismissed her presence. "Just leave, walk away from this. From us."

Carly began leaving the scene in shame, without a word, but Linka was there to say otherwise. "No, not her- Carly, don't leave!"

Luna and Sam looked on.

"But she-"

"We need her just as much as she needs us," Linka fought. "I can forgive her... But I won't forget."

"Linka, uh, Leven..." Carly did feel guilty. "I'm sorry-"

"As it should be," Leven scolded. "I honestly cannot believe you."

"We had something!" Linka cried.

"I'll make it up to you..."

The twins came back, staring down at the unconscious Lynn. "What about her?" Lola asked. "Should we-?"

"Drop her off with Lincoln and that clone, then we're done here. The rest of you, back inside! We're leaving town."

"What about the other clones?"

"Fuck everything..." Luna had begun to give up.

"Luna, we can pick them up on the way out," Leven suggested. "Just those two. Forget the Lucy clone."

"It's too much trouble now..." Luna waved at the downed Lynn. "Go, take her."

"I'll do it," Lola offered, placing Lana to remain with them. "Be right back."

"Now what?" Lana wondered.

**Elsewhere**

Lynn snapped out of it, finding herself on an empty plains field right next to a road, where a police cruiser was parked, sirens lighting up with no blaring to be heard. Just in front of her, she laid witness to Lincoln having beaten on the cops with the help of Lupa. He armed himself with one shotgun, and Lupa herself with a handgun. Lynn raced up to them, stopping and nearly falling over. "Damn it, I'm not a pro yet... Hey, where are we?"

Lincoln ignored his failure of a sister, but Lupa responded for him. "We've ended up somewhere, I don't know..."

The sky was getting dark, the day becoming a late evening much to Lincoln's hatred. Time was running out to get that job done, but the fall of night was just as advantageous as it was hard. There was Lynn the zoomer at his disposal now that he lucked out. Lynn and Lupa alike.

"We follow the road," Lincoln notified the two. "Lynn, check around for a nearby landmark?"

"Of course!" Lynn did a sweep on both directions of the road, and came back after twenty seconds. "Royal Woods is up the road!"

"Here..." Lupa lifted Lincoln up, and then leaped on his back, riding him. "This is a two-person flight, try not to open your mouth."

"I'll follow you!" Lynn fixed herself on the road, waiting for Lupa and Lincoln to get a move on. "Also, why are you shirtless...?"

Lincoln gave no reply- or maybe he did, but they were too far away in the air if he did reply to her question. Lynn ran with them, keeping up with her head bobbed up. They kept it up for a little over a mile, until Lynn came across that orphanage she came across. However, this time, it wasn't empty on the outside. A pair of girls snuck out from the building, cautiously moving around in the darkening evening. If Lynn didn't notice them too closely, she would have passed the two clones she had never seen before. She identified Lacy, immediately recognizing that face and hairstyle as that of which she was used to seeing in the mirror. She slowed down, running up to the two girls.

Lacy and Liby were startled, thinking Clemmons had beefed up the place with extra security- only to meet the real Lynn Loud blankly staring at them. Lacy herself did not have an idea on what to make of it, but was beyond stunned to finally understand that all she heard from Lupa was true. "You- You're-"

Liby's mouth only went agape, no such peep crawling out of her mouth. "Lynn- But, you're- And she-" Liby went back and forth, waving her finger at them. "Then, clone-"

"What's with the red and white suit?" Lacy tugged on Lynn's zoomer suit, feeling the fabric. "Oooh, are you a fighter? Is this skin tight for you? And... I have so many questions!"

But Lynn wasn't here to do a Q and A. Her plans were realized, the most dirtiest thing she could ever do to forever stain her hands. Here, there was no one to get in her way... Or so she thought.

Lupa and Lincoln entered from above, silently greeting them with cold stares.

"Oh, you again," Lacy snarled at Lincoln. "Lucy, did you already... You know... That?"

"No, that didn't happen yet, we've had some issues..." Lupa dropped off of Lincoln, hugging both Lacy and Liby. "Oh, I'm sorry I had to leave."

Lynn stood idly by, watching the dynamics of the three clones unfold.

"It's fine, it's not like you have a choice..." Lacy stuck her tongue out at Lincoln to spite him.

"No time for this, my clones are still out there," Lincoln focused. "You, with me. Lynn-"

"No..." Lynn turned it around, grabbung Lupa's gun and taking Lacy hostage. "I can see you two made a deal with each other, but I didn't!"

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Lacy scratched at Lynn's arms. "Let me go!"

"Lynn!" Lupa raised her hands to pull Lynn away. "How dare you?!"

"We're already here!" Lynn triumphed. "We might as well kill them, Lincoln! They're all liabilities! The Lucy one is catastrophic!"

"No!"

"Please don't kill her!" Liby begged. "Please, she's just a girl-"

"I'm a teenager!" Lacy hissed. "Lynn, don't!"

Lincoln aimed his shotgun on Lynn. "These girls are not my interest, Lynn. They have shown me that they are not evil."

"They don't have to be!" Lynn countered. "They were made to replace us! Fuck that, and fuck what they want!"

"Lynn-" Lincoln cocked the pump back, loading up. "Don't be so fucking stupid. Let her go!"

"You're right..." Lynn dropped the gun, but never let Lacy out of her grip. "I'll do it by hand, can't alert anyone around."

Lincoln fired, playing right into Lynn's hands. Lacy was lifted, made to match the shell's target, and took the blast right into her chest. Liby and Lupa screamed, Lupa then being shoved the injured Lacy right at her. It was a quick moment to buy for Lynn, using the time to run her fists onto the opposing Lincoln.

"LYNN, STAND THE FUCK DOWN!"

"You wanted to kill those other two, so why spare these?" Lynn quickly got the better of him, getting him on his knees and putting him in a chokehold. "I need you to open your eyes! We're all going to let this shit happen to us!"

"Only if we kill the male clone!" It became funnt, how their common, signature roles had switched around. "You waste your time-"

Lupa roared her battle cry, lifting the pair up into the air. Lupa brought with her a wave of shattered glass taken from the nearby windows. Lincoln was dropped in place for Lynn to receive a tornado of glass, which cut her skin and suit up as many times as Lupa would allow. The floating Lynn screamed painfully as Lupa raged on at the same volume level, leaving Lincoln unsupervised.

"D-DAMN YOU!" Lynn did her best to avoid and dodge the shards, but to no avail. "THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!"

Lincoln grabbed the shotgun Lynn had disarmed from him, loading another shell and pointing it up. "STOP THIS NOW!"

"KILL HER! KILL THE CLONE!"

Lincoln aimed at Lupa. "PUT HER DOWN!"

"ONCE SHE DIES!" Lupa promised.

"Damn it..." Lincoln shut his eyes, inhaled for a deep breath, deciding to fire on Lupa, but the albino clone managed to flick it away from his arms. "DAMN IT!"

"PUT HER DOWN ALREADY!"

Lupa levitated the shotgun and pointed it Lynn's way. "IF IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME WHO WILL KILL HER!"

"NO, LINCOLN! HELP!"

Liby came running towards Lincoln with the gun that was used on her. "Here! Diffuse this situation before they kill each other! Don't kill my Lucy!"

Lincoln aimed it on Lupa- but not on any non-fatal areas. He had to shoot to kill, and now since the window was closing too rapidly for him to make a mistake. And he fired three rounds into her head, which made Liby terribly regret that she had inadvertently caused Lupa's sudden, quick fall.

Lupa fell on her side, having died before she hit the ground. Lynn and the aura of floating glass fell back down to earth, her body having been sliced up in many areas. Blood trickled down in just about all areas, leaving her shaking about where it stung. "NRGHHHHH! AHHHH!"

"Lucy!" Liby ran to the dead Lupa's corpse, lifting it up by her shoulders. Lupa remained lifeless, eyes having been stripped of its natural, lively essence, mouth barely open, left that way. Liby shed her aching tears over the dead girl's sweater, so desperately shaking her head in denial. "Lucy, please..."

Lincoln let go of the gun, turning away from the devastated Liby. Lynn herself limped up and forward, going for Liby, still persistent to kill her and Lacy.

"Lucy, please!" Liby brought Lupa's head to her chest, gently cradling it like it was a baby. "Why did you leave me? Why did you-?" Liby noticed Lynn creeping up on her. "GO AWAY!"

Lacy, still injured with the shell in her chest, came to Liby's comfort, looking over Lupa's corpse. "Lucy, I'm sorry..." She closed Lupa's eyelids and placed her hands over her chest, taking a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, sis..."

Lynn circled the clones, noting down this weird display of emotion from them. For a pair of clones... They sure were human.

"What more do you want to take from us?!" Liby hollered at the bloody zoomer. "Don't you two think you've done enough?!"

"Excuse me-?" Lynn threw herself at them, but Lincoln held her back, pulling her hard that she fell on her ass. "Asshole!"

"You forced me to kill this clone..." From Lynn's position, Lincoln looked truly angry. "You just made me take away my only help."

"You didn't need her! I'm here, I can run-"

"Are you stupid?" Lincoln found himself repulsed. "I can't have that, I won't."

"Why not?" Lynn twitched, hissing. "Why not?!"

"Because you aren't me..."

Lynn scoffed, hitting her hands on the dirt. "Always you, it has to be you, doesn't it?"

"Get out of here, Lynn..." Lincoln dismissed.

Lynn wiped away the blood from her chest, staining her suit further. "Whatever, fine, I guess I'll get them another day." She took to the road, sprinting away from the orphanage only to see Luna standing on the road, right in front of the steel van. The mere disappointment in Luna's eyes sparkled in the dimmest of light, which rubbed Lynn the wrong way. The way that made her the failure she had become by the end of the day, a true killer who could justify that. Another real Lincoln in the making, and one such zoomer with that mindset.

Luna shook her head and returned to the vehicle. It drove away south, and Lynn could make out Linka flipping her off from the cab. And just like that, Lynn put herself in a solo situation, right along Lincoln. "Shit..."

"Looks like you fucked yourself..." Lincoln followed her lead, coming across the road. "And you just ensured I lost them."

"Let me heal..." Lynn groaned. "We'll chase them."

"No..." Lincoln looked northward of the road, seeing bright headlights storm their way. He guessed that this was the other units chasing down the first van, bringing a new opportunity his way. To help with this, he wasn't going to jeep up with the clones, but now that he had seen they were likely in the care of his sisters, he hoped they could deny McMahon his agenda.

"New plan?" Lynn smiled at Lincoln, only to meet a hard face punch from him, putting her out of commission. He let her fall, dragging her body to the road, ensuring that they would be captured.

"Hey, you two..."

Lacy looked up. "What now?"

"If you wanna live, you run like hell! Run or they'll capture you!"

"We can't just leave her-!" Liby squeaked.

"Now!"

Lacy picked up the Luan clone, escorting her out. "We have to, Luan. We have to move."

"What about them?" Liby pointed at Lynn and Lincoln.

"They're on their own, Luan. They're on their own."

"We won't ever forgive you two for this!" Liby claimed, leaving with Lacy on that note. "You took the only Lucy we had left! You'll pay!"

"Don't provoke the psycho..." Lacy whispered. "He's letting us walk away..."

Liby went dead silent, disappearing with Lacy further away from the orphanage.

It went down like that, it ended in unnecessary tragedy, and it was not to anyone's favor tonight. Lupa had died, Lynn had betrayed her pack, which led to her fall and getting nothing done but proving how dumb, how broken she had let herself become for this, and Luna had accepted Lynn was beyond salvation, proving how set she was to resort to the same evil that plagued Lincoln's heart. A closer bond broke today, and would maybe prove to remain that way for them.

Things were changing again to no end, an ugly thing wanted and loved by no one, not even asked for. And for Lincoln, who was about to be taken into custody, had seen enough of it today. Today, to be ended by the capture of him and Lynn alike. Lynn, who went overboard the way he would on a regular Friday.

He laughed, for how funny it was that he did his best to stop Lynn from killing Lacy and Liby when, not long ago, it was him who was in those shoes. It was funny, it was purely ironic at most, almost poetic. He enjoyed the joke before he was shot with the anti-pheno weapons, being depowered and cuffed by the special anti-pheno forces.

A play for him to get closer to McMahon if the senator should notice. And he will.

_Soon... Soon._

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter V: The Clone War**

* * *

**AN: Clone War! Clone War with more consequences! Lupa dead, the breaking of bonds, and more running! Let it be known this is twice as long as the other version of it, and more bloodier, as it could get of course. No Lori being present was part of the plan, but the little reveal of Lincoln wanting to save her was on-point. It's to hurt Luna, and those she'll tell, and she will. This was a tough piece to type up, especially with my phone screen legitimately shattered up to high hell, I can't see the periods and commas half the time.**

**Leven, the clone that needs to die for the right reasons, I also feel. I'll always make two opposing viewpoints to each issue presented, that they come across. Its food for thought, agree or disagree with this character or that one. That's me doing it for you over the simple one-side objective that would make it dull and boring, and make for less character development. Conflict, conflict is always key. I just found that out, oh. **

**Lynn is out of that, she's really fucked up with both her sisters, and all clones left alive before any bond could be established. I never really did say Lynn and Lacy would be mother/daughter, did I? Don't worry, this won't mean Lynn won't see them again. It never really ends... Until it dies. Does. I meant does.**

**Lupa Loud has died, may her clone soul rest in peace. She had to go. I can't explain why I picked her out of the three around this time. I'll wait for the voices to speak if there are any that wish to. And it was almost Lacy, too, but she can manage... Once she removes that shell from her body. Maybe I should have... Too late now.**

**Lincoln can be saved, so Luna believes. There is pity and sadness in that, but she isn't too keen to let him back in, that's why she didn't let anyone getting in the van before they left. What do I say? Yes, he can, but there's gotta be more than just a Liby to pull him back from the darkness. Yes, it's possible, yes, he can find a heart to forgive, and be forgiven, but that is a long journey- especially when he is inhuman, or... Edgelord, as the I've-Been-Online-Too-Long people would say. I can never be used to that term. **

**Another note, the show continues to gift with the addition of characters; my readers, Lacey St. Claire has a home in Dawn. Goodnight.**


	28. Chapter 28

**July 24th, 2030 **

Allison Taggart, the stunning cute teenager with medium, wavy hair of the mustard-green variety, dyed from a natural brunette color, otherwise known formally as Allie, returned with better weapons to the tunnels, expecting Lincoln waiting for her, as well as a dead Lemuel Porter. Turned out, Lemuel was still alive and breathing, which meant there was no dent put in anyone's plans. "Fucking Christ, you lucky bastard!"

Lemuel wasn't out of the ballpark just yet, still gravely injured by Lincoln and left to have a better life. Only, that was not, nor had it ever, been on his mind. But the strong words of the ex-Freight made a mark and burrowed into his brain, and strangely enough, things made sense. It was crazy, and he was crazy to agree to that madman, that madman who ran with domestic terrorists as perceived by the world, so christening themselves as anarchists- being too stupid and deluded to know the truth of themselves. Lemuel contemplated over his vengeance quest, reconsidering that maybe Lincoln wasn't anymore a ravenous person than he was just minutes ago. "Why did you run away?!"

All the while, Lemy was bloodied and broken up, and Allie helped him get out of his vest. Allie placed him on her shoulder, supporting his size before she relocated them back to their base. "No way we could have beaten him like that!" Allie stated. "The files say he's a pheno, let's face it, we didn't have the ordinance to kill him!"

"What was the point of this?!" Lemuel croaked out.

_Damn it, you punk... _Allie was beginning to feel too hot. _He was supposed to kill you!_

"We're getting out of here!" Allie dropped one Matrix Portal down, and pushed Lemuel into the portal when it appeared, stretching out across the floor in front of him. "Down you go!"

"Allie!" Lemuel hated the fact that no one would break his fall on the landing pad of the portal's other end.

"Hang in there, fuzzy hairdo," Allie laughed away, heading back into the room. For the most part, everything seemed destroyed, and the leftover of Lincoln's mess still needed to be thoroughly destroyed, scorched from the world. Allie pulled out a lighter, beginning to bring fire to the room before she took her leave, hiding any and all evidence that could bs traced back to them. No way could she have it, afford such a mistake that would jeopardize her own operations, while Lemuel was concentrated on his own. _I was told this Lincoln was insanely merciless..._

Lemy laid down on the ground of a different floor of a building, their base, finding it easier to gain some shut-eye. He was emotionally drained and badly bruised, far beyond the point of being able to avoid a doctor sniffing out for answers on what had happened to his body. His eyes went toward the table, staring down a med-kit and a salt jar. "Hkkkkk..."

Allie jumped down from a second portal that formed from the ceiling, with her own anti-pheno shotgun firmly in her hands. "Guess we don't need to use this bad boy, huh?"

"Patch me up, woman!"

"Alright, already!" Allie placed the weapon on the table, trading it for the med-kit. "You'd better hold still and be patient, you hear me? Dumbass!"

"Hurry, this shit hurts!" Lemuel seethed in agony.

"I'd better find some alcohol..." Allie shot her eyes around.

"Alc- Alcohol?!" Lemuel gulped.

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter VI: Retaliate**

* * *

Lemuel was strong enough to grip and fire guns, but his uncontrollable wincing and crying at the basic of common wartime injuries did not tickle Allie's fancy, nor did it color her impressed, even when Lemuel was sure he was successful to score her. It was an act, but so were other things, necessary things to further her goals. Not her goals, just her doing another's wetwork. Never made it pretty or easy, but at the end of the day, everyone had to be pleased. Everyone on this side of the game, of course.

Lemuel had gone out cold, healing from those injuries he had received from Lincoln right after Allie extracted all the shell fragments from him. Fortunately for him, not too many of those entered him, and only one was too close to his beating heart. That wasn't good news for Allie herself, hence why she made the call, breaking radio silence. "Hey, it's me... We've come across a major setback. Lincoln got the boy but he spared him!"

_"The Lemuel brat is still playing at the party?!" _Codewords on his end, but Allie knew what he referred to.

"I did everything by the book!" Allie assured, voice nearly shaking into the cellphone. "I left before he could get me, and I made sure it all seemed like the boy's own agenda. I had him, and I fucked it up by missing him!"

_"Okay- Allie, that's fine, as long as anything isn't infecting us. I'll talk to my other partygoers to see if they can help with this... White cake fiasco. Son of a bitch is working his way through my guests__, I can't have that. There will be another talk with him made as soon as possible."_

"Uncle, what about Lemy?" Allie offered to kill him if it was McMahon's request. "Do we still need him?"

_"As a matter of fact... Keep him pleased, I'm pulling you two off the white cake. Call incoming for further instructions."_

"Yes, uncle, goodbye," Allie agreed, hanging up. She placed the cellphone, one of those disposable, untrackable types, down on the table. She made a snarling face, banging her folded fists against the table, making all items clank and jump about, letting an echo rattle through the tiny room.

Windows were closed, almost one step away from being barricaded. Three of the four walls were decorated with board setup, revealing blueprints and plans on their booby-trap tunnel system, as well as a clear wanted poster for Lincoln, a rapsheet of all his crimes to date, and more genuine newspaper clippings of the Louds' exploits as apparent heroes. The very idea Allie and Lemuel rejected, disregarding Lincoln as a misplaced villain trying to play boy scout. The two also had some guns sitting in the closet, nothing of the fancy, advanced type however, so that Allie could maintain the lie where she was not in full league with anyone higher than them. The lie that she was working for a senator from the government itself, helping him terminate the thorn on his side.

That, she truly fucked up by being slow, which was a mocking joke to her. Lincoln was gone, abd Lemuel still breathed to prove a potential loose end... Now what did McMahon plan for them? She gave no thought, only letting herself, her actions today, be defined by her failure, and vice versa. "So fucking close..."

_Young Allie adjusted herself firmly, eyes dead, looking back at the scene. The odd spectacle right out of a dramatic, action flick. The trailer home was surrounded by a horde of officers, guns pointed at a tall, burly man with a whole set of facial hair, a thick beard, and a beer gut. He held a knife, stained with the blood of Allie's mother, moving about randomly due to the bath salfs in his system. The standoff ended as soon as dear Tammy Taggart, a hooket so terribly unlucky and resentful of Allie, had died after the sixteenth stab to her chest._

_To hell with daddy, Allie only ever wanted mother's love. And then some. _

_An officer escorted her away, telling her to close her eyes. The sirens sang out among the yelling, it's blue and red lights going off like fireworks, and for a brief second, there was a nice enjoyment to watch the lights alone. And then, the gunfire erupted, making Allie jump in response. She feared the damage, she feared the gruesome cruelty of this world. And naturally, she had her first-ever glimpse of true human nature, essentially becoming a spec in that blood river, flooded with skeletons of the dead and fallen. Skeletons and bodies alike, forever drowning in the thick, cemented stream that never stopped, nor did it ever get shallow. _

_Life did that to her, and in response, she perceived it to be sinister in nature, a true injustice that had happened to that little girl she was. Everyone let her down. Everyone... Until he came to take her away. He who offered her a home away from the ghettos, the dreadful place where white trash resided, lurking about every corner and crack, ready to inflict their unholy damage. _

_If not for him, if not for Peter McMahon, the uncle she didn't know about... _

_She could barely say she was thankful for him, but what he offered on the table surely changed the board by a lot for the growing teenager. The way she saw it, Allie harbored a deep hatred for both the junkies and the men in blue, the pigs who never made it in time to prevent Tammy's death- and even then, her mother had never been to find of her in between those years. It begged the question... And then it always kept hitting her back; Allie had always tried her hardest to make Tammy fully love her._

_And the world would never truly be fair. It never was. Never. _

Allie went out, unable to remain put. Things weren't calm, things were never calm with her. A dark purple sweater hid her Colt 1911 tucked away behind, held up perfectly by her skinny jeans of a green color. She was still a teenager with teenager needs, this being a fresh pack of tampons for the next batches of periods to date. It wasn't the ideal lifestyle, but her female body required it, just as it did a great many other things.

The gun was there as contingency, meant to be used for bad calls, but neither of them had run into any such problem as of yet. She had usually been itching to use it, being drunk and trigger-happy from her past time learning and training around firearms. She found that she had a love for the automatic rifles, no questions asked.

Venturing into the commercial area a few blocks away from their safehouse, Allie headed into a pharmacy store, wanting to finish her little personal errand as soon as possible. The outside was dark and gloomy, much like her nightmares and perspective of the world, and it changed to an upbeat, positive atmosphere when she entered the store, feeling slightly joyous with the store. It was brightly illuminating, and the employees on station were humans. Drone, but preferable humans superior over the sinners, welcoming the quiet Allie inside. She could have given them the finger for all she cared, but there was no time for it.

She went to the women essentials aisle, looking around for the tampons. She found them on the middle row, snatching up a pack and speed-walked to the cashier counter at the front end. "Hey, boss, get me a bag for this," she told the male cashier. "This is real embarrassing."

"Yes, ma'am!" The cashier scanned the tampons. "Okay, that's gonna be six-thirteen, please."

"Yeahhhh, here's a ten." Allie pulled out a crisp ten-dollar bill. "Hey, keep the change, no receipt."

"Oh- Ah, thank you!" The cashier finalized the purchase and placed Allie's tampons into a plastic bag. "Here you are, have a good evening."

Allie gave a half-smirk and danced her way out of the store, heading back to her hideout. Nothing exciting happened around, but she was wishing she would bump into a nice girl around and les out with them. Of course, a woman much like her can dream. She had been recently thinking about it, the merits of life, settling down as much as she could with these demons circling the inside of her fucked-up head. Married to a woman understanding of her, having adopted one or two girls, and none of that shit she'd lived through, not for any of them. No ugliness, no abuse, no nothing she never wanted to see again.

Then again, Allie gave herself up, becoming a borrowed gun, a young one at that, for McMahon's needs. Fighting phenos working for his enemies, kidnapping clones, blackmailing and framing a trio of teenage girls, utilizing victims of Lincoln's Freight crimes and siccing them on him to make a kill opening, you name it, she'd be deployed for it, and counting.

Allie Taggart, the niece used by Peter McMahon to get things done in secret, the platonic father figure to give her what he could afford; a home, maids and butlers, education. And, away from the normal spectrum, his money acquired trainers of all sorts to re-condition and strengthen Allie. She knew enough, or so deemed by uncle, that she went out doing assignments on his behalf, from small things like surveillance to assassinations. While other girls were out with their boyfriends, raving wildly at parties, Allie was hitting targets at the range, honing her shotgun skills. Shells, buckshot, and the special Dragon's Breath incendiary rounds- she toyed with them and became more insanely dangerous with each and every day.

Things could get better... Surely they would, and once McMahon was pleased with his own place, a hundred percent problem-free, Allie could relax and return home. That would be the end, and for what it was worth, for what she believed and knew, she had great fun in running around with no supervision, backed by the hand guaranteed a clean slate, no suspicion from anyone. Well, anyone among law enforcement, if she got technical about it. All she had to do was make sure Lemuel didn't get too smart or look closely at her., and she was home free.

Still... She messed it up, which got her recalled from completing the assignment. "Fuck shit!" she cursed under her breath. "Fuck me!"

Her throwaway phone rang out as she crossed the next block, making her stop and stand at the corner of two buildings, answering the call. "Alpha-Lima-Lima-India-Echo on standby."

Not McMahon this time, but the mutual contact they had, the one that tossed the dirty work clear and directly. _"Freelancers are still in play. Targets are core Five and Scythe terrorists members seeking to decrypt and weaponize remnants of the Black Network. It is imperative that you clean house before Kapacity Korp loses its collective credibility."_

"Right, all the blueprints for the extreme advanced firepower are floating around..." Allie rubbed her forehead, already feeling the sweat coming. "Traffic the coordinates for the drops, I'll have to handle it."

_"You are to engage through stealth tactics, or we will lose them to the wild." _

"It could have been through silence only," Allie knew. "How many on the menu?"

_"Eighteen in total. Ten on Five, and the rest for Scythe. Out of all of these, only three are ex-military. I would suggest you and Mr. Lemuel Porter working as a team for these operations. Six drops around the city, come alone and inconspicuous. Here's drop one-"_

**Later**

_"Five ringleader David O'Malley operates only the northeastern side of the states... Surely you've heard on him. Made it on America's Most Wanted, with all his little dipshits he calls friends. CIA surveillance can only go so far before they spend all their money on drones. Infiltration was attempted a few times, but they've been one step ahead. He has holed himself up in a little building he had reinforced severely, up to the point that it's now a certified fallout shelter, so suggested by the infrared vision. Can't see heat though those doors and walls for shit. But you can..."_

Allie perched herself across the target building, looking through the special ultra-vision sniper rifle that let her see how many people were inside, and where they moved to. Four guys, two of them closer to the entryway. She began to squeeze the trigger.

_"Don't forget one thing. You are not to suggest this was the doing of a pro shooter, and you are not to leave evidence behind. That being said, you'll have three hours to get to the next target before they radio each other in, and make no mistake. They will know they are without leader."_

Allie fired, taking down one with a headshot, and another with a body shot. For the next two, she let them run out while she fire half the remaining rounds at random, and shot them dead on the street before they could escape.

**Elsewhere**

Allie leaned against the window inside a building, right on the second floor. Next to her, a grenade, a pocket mirror, and a dead body surrounded by a pool of blood kept her company until the second target came. She had the window open and her hand holding the mirror up, looking down at the alleyway below from the reflection.

_"A black Sedan will be coming out of a chop shop owned by the local gangsters. Bonus if you clean that up too, but the car is key. Derek Mason made it to the top by decapitating a lot of people, and some not involved with any such issue, but there you have it, a true psycho with a face he scarred himself. I left explosives for you, or you can do this with a gun. Your choice."_

Allie cooked and threw the grenade down as the matching vehicle rode by with such slowness, making her really believe it was the one. The thing went off, blowing up the vehicle, the force of the explosion shaking the building and setting off other car alarms.

**Later**

_"One hour and fifteen minutes left."_

"I won't make the deadline, I would need five of me, and no way I can ask Lemuel to help, he's all fucked up."

_"In the final thirty minutes, I can pull out the speed card, just keep hitting the rest of Five. Eight more HVTs left."_

Next stop was a Russian, proving there was no shortage of diversity among the factions. This one was a bit of a pickle; she had to bypass the bouncer of a local club to get inside a secret meeting where Aleksei Rostovich, an old bastard with an accent not Americanized as of yet. Allie had no way of knowing who was who with the sniper rifle. This called for drastic measures- and by drastic, Allie used a sloppy, amateur method. She fired at the club wildly, then raced to the back. She'd suspect that shed have over ten bodyguards, likely the two parties coming out, unless they all got parabud- and Allie got her answer when a muffled gunfight occurred from inside. She waited for the escapees to come running to her, to their deaths, and it would end this next mission.

**Elsewhere**

_Less than forty-five minutes left... I recommend a break-"_

"I'm at the fourth place right now."

_"You're in luck. There are currently three targets on station, and this is strictly Five territory, feel free to drop them all."_

"Hell yeah!" Allie held the C4 detonator firmly in her hands, all explosives placed on the foundation of the abandoned building, all ready to be demolished. It was a perfect brewery for the homemade, a place closed off and made imperfect, a home fit for the homeless, the crackhead, and the abandoned. Someone like Allie if she had run away, most definitely. "Ooh, gotta go!" She hung up and set off the explosives, sending the ten-story building right to its knees. Dust formed around it, concealing the remains of the rubble and crushed bodies.

Time had gotten close to the minus-thirty mark, and she expected a call with different instructions real soon. Man, was she hungry for a cheeseburger. And what could she want now but to have a pair of them, some warm, golden fries, and a nice medium coke at McDonald's. None of that pickle and and onion shit, either, extra ketchup on that bitch. _Unf, momma!_

Allie had a hardcore craving for it, quickly locating one not far from here, when she should have left further than the distance trekked. She threw the uselesd detonator in the trash of the bathroom, making sure to break it in pieces before dumping it down the bin. Then, it was eating time.

Five minutes later, and three people in between her and the food, Allie was taking bites and stuffing fries into her skinny body, chugging it down with a sip of her nice, large coke. All the fries were gone by the time she had devoured half of her last cheeseburger, and the call had quickly come from her unnamed contact. She talked with her mouth full. "Yesh?"

_"Final Five assets are top priority, will be captured after the word will be dispatched to FBI agents. They will use Site Delta to hold them, location will be given. Surveillance and grid access through high rise. Then, call it a day."_

"Considering there are still more to hit..." Allie would not be satisfied until she finished, even if she had already been getting tired. "Hang on-" She swallowed her load.

**Later **

She brought out the fancy uniform this time around, and with a real need to make it count for all she knew. Four holdees either in private cells or under guard in the interrogation rooms- not a challeging issue for the girl, but coming to the checkpoint right at the entrance was to be as quiet and unnoticeable as possible, and that was if she were to go that way.

She didn't, choosing an undetected way into the site via rooftop, kicking in a grate and roping herself down. She worked her way through the floor with nothing but a tazer and a handgun on her. She went around shocking the security unconscious, and when necessary, throwing kicks and punches before any such security became lucky and grabbed their weapon. It continued for three floors, getting her real heart-pumping and hot under her uniform.

She reached the cells, located below the main floor, and was surprised to see her four targets all dead, blasted mercilessly beyond facial recognition. This was the doings of her "partner" Lemuel, viciously greeting Allie under the barrel of his high-capacity KSG. "Allie...?"

"What the fuck- You're supposed to be healing!"

"Yes, well...- What are you-?" Lemuel led himself topside, with a nervous Allie following. "Were you here for them?"

"Yes-" Allie admitted, unable to hide the truth of her real masters. "I was-"

"Radio traffic kept relaying messages about these guys all night ig seems," Lemuel told his partner. "I wasn't awake through them all, only hearing the one where cops or whatever got four. I figured might as well, right? Still pisses me off in how I let Loud beat me."

"He beat us both..." Allie connected the dots in a custom design, working it in her favor. "Yeah, I did the same, came here to kill these fuckers. Nice to know we think alike, dude." She smiled at him with big, cutesy eyes, pulling him to stop for a big, mildly dry kiss unto his lips. This was a part of the deception, her being head over heels for him to some degree, being Lemuel's lover and suggesting the objectives of McMahon's agenda. She helped uncle sic the boy on Lincoln with the right hate fuel, which remained burning brightly, and Lemuel had to be made to hate Lincoln, that part was a given. Hate, that's all there was. All there is, and all there could be. All that must never have been...

Hate, wrapped under this false love Allie offered to him, giving him a substantial reason to keep his head in the gutter, and his suspicion of her toned down to the zero. "What now?"

"I guess we go back now..." Lemuel surely loved her kisses. "Also, I found a little pack of tampons..."

At his snickering, Allie's mouth dropped, and she swung a medium punch. "Hey, don't you dare joke about that! Damn you for looking in the bag, Lemy!"

"Have a nice period, hahaha!" There was humor to be captured among his trading, obtained and enjoyed by her, when she didn't expect to find it, and she did, and there was an emotional break in it, relieving her from the layers of death.

In the end, Allie and Lemuel were only a pair of dumb kids playing with fire. And when one played with fire...

She dismantled Five, dealing a big blow to the organization, but Scythe still needed disruption. That, she could hold off safely, and with Lemuel's help this time around, and this had to be covered up, under the guise of-

"Vigilantes, huh?"

"Hmmm?" Allie didn't understand his words. "What about them?"

"That's... That's what we basically were back there."

"Oh, no, I-" But she gave it some thought, and it made sense. "Oh, I guess you're right. Public safety does matter..."

"Do you maybe...?" Lemuel recounted Lincoln's words of rage and truth. Petty vengeance was all there was, but perhaps he could redirect it, maybe Lemuel could focus away from Lincoln. May be he could unload into easier, nastier targets. Maybe that's what he should have done all along. "Do You think we should?"

"Uh- What, you wanna be a-?!"

"Yes!"

Allie snorted, but was quick to agree. "Ooooh, yes!" And here was her chance to pave the way to Scythe, and any such other who ended up in McMahon's sights. The perfect cover. "Yes, we can do this! And we will!"

* * *

**AN: Man, have I gone way far from the roots? I'll always find it to be funny at just weird for myself at times, and it certainly did after finishing here. This was a chapter intended to be for Lemy, and somehow... I'm fine with making It the way I did, Allie-centric and in a different light and setting far from her regular depiction. She has just as much as a journey like the rest of them, now having a new main mission with her own pet Lemy, who does not know that he is merely being used by the bad guys. There isn't much to tell for them that isn't spoilers, but things happen, shit goes down. All in all, I just hope I did a right characterization for the poor girl, that's more of what I would care for over the silly stuff. **

**This was chapter six of this act so far, only a few more until hands get dirtier. Next up, Lucy. **


	29. Chapter 29

**July 24th, 2030 - One Hour After Clone War**

An ambulance had arrived, picked up the body from the orphanage, bagged and tagged in a black body bag and placed in the back, shaking about while the stretcher rattled about as the vehicle drove at a regular forty back to the hospital. Male driver, female passenger, and the third staff unit, male, handled the stretcher, ensuring it didn't go smacking against the sides or make a mess around.

"Sheesh," the handler in the blue-green uniform frowned to his co-workers, "this poor kid, what kind of barbarian shoots a child like this?"

"Rumors going around that this is the work of phenos," the woman paramedic shared like gossip. "Friend at the precinct told me some packing units dressed like SWAT units were driving around Royal Woods hunting for someone. I'd get it if it were Feds, but not Rhode guys, and there's even some footage online. These things they drove around in, they're unlike anything I've ever seen."

"You had me at phenos, Kayla," the driver laughed. "Phenos in Royal Woofs, that's funny..."

"Do you two watch the news?" The backseat medic asked firmly. "We'll?"

"I work so much overtime, barely enough time to feed my young," the woman named Kayla groaned. "Might as well tell me, Kevin."

"The twin girls, the fast-moving phenos in New York are legit... Both born and raised right here in Royal Woods. There's not just that, but more out there, more about their family. There's a blog that contains every piece of knowledge-"

Something rammed into the ambulance, causing it to sway out of control. The driver tried to center it back on the road, doing his hardest to steer straight, and when he couldn't do that, he applied the brakes hard. "HANG ON!"

The ambulance skidded sideways, and then flipped on its right, scraping along the road for several feet before screeching to a halt. "Kevin?!"

"I'm- I'm fine, Mike!" Kevin huffed. "Head's bleeding, but not too serious!"

Mike recovered, sitting up cautiously while rubbing his own head. "Agh, that fucking hurt! Hold on, I'm gonna get you out-"

"Man, that's wrong! Call for backup!"

"Uh... Right-" Whatever had knocked the heavyweight vehicle on its side came charging back, ramming right into the ambulance. This made the downed emergency vehicle skid ten feet more, knocking poor Mike back down once more, falling over Lupa's bagged body. "SHIT!"

Very briefly, he had heard glass shatter as the ride had begun again, adding to his natural fear. Once it was over, Mike got real spooked to get up. "Hey, Kev! Kev, did you see anything?!"

"N-n-no!" Kevin replied from the front, shaken up. "It's an animal, gotta be!"

"Bullshit-" Mike went dead silent when thumps went off from outside. No, above their heads. Soft, but clear clanks against the cab.

Kevin looked to the side mirror on Kayla's side, making out a silhouette that stood on the ambulance, moving graciously closer. "Oh, God! M-M-Mike, I see someone! There is someone there!"

"A person?! Hang on, don't move-" Mike felt a nefarious force in the air that he couldn't explain. The essence reeked of foul play, detectable by his holy sixth sense. "I'm pulling out my-"

"He- He just disappeared..." Kevin slowed his breath to listen outside. The footsteps went dead, no figure reflecting on the mirror. "Kayla? Kayla-"

The force outside yanked off the passenger door off its hinges, it now fully visible to the driver. The figure was concealed under a long, black cloak from head to toe, a good hiding the being's face, with a comedy theatrical mask in white, the eyes and mouth painted bright red. This was a dark entity of the supernatural world, a practitioner and sorcerer of the darkest magical arts, the malevolent Mister Madness, in all his creepy, unsettling glory.

"MIKE!" Kevin let out a terrified scream, flaring up the sadism in the vicious fiend. Mister Madness dropped down, reaching the two front paramedics like a shroud of shadows coming down, touching upon their skin and engulfing over them. Mike shuddered his breath, frozen stiff and unsure what to make of it. In seconds of losing visual of them, sounds of flesh being sliced, with quite a few muffled screams, had made his heart jump out of place once it had gone beating to the max. The feat paralyzed him, keeping him a statue. The looming shadow went away, leaving behind a mess of gory chunks of human remains in his wake, and the decapitated head of the female paramedic rolled its way to Mike through diabolic means, stopping right at feet's length. And it began to talk to him.

"Don't worry, sweetie pie..." It was her, in her normal voice, but only colder and calmer. "He will make it fast... He will kill you-" The head opened its mouth wide, emitting a black cloud that flooded out, as well aa through the eyes, which also send blood leaking from all three exit points. The cloud itself formed a face, the face of the deadly menace, theatrical mask forming clearly in view. And the voice changed from the woman's to that of the devil himself. "Very fast!"

Mike's only scream inside would be the last one he'd ever let rip in the air before the maniacal Mister Madness slaughtered him. Now there was no one left to tell what had occurred tonight, and the body of the dead clone, which had an aura of supernatural presence around, never fading, had now belonged to the sinister fiend for the taking. This corpse, he knew the smell of, and it was one such smell hw would not ignore. It seemed Lucy Loud, the young girl under his rival's wing, had either a sister or a daughter, definitely one of those. The blood was the same, the chi was the same, and when he ripped the body bag to see Lupa's face, it was equal to Lucy's own, save for the hair color that wasn't black. And if anyone could resurrect and pit this unknown girl related to Lucy, it could only be Mister Madness.

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter VII: The Expelled**

* * *

**July 25th, 2030**

Lucy tracked a couple of devilish little runts known as the Hellves to a steel mill at the edge of a rural town in the northern part of the state Ohio. The murders these ghouls left behind fit all the right markings to only be them. Ripped up body parts, a weird acidic formula left around at the scenes, and tiny bite marks on specific areas, serving as natural Hellve tradition, and what was more, the eyes on all victims were nabbed and used as playthings.

So when Lucy came across a fuckton of eyeballs scattered among the catwalks of the mill, she knew she was in the right place.

The Hellves certainly loved their preferred choice of housing; cold and ancient, and if whenever possible, vacant. This specific steel mill went abandoned since the sixties, locked away from the public and never put in its intended use, apart from a couple of folks coming down every now and then, years at a time.

Hellves, tiny demons of three feet long, green skin, nasty claws and sets of teeth, pointy ears and eyes a very cold yellow. These imps were troublemakers, all laugh and insane strength, possibly to compensate for their height. The only one way to kill them proved a hard way; their only weakness ever to date happened to be destroying their eyes, proving to be fair game for sharpshooters, and Lucy could... If the clowning demons weren't so hyperactive and jumpy.

But tactics were unlimited on her, and being a demon hunter for a few years had made her past a recruit. She came here with a carton pack of beer bottles, only, they weren't just ant random beer bottles. The huntress had brought Molotovs to the party. She placed one down in separate catwalks as she made her way upward. Hidden underneath her black cloaked attire was a rope attached to a hookline. From there, she attached it to the railing of the highest catwalk, throwing the rope over the side.

The place was dark, only dimly visible, and if she could barely see, then so could the Hellves, not that she knew how their eyesight worked. To top it all off, Lucy pulled out her two trusty handguns, heavy Desert Eagles out, and for one of them, she cocked the gun twice, with the first bullet sliding out of the chamber, falling out and disappearing below. It made a clank, echoing through the area, bringing out the stirring of the devils, all ready to play with the source of the sound emitted. Plan was simple enough; lure them to the Molotovs, rope down and shoot them off as she returned down. Easier said than done.

The Hellves behaved just like monkeys in the jungle, prancing around as if they were doing a ritual, gathering on behalf of the bullet. A total of up to twenty of them by what Lucy had been able to tell, enough to make it quite a task tonight.

_"I smell blood...!"_

_"Terrethian flesh! Terrethian among us!"_

_"PLAYTIME, PLAYTIME!" _

Multiple voices, all high-pitched and squeaky just enough to be cartoonish at most. Then, things kicked off as Lucy heard them climbing up as a mob. _"Up there, I sense a plaything!"_

_"Bottle! Bottle?"_

Lucy aimed for the closest Molotov on the ground when four of the monsters approached it and explored their curiosity. She missed, but her second round had hit the explosive, blowing up and setting the four ablaze. They screamed, cries of terror not like a human, but something along the lines of a cross between an elephant and a balloon deflating, going all over the place.

If that didn't get their attention... "Up here! Come and get me!" Lucy continued unloading her handgun before she emptied out the clip. Dropping that gun, she replaced it with the one her left hand occupied, and climbed over the railing, roping herself down as enough of the remaining monsters reached her traps. Lucy hated this part, where her hand would meet friction and burn a painful hot on her palm. It was necessary, no matter how painful it would be. Lucy signed up for scars and injuries, even being around some nasty potions and enchanted objects here and there.

She gripped the rope hard while repelling down, shooting at the remaining Molotovs planted, taking down groups of Hellves, sending them back down to planet earth, screeching inhumanely. Lucy unloaded the rest of the clip onto the stragglers, wounding them. Feet set on ground, and Lucy had taken down eleven of the insidious creatures, bringing the remaining ones back down. "Here!"

One-handedly, Lucy brought a survival knife to the party, holding it in front of her. One Hellve came at her like a cannon, but not too fast to be missed by her knife swings. She slammed the hideous goblin to the ground, stabbing it in both eyes. After this fast kill, the final batch of the demons came jumping down, surrounding Lucy, closing in on her. Last resort being played here, Lucy set her hands behind her, moving back slowly. She pulled the pin on the grenade, let it cook before she rolled it forward and threw herself further back.

The grenade caught the Hellves in range and obliterated them in one fell swoop, quickly ending the chain of deadly murders in the area. Lucy looked over and saw the burning remains, then carefully got up. Apart from her hand, she had not been injured gravely, a new personal best for her. She was happy for herself, and just as it had started, there was a very special guest to take it away from her.

Mister Madness, a deadly force whose name was whispered under the dark of night, in the coldest places, with fear marinated into the voices of the troubled souls familiar with the fiend. There he was, in a long, dark cloak and the mask the handsome Ray Robertson had described to Lucy. Her meeting him now, on this night made her feel pretty stupid, considering she was out of weapons, dependant on only the survival knife stained with Hellve blood.

"The legendary demon huntress came to play..." The cloak he bore distorted and stretched out of place, proving the fact that it had a mind of its own. "So..."

The wiggling, sentient cloak shot forward, expanding to reach Lucy. It grabbed her arms and legs, tightly binding her. Lucy strained hard, throwing grunts around in her valiant effort to break free, but her new opponent proved stronger than her, and no way in hell could she beat him here. She waa disarmed of the blade in her hand, only to have it returned to her, lodged right in her chest. "Urgh!"

Mister Madness lunged forward, dark robes opening up like a large sheet. One second, he was a human-shaped shadow, and in a mere blink of an eye, he became a floating blanket of some sort, rushing to wrap around her.

Lucy tightened her body and face, prepared for a hellish storm. She closed her eyes, teeth gritting away hard as the fire from her Molotovs were blocked out, placing her right in the sinister fiend's net. If the world wasn't dark enough...

**Elsewhere**

_Lucy swam upwards from what she assumed was an ocean somewhere during the nightly hours. A light illuminating over a small opening paved the way for her exit. She wasn't a great swimmer, but found that diving upwards was easier for some off reason. Coming out of the ocean, Lucy looked around to see that she was in the middle of the road, and she had just surfaced from an actual puddle. Climbing up and taking breaths of air, Lucy noticed her surroundings; the world was barren in the most depressing way, everything gray of different tones. The sky wasn't that of a raincloud-gray, but of a dusty, smoky gray, as if a thousand explosions had gone off and blotted out the sky with its rising layers of dust. It was a dead place Lucy did not want to be in, such a place where she was in the middle of nowhere, except for the narrow road and an old house in front of her._

_Not just any house, but a deader version of the old house on Franklin Avenue, the one and only Loud house. The house that greeted her by opening its front door to her, welcoming her in the most unsettling way possible. Lucy had arrived with no weapon to this place, which made her feel somewhat naked and vulnerable. Most of her had the right thoughts, telling her to turn the other way and run like hell, and that tiny piece that didn't was saying that the house would literally be the only thing in miles from what she could be able to tell. _

_And she ran, turning tail to a hard run, only to see the house somehow appear the other direction, and looking over her shoulder to the original place, the house had indeed teleported. "Fuck."_

_Again, the house opened up its door, giving Lucy no choice but to wander inside, venturing into the unknown territory. She climbed up the porch steps, casually entering the old house with no fear on her, not just yet. Her footsteps made and left a trail of creams until she passed through the doorway, coming into the living room, set the way she could barely remember. There was the couch on her left, coffee table in front of it, as well as the flatscreen right next to her, perched in the same place it had always been. The nice round carpet in front of the stairs, just like old times. Even the fireplace from the chimney, all was there. All of it, and yet, it was empty. No living soul, no signs of anyone of the Loud family. Not until she looked up the stairs, noticing a sudden shadow swoosh from left to right. She didn't jump, but stopped to look closely. "Hello?"_

_"Welcome home, Lucy!" It sounded like Lynn's voice, unmistakable by the pitch and tone. Lynn, or what was a creature playing as her in disguise, lured Lucy upstairs. "Hey... Hey, baby sister, could you help me clean up?" _

_The front door shut on itself, and when Lucy turned to look, she found it barricaded by a brick wall. This place did not want her to leave, apparently. She prepared for the worst, focusing back up the stairs, finding a skeleton version of Lynn right in her face. It gave Lucy enough of a fright, knocking her off balance. The empty eye sockets of Lynn's skull had a centipede move about from one to another. The white bottom jaw on her was loose, barely able to weld shut. "Hi, Lucy... We miss you."_

_"Lynn-" Lucy shook her head, taking a gentle step away from Lynn-Skeleton. "No, you can't be-"_

_Lynn-Skeleton blew up, blinding Lucy with a nice spray of red blood to her eyes. Lucy choked on the blood and quickly wiped her eyes, squinting carefully when she opened them. And where the dead Lynn had just been, only a pile of bones remained. Lucy stuttered and bent down to grab the skull, picking it up firmly. She stared at it, hoping to actually hear Lynn's voice, for her to talk again in this body-less state. Nothing, Lynn-Skeleton said nothing._

_Lucy looked away, letting the skull drop back down. She could never find herself saying it, but to hear the jock's voice again, it was wholesome and nostalgic. "Lynn..." _

_"Is this pain in your heart I can smell, huntress?" Mister Madness appeared atop the stairs, descending towards Lucy. "Do you long for it? Do you miss your filthy family, my sweets?"_

_"Where am I?!" Lucy charged at the demonic sorcerer. "Get me out!"_

_The cloaked figure swooshed down and sent her flying back hard to the ground. "Where do you think you are, girlie?" He pinned her on all fours, mask poking her pale, angry face. "Are you riled up yet?"_

_The theatrical mask suddenly began sticking to her as if it had turned into a form of sticky, oozing substance, blending with her face and horribly inflicting a burn to the skin it made contact with. Lucy wailed out with blood-curdling agony, drowned out by the covering of her mouth. The mask had formed over her face, silencing and blocking her air passageway. Her limbs reacted by flipping around, frantic ij those final moments of her life when it had become too apparent that she was dying mercilessly at the hands of Mister Madness. "Mmmm$! Mmmm! Mm mm..."_

_"You are in my world now..." The maniac snapped out of her, jumping away with the mask peeling off her entire face, creating a faceless Lucy with her flesh visible, blood dripping down to her neck. "I'll take that."_

_"Y-YOU BASTARD-" Lucy felt like she received a series of bee stings, followed by a violent blizzard that kissed her face. It irritated her like crazy, driving her to touch it and start the pain cycle anew. "AGH!"._

_Behind him, a pair of silhouettes came to his side. "I think its best to introduce me to your folks, wouldn't you say?"_

_The burnt corpses of her late parents weren't recognized right away until they both spoke. "Honey, who is your special guest?" This was Rita Loud talking._

_"He seems like a real stand-up guy," the fake Lynn Loud Sr added in. _

_"Heh..." Mister Madness was awfully enjoying himself, happily feeding off Lucy's traumatic past. "Such good parents, it's almost quite a shame they died."_

_Lucy whispered, "No," hissing away to get through the nasty face gore. "G-go fuck-" _

_Her parents shrieked repulsively, suddenly turning into mindless beasts, stampeding at Lucy. They had become literal zombies, leaping on their demon huntress of a daughter, knocking her down ans sinking their rusty nail-like teeth into her face and devouring. It felt too real, too vicious in the sensation, and Lucy broke like this. Broke with the image of her parents actually attacking and eating away at her flesh. And then, while her flesh was being picked apart, she focused on what was real, snapping out of it. They weren't her parents, and the Lynn she met wasn't the real Lynn. Everyone was dead and there was no changing that. "This isn't real..." _

_"Oh, is that so?" Mister Madness chuckled. _

_Again, Lucy screamed it out. "THIS ISN'T REAL, JUST LIKE THEY AREN'T!"_

_"And neither were your poems, sweetie..." Rita eerily whispered. "I- I mean, we never liked them. We don't like them. We don't like-"_

Lucy gasped, sitting upright as fast as she had broken free from that dark place. Her nose picked up on a disgusting smell, and the surroundings around her told her that she was in the sewers, resting upon one side against the waterbank of nasty sewage. She covered her sniffer, looking behind. Not forty feet away from her, and standing in the middle of the water was Mister Madness. A closer look at him revealed that the painted red smile had flipped upside down, depicting his disappointment of Lucy's miraculous triumph, the maneuver that had bested him. "You may have escaped the Sonno Realm, but can you defeat us?"

"Us?" Lucy tapped her free hand on her chest. _Still bleeding... How long was I out?_

She didn't know what the sorcerer had meant until she lay witness to a third figure emerge from the sewage, making their presence known. This one was a female in a surprisingly untainted white cloak, and of white, medium hair. The skin tone definitely matched Lucy's own, which she noticed closely, knowing it from too many times looking in a mirror for wounds.

"Kill the demon huntress, my child," Mister Madness commanded the girl in white.

Lucy expected a direct hand-to-hand fight, but the disadvantage was made clear when the opponent displayed telekinesis, slamming Lucy to the wall as the girl came floating towards her. There was no way out of this one, so Lucy accepted that maybe, just maybe, her journey would end here, and she would have failed Ray. This was, had been all for nothing.

"Cease!" A new idea had popped into the maniac's mind. "Bring her to me!"

"Yes, my Lord," the unknown female responded, lifting Lucy up from the ground, taking her towards him.

"I know what to do..." Lucy blacked out, the last thing she had seen was the man's evil mask, and everything went dark again.

**Later**

Lucy woke up under a pentagram made up of over blood, forehead marked with a cross of Mister Madness' own blood, and her stomach sticking out, having been rubbed with a brown substance she didn't identify, but could feel the cold and thickness of. "What the-?! Hey-"

She turner around- seeing the corpse of Lupa laying over its own pentagram, and under the same circumstances as Lucy. This girl was the exact same one who displayed the telekinesis, but it only brought Lucy lightheaded confusion, mainly why Mister Madness would kill her if she was serving him. And her train of thought concluded with seeing the _other _girl in white, the actual one who brought her down easily. "Oh, God..."

The copy of Lupa narrowed her eyes at the corpse of the dead clone, confused about it. "Who was she...?"

Lucy tried to move, but found herself stuck as if she was being kept there by an invisible boulder that was underneath her, keeping her tied down. "Hey, what's going on?! Let me go!"

"Ah, she's awake!" Mister Madness returned to the cave, his not-so-humble abode. "Good, I want my brother's puppets to experience all hell."

"P-puppets?!" Lucy was insulted.

"Ray Robertson is still an idiot, sending his sidekicks to die for him. He could do it alone, he knows it, and yet..." Mister Madness shook his head. "Silly, stupid girl. He killed you, not me, I'd like you to know that. I'd love you to know that he sent yet another child to die for him. It is a shame..."

"I'm not dead yet," Lucy pointed out. "Tell me, who the fuck is this? And what's with the body?"

"Oh? You mean to tell me this is not a relative of yours?" The Masked Ghoul approached Lupa's body and fell on all fours over it. "This little piece of human flesh has the very scent akin to yours, and... Don't tell me there is no striking resemblance. Surely you have a sister..."

"Never seen her before..." Lucy tried to break free again. "Son of a bitch."

"Now, now, let's not be too hasty..." Mister Madness bent up again, arms placed on the girl in white. "That girl, whatever she is to you, proved to be useful in her condition. From the body, I created this surrogate person, a slave with the same traits, characteristics, and powers. What a nice surprise to find that she is telekinetic. All the more reason I'm glad I stole the body."

Lucy was in awe. "I... I don't..."

"What I did unto her, I will do the same to you," he promised. "The idea of you two at my disposal... It makes me feel foolish to have slaughtered his past aid. Not this time."

He began the ritual, chanting in an ancient Latin dialect, hands hovering over Lucy. His lines went repeated, the girl in white backing away when the cave began to shake, pebbles dancing around, dust forming. The exposed stomach on Lucy began glowing am unbearable bright white, Mister Madness still continuing the chant. The cross on Lucy's forehead warped about. It had started working, and a black essence came out of Lucy's stomach, redirected to the side by Madness while never breaking the chant. The black essence grew bigger and bigger, forming into one bubbly sphere. Lucy then screamed at the top of her lungs, but Madness had already wrapped up in bringing out the only thing that mattered.

The blob took shape, rendering into human form. Human form... Becoming the copy of Lucy Loud, and not like Lupa was made as. This one, a girl taller than Lupa and the girl in white, came out in a dark cloak and pigtails in the back of her hair. Lucy was bewildered by this scene, mouth left stupidly agape at the sight of the girl in black.

The expelled.

"Say hi to your daughter," Madness snickered hideously. "What should we call them? How about... Lilith for the black one... And, Lumi for the white one?"

"What the hell is a supernatural clone of me going to do to you? Wearing my face, wouldn't that-?"

"Maybe... But she is no Lucy Loud, huntress!" Mister Madness sliced her stomach, leaving a cut on Lucy. "I've got what I wanted, now we don't need these two anymore! Girls, kill them!"

Lumi hesitated, unsure of what to do. It had been easier until she had seen what she was, and what she was proved to be ugly and abominable than she could ever know. She was no Lupa, and ahe was no Lucy either. It begged the question, who was she, and was there a way to bring back the one true Lupa? The person she'd been extracted from? It felt less right to have been taking and accepting the orders of this evil man, with an aura of negativity aa strong as his will. Lumi acted fast and pushed Lilith away from Lucy, quickly jumping to her aid to free her by breaking the blood pentagram. "Go! Go, run!"

"LUMI!" Mister Madness' smile flipped on itself again. "NO, DO NOT-"

Lumi broke Lupa's corpse free, picked it up and ran further into the cave with Lucy. "Go, go!"

"LILITH, HUNT THEM DOWN AT ALL COSTS!"

_No Lucy Loud... _Lilith narrowed her eyes, choosing to give chase to the other girls, led by the one wearing her face. _Supernatural clone..._

Lucy and Lumi spotted a faint light from far ahead. "Where's that-?"

"The way out of here, yeah!" Lumi huffed and panted with Lupa's body. "I want you to tell me everything when we get out of this-"

"Ha! I ask the questions around here!" Lucy cemented her status as the main demon killer, telling Lumi who was the better of the two. Then again, Lucy was without the telekinesis. "You listen to me at all times, or we'll be fucked."

"F-fine... Hey, take this!" Lumi offered Lucy the luggage in her arms. "I can't use my power unless you-"

"Right, you have a point..." Lucy took the dead Lupa in her arms, eyeing closely at the corpse with wonder. "I don't know who the hell this is..."

"Really?"

"Just keep running!" Lucy barked. "Are you strong enough to cause a cave-in?"

"I... I don't know until I try!"

"HEY!" Lilith, armed with a rock in each hand, caught up to them. "NOT SO FAST!"

Lumi put herself in between Lucy and Lilith, blocking the newly-created enemy from an offensive attack. "Don't move!"

Lilith had no idea about the albino girls' gifts, simply shrugging Lumi's bark as nothing else than a bark. "What can you do, other than get scared you'll turn white?"

"D-do it!" Lucy instructed. "Drop it on her!"

Lumi waved her hands, spreading them apart, disrupting and shaking the cave from inside. Lilith tilted her head up, concentrated on the changing state of the cave. She broke away rather quickly, aiming and throwing the rocks at Lumi, only for then to be deflected easily. "No fucking way-"

A large portion of rocks broke away from above, falling in between them as Lumi continued on. Lucy hightailed it out of there, running rapidly on her short, little legs. It didn't help that Lupa played a role in weight, which proved to have slowed her down enough. "What did you eat?"

Lumi brought the cave down more, letting the place rain with rock and dirt- and she left herself for an opening when Lilith, concealed among the messy cloud of dust and dirt, jumped out and threw a few body punches that led up to her face. It certainly brought her down, but the rumbling of the cave did not stop. "Okay, now you will keep me safe while I-"

Mister Madness thundered past them, plowing right though Lilith. "Every person for themselves!"

A boulder fell out, dropping right at Lilith, prompting her to shield herself and brace for the pain. Lumi stopped it, saving the girl in black. "I got it!"

Lilith looked up, seeing her heroine smile nervously back at her. Then, she faced the fleeing Madness. "YOU SCUMBAG!"

Lucy made it out alive, putting Lupa's body down the second she made sure there was a clearing. Mister Madness raced out of the cave, flying into the early morning's dawning skies. "LUCY, WE'LL MEET AGAIN!"

"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath, hoping he would have been buried alive, just like- "Aw, damn it!"

There was Lumi, walking back casually with Lilith, as if nothing had happened. "Hey-"

"What is this?!" Lucy was quick to point fingers at them. "That thing came out of- You, what are you doing?!"

"I'm just as confused as you are..." Lilith shared.

"Can't you reverse this?" Lumi asked the huntress. "Do you know how?"

"No, I never learned magic... Damn it, I have no experience!" Lucy bent down to Lupa. "But I do know something... You, white-hair, come here!"

"Yes!" Lumi jumped over opposite Lucy. "What now?"

Lucy ran her fingers across her flesh wound, staining them with her blood. "Cut yourself."

"Huh?"

"Cut yourself!" Lucy raised her voice. "I need your blood! You do have blood, don't you?!"

Lumi found a rock with a sharp edge, jamming it into her hand. Blood spurred out of it, enough for Lucy's quick thinking. "Ow, fuck- Okay!"

"You," Lucy guided Lilith, "no funny games! Lift up her clothes, we need her cheat exposed!"

"Yeah, alright!" Lilith bent down on her knees to pull Lupa's top clothes upward.

"Listen," Lucy guided Lumi. "Whatever I do, you do it in parallel contrast to me, like a mirror, got it?"

"Of course!' Lumi readied her blood finger.

"And stay silent, I mean that to both of you. No word, I will be pulling off a resurrection chant I've only seen a few times."

"R-resurrection-" Lumi stammered.

Lucy started with a circle, and Lumi followed, mirroring her finger strokes, initiating her chanting. They both did lines, drawing curves, making a complex drawing in red right on Lupa's bare chest. Lucy had her eyes close, surrendering all her focus and hope for the ritual. If something was supposed to happen, neither Lumi nor Lilith could sense a sign. Lucy pulled her finger off, and then Lumi's as well, motioning her to move away, and then covered Lupa again after taking over Lilith. The three of them backed away from Lupa on Lucy's signal, silently staring for the magic to kick in. And for a long period, going at over a minute, nothing happened.

"Is she-?" Lumi stepped forward, hand reaching out.

"It- I did it right-" Lucy explained, trying to figure out what she did wrong. "No, I needed answers from-"

The lodged bullets in Lupa's head were pushed out, repelled by the body. In those mesmerizing seconds of quietness from the three, Lupa opened her blue eyes, gasping out loud. "Lynn! Luan!" Instead of the clones, she found herself surrounded by three girls, one of who she identified right away as her original. "Lucy!"

"Yeah, who the hell are you to be calling me that so formally?" Lucy brushed the dangling her off her face. "Your face, that's mine..."

"How- How- Where-?" Lupa slapped her own face. "Agh, blahhhh- I was in Royal Woods, is this still?"

"No, we're all in South California," Lumi dropped.

"What?!" Lupa inhaled the shock.

"South..." Lucy trailed off. "C-Califuhhhhh..."

"Idiots, what the fuck is going on-?"

"This is Mister Madness' doing," Lucy sighed. "He teleported me halfway across the world."

"I have to get back to Royal Woods..." Lupa fueled up in rage. "Ugh, fucking hell, how convenient of him-" Lupa paused and read Lucy's expression. "Oh..."

"I wanna know how you fit into all of this..." Lucy motioned her hand to Lumi and Lilith. "These girls here are clones of the both of us, that's also his doing."

"Wait a min- Did you just say...?" Lupa stood up and studied Lumi. "Clone? You?"

"Hi, mom," Lumi joked.

"No, not today..." Lupa shook her head in denial. "This is so fucked up..."

"Hey, are you gonna answer me?" Lucy set her hands on her hips, awaiting for Lupa's tale to tell.

"Okay, but I'd rather..." Lupa grabbed Lucy and pulled her away from the two other girls. "Listen, things are complicated on the outside world. I was hoping I would bump into you, because... Well, listen, I need you to believe me, and to do that with a heavy head."

"Just to be clear, I didn't mother you, did I? Not mine through supernatural means?"

"No, no, I'm not..." Lupa laughed, but it was a cringy, awkward laugh.

"Go on..."

"Okay so... Heh... I am a clone of you, Lucy..."

Lucy stared ominously, then broke into a hard laugh. "Nice joke, hahaha!"

Lupa rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Just like you and Lynn fighting over toothpaste."

Lucy froze immediately, then closing her mouth. "Oh, you're not kidding... What, when?! Who the he'll and how?!"

"Our genius sister Lisa," Lupa replied. "She cloned five-"

"Five? Five of me?!"

"No, five of our siblings- Yours, mines, whatever! Lucy..." Lupa cleared her throat. "We were led to believe the others died in the fire, but... They're alive, Luce. I saw Lynn, Luna, Lincoln, a lot of them, for that matter."

A dark cloud settled over Lucy. "Oh..."

"Oh? Hey, isn't- Isn't it great?" Lupa tried to form a smile, but Lucy's next words prevented one. "It isn't?"

"Well..." Lumi and Lilith were eavesdropping on them. "I'd have rather they died..."

Lupa processed her words, nodding slowly. She, too, had shared the same idea. It made everything easier when there was no excess baggage to constantly drag due to the dangerous field work they thrived in. Lucy had never needed to get sidetracked by anything, and if Lupa would follow in her footsteps, one Liby and one Lacy would had to have been put back in the closet where it was safe and sound... Neglected. This had always been Lucy's choice and reason to accept, to assume that the Louds had all died in the fire. No thought, no memory must slow her down, now and forever. Now and forever meaning until she hung it up or until she died.

"Wow... O-Okay then..." Lupa scratched her eyes. "Three edgy five me."

"Curiously, are you also like me, you know, in profession?"

"No, I know everything you know to a certain point in your life, which was up to the first month of this year, but I don't do that. I've landed in my own issues, and I think I'm a permanent part of it..." Lupa tapped on the side of her head where she had been shot. "This was Lincoln's doing-"

"Lincy?" Lucy rubbed her chin. "Huh... Okay well, all of that has nothing to do with me, so... I hope you guys resolve your shit."

"We will... I hope." Lupa looked to the morning sky. "I have a long way to go... Is there anything you want me to-?"

"No messages from me, thanks..." Lucy went back to the two other girls- finding that they had already vanished. "Oh, come on!"

"What?" Lupa had her head facing the ground until Lucy's cry. "Oh, look at that, your babysitter skills are just as rusty as your social skills."

"Meaning what's mine is yours!" And with that, Lucy hurried after them, running down the mountain. Lupa enjoyed the humor in that, staying for a few long seconds to see Lucy hurry after them. Once she disappeared, Lupa floated upwards, taking to the clouds. Next stop was heading back to Royal Woods, to locate her clone sisters and to get revenge on both Lynn and Lincoln for this, even if it would be days to get there. Time had never been on her side, but she certainly had one advantage; the element of surprise.

* * *

**AN: Lumi (Loud), as previously seen in another fic of mine, is finally born out of the fallen vessel of Lupa Loud, one such OC belonging to my good friend Vale. Originally, Lumi was Lupa's twin sister who died at birth, but... Well, Vale never explained how she kept living and growing despite being a ghost. **

**Lilith is a Haikucoln kid, owned by Damajics. Well, in all other places not here, I mean. **

**I wouldn't say thesw two are clones of Lucy and Lupa, but rather a living piece of them, like, it's a fraction of their being, their essence, given the extra life by Mister Madness. And since Lupa is Lucy Mark II, all three of them are literally Lucy's blood and soul, or by Harry Potter lore, sentient horcruxes rendered neutral to the creator. Something among those lines. **

**Lilith and Lumi are a set among the supernatural field of Dawn, and I'm still going strong in that direction. Now, I decided to test out a wacky idea I had in TLVG, and well, some definite spoilers were tossed into the mix, that's a big oops on my end, but this was awhile back. You really can't share anything either without one person getting antsy as fuck. Sad. **

**Anyways, Lucy, Lupa and the Expelled, as I'll call them, are splitting up after this. Lupa has a mission, and in no way is she interested in Lucy's job, knowing that there is a Lucy out there, and neither with the Expelled. Too many issues out of her grasp and understanding, and likewise for thr Expelled. Things will be solved, Lucy comes across Mister Madness, the Expelled have their own adventure... But not really alone, and... More. **

**A special thanks for LoudAutomata for suggesting a little thing that I did not actually explore, but I will LOL. **

**Next up is flashforwards and explosions; a look into the war-torn future. So, too much death. **


	30. Chapter 30

**Unspecified Time - Unspecified Location **

A pair of teenage girls ran heavily, jumping over fallen pillars, ducking down out of clear openings, and more importantly, they did their best to try and survive yet another day here in the city. This once beautiful city full of live in a time before them. There were tall buildings just like the past era, but these ones that had gone undisturbed were knocked down to size, most of them demolished. Cars were abandoned either due to being burnt scrap, flipped on their sides or back, or simply just abandoned. To explain, the future was not nice to anyone who lived in the northeastern board. Anything below old Manhattan was blocked off, splitting the southern cities and places under to be forgotten and neglected. This was where the undesirables lived, looting, pillaging and killing each other if you had never accepted the plan of the ultimate ruler of the United States of Blood.

This ruler controlled the nation, or what remained of it, establishing the Prime Federation as the one and only militaristic force, bigger and nastier than any other army. Did you want to know the secret of what made the Prime Federation forces a hundred and ten percent effective? They had phenos placed into the ranks, and phenos amped with a special concoction known as Medi-Sin, a drug that proved to be the steroids for phenos. They were brutal, they were fast, but they were messy and completely merciful to their invading enemies.

The ones able to make a living out of this war-torn nation saw a hero in the leader, proving that they had New America's best interest at heart, and said no to terrorism, gangs, and up to the smallest itch in their own backyard. Times were certainly easier when a small-time nickel-and-dime crime ring was thwarted by tips and surveillance, over the large resistance that aimed to overthrow the current power. This resistance, known as the Domicile, had come into play not too long after the Prime Federation rose to power, both parties having waged war. This was the key thing, a blow, that enabled foreign powers to attack while the big dog was busy scratching the fleas. It was a beautiful three-way war with a hell lot of casualties and resources and supplies well spent before phenos were used in Prime Fedration and Domicile forces.

The Domicile used hit-and-run guerilla tactics at most, waging war with the Federation on deaf territory. Dead territory meaning the devastated areas the Federation would patrol on daily bases with at advantage in ground and air reinforcements, and technological advancements. Things were now at an equal balance, forces both growing strong. This, a war where no good and evil truly existed. Every war-wager was reduced to the idea, a bullet for a victory, a death for the cause. The very thing about this war between the hometown residents could be described as a meaningless, endless fight. The Prime Federation cleaned up a mess at a time of need, which nobody would dare look at anymore, or it would be at times, used as propaganda to paint them a dictatorship. The Domicile wanted to restore power to the old nation runners, but this was an impossible dream the Federation would give their all to prevent, showcasing the flaws and errors of the government before their time. America was a truly divided nation, half of them supporting the new world order, and the other half having descended into chaos. This alone had the entire nation close its doors to foreign visitors, as for the economic trade lines, the States were no longer receiving the essentials, putting a decrease in value of that which was spent from the natural, rich dollar bill. And with China being one of their sellers, well, let's just say that the Chinese people were not okay with the new rule, and with how incompetent they had deemed it to be. A war with China had never been off the table at this point.

In a regular afternoon, where the sun kept shining its bright rays upon the darker world, sisters Lyra and Lynnette Laude were an on-and-off pair of anti-Prime Federation occupants against the chaos brought upon by the new powers. For one thing, the girls were second generation phenos, placing them at quite the advantage when it counted, and then some. They snuck into an apartment building with one-third of it demolished, paving an easier way inside via the second floor. The pair climbed up multiple stories, digging into an overwatch position that overlooked a sizeable portion of the city, a favor that benefited the Domicile.

The two reached the top level and started looking out from all sides.

"West side is clear," the blonde confirmed. "Checking east."

"South clear, no cloudy sky either!" Lyra rushed it back to the other side. "How are we eastward?"

"No patrols, the Doms will-"

"Hang on..." Lyra caught something in the corner of her eye. "I've got movement here."

"Bladers spotted!" Lynnette jogged back to Lyra's position, joining her in looking out the window. "They were headed..." She also caught what Lyra had spotted. "Oh. God."

A group of seven Domicile members were rigging the roads with tripwire traps, connecting them with a large quantity of C4 charges, and closing in were a group of eight Bladers, a vicious type of robot scout units that got around on wheels for legs, had a cylinder-like body, and came in two models; the melee, with saw blades for hands, and the shooter, constructed with dual laser beams that could cut through anything.

"We've gotta help-" Lynnette made an effort to get down there, but Lyra wanted to live another day, essentially holding the eager beaver back. "Lyra, let go."

"No, I can't let you go down there..." Lyra sank her nails into Lynnette's skin. "We're strictly surveillance and recon, not reinforcements!"

"The Bladers will rip them, you know that!" Lynnette peered out the window again. "We have to to something..."

"We can't, listen to me-" Lyra then had a quick idea. "Wait, bathroom. G-go crack a shard!"

"Huh? Why?" Lynnette raised only questions, only to be pushed by Lyra out of the vacant bedroom. "Hey-!"

"We need to spark a light they can see, a warning!" Lyra aimed for. "Go!"

"Oh!" Lynnette flashed a thumbs up and zoomed off to the bathroom. She broke the mirror for a shard, taking to the rooftop. From her spot, Lyra kept eyes on the guerrillas. It didn't look like they were getting the memo, and the Bladers were closing in, just one block away from intersecting them. "Shit, hurry..." Lyra prayed. "Come on..."

Lynnette twirled the shard around, desperately trying to get their attention. _Notice me... Notice me!_

The patrol of combat robots finally reached the pack of Domicile resistance members, finally breaking Lynnette's silence. "HEY, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!"

The Bladers made first contact with the resistance, preemptively opening fire before any of them could react. It was a short clip of a massacre, graphic and extremely brutal for the eyes of the two girls. Most of the resistance members were fired upon and shredded, or sliced away by the spinning saw blades the robots swung around. Only one such member sacrificed themselves and set off the very explosives they were concealing, laying waste to that entire block, blowing it off the face of the earth.

"Lynnette, get back down!" Lyra yelled from the window, only for the zoomer in her to swoosh right back, sending a gust of air that messed with Lyra's hair. "Are you crazy?!"

"Bitch, I might be!" Lynnette was prepared to fight the good fight with Lyra. "I can't keep just clearing sectors, Lyra! You know we're both phenos capable of joining the front lines!"

"If we were immortal and invincible!" Lyra snapped her fingers at Lynnette to make it click. "We're still human, we can be beaten and killed, and not to mention...-"

A low humming broke the tension, filling the steadied quietness of the barren, devastated city. Lyra pressed a finger to her lips, guiding Lynnette to take cover. The humming grew louder and stronger until it hit right over them, the source of the noise stopping there. Lyra gasped as three thumps crashed upon the roof. "Oh, no..." she mouthed, crouching her way out of the suite, leading herself and Lynnette back down the stairs. "They've found us."

Lynnette shook her head, holding the door open for Lyra. "Bullshit!"

"I wouldn't call it bullshit," a third voice from above them cut in. Lissandra Mercer, a familiar face to the two Laude girls, leaned over the stair railing, looking sideways at them. There she was, her long blonde hair, with a red cap placed backwards, and the face of hers that read devious intentions. "I can smell your scent, ladies."

"Mercer..." Lyra turned her regular hands into the reptilian state, revealing that she inherited more than just Luna's hair color. "Lynnette, defense!"

The blonde spread her lips apart, revealing sharp teeth and slit-shaped tongue. "Locked and loaded!"

"Hey, now we're talking!" Mercer grinned happily. "Gotta say, I'm glad that you've shown your ugly faces here, surely saves me from boredom. You, you're Adrenaline's booger brat, ain't you?"

Lynnette curled up her arms into fists. "What's it to you?"

"Are you just as fast as her?" Mercer mocked wildly. "Primers started a pool on that, I've got fifty bucks says Lynn Loud is the superior zoomer out of all zoomers that ever existed. That goes without saying..." Mercer tapped on her hat once to showcase the downfall of one specific zoomer, laughing mercilessly at them.

"One day..." Lynnette flicked out her sets of claws. "Our aunt will be avenged, Primer slut!"

Mercer was then joined by the two other allies that had arrived with her. One, all dressed up in the same stealth fabric too similar to one Carly Evans-Nguyen, and for all everyone knew, it might have even been the same one. This one behind the mask was Bethany Kira Chang, a Chinese-Japanese girl who brought out katanas for the hunting party. The other one sported the common Prime Federation combat armor, but custom for them, stylized in velvet red among the black. A protective mask concealed their face, but the chest layout suggested it was a female at that, a deadly one holding an AK-47, strangely opposing the natural assigned weapon. "It's fair game now, bitches!"

"Don't rely on mommy to save you two this time," Chang intimidated, moving down towards them.

Lyra and Lynnette maintained their distance from her, being forced further down the stairs. It was a slow process for them, and Chang still continued to spook them downwards, insisting on doing so up until Mercer came charging down like a beast broken out of its cage. "LONG LIVE MY APPETITE!"

"RUN IT!" Lyra encouraged Lynnette, both girls booking it down the building.

"YOU CAN'T OUTRUN YOUR FATE!" Mercer got on all fours, galloping down after the two scouts.

The armored woman pulled back the slide of her rifle to load it, setting aim right in the opening middle of the stairwell. "A little something about these fast types," she shared to Chang, revealing a light Russian accent. "They're easy pickings when you got them running in a circle." She opened fire, aiming at not where the zoomers were, but where they'd be- and she was lucky to get a hit off of Lynnette's cheat and right arm while Lyra remained safe by hugging the walls.

"ARGH-" Lynnette had a nasty fall, hitting her face on the steps before the gunfire ended. "LYRA, HELP-"

"Idiot! Idiot, you didn't lean against the walls!" Lyra locked onto Lynnette's arms, holding by her armpits, taking her backwards.

"THAT- YOU ARE NOT HELPING ME! MY ARMS NEED TO BREATHE!" Lynnette rattled about as she went down stairs backside first, and with her buttocks smacking against the steps. "LET ME LIMP!"

"IF I CARRY YOU ON MY SHOULDERS, WE'RE DEAD!"

"I HATE YOU!"

Lyra was half as fast when running backwards, and a little extra when she had to do so here. One false move was all it took. When she reached the second floor, Lyra dragged Lynnette into the hall, where the demolished side of the building faced them. "We're almost clear!" Lyra declared with hope in her voice. As she and Lynnette ran down the hill of rubble and debris, Mercer punched the stairwell door off its hinges. "PEEKABOO! HERE I AM!"

"Lyra, tag-team maneuver boost!" Lynnette hardened herself on purpose to slow Lyra down. "I NERD YOU TO TRUST ME!"

"NO, NOT NOW!" Lyra was against it, but was left without a choice. Mercer crawled towards them rather slowly, a predator circling and toying with its prey. "L-Lynnette..."

Mercer pressed against the ground, and gave herself a high leap from her heightened position, opening her mouth wide, claws ready to attack and ravage the Laudes.

"I PUT MY LIFE IN YOUR HANDS!" Lyra used all her strength to lift Lynnette up, the latter adding support by kicking herself up with her good leg, matching to strike Mercer's head right before they could be devoured. Lynnette's only power attack here knocked Mercer to the side, knocking her out cold. Lyra turned around quickly, waiting for Lynnette to land and latch onto her back. "YOU- YOU MAGNIFICENT-"

"GET US THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Lynnette slapped on Lyra's face, pointing to the streets. "GO, WOMAN!"

After Lyra and Lynnette had fled the area, Chang and the armored woman arrived at the scene, finding the unconscious blonde Mercer lying over rubble. "Damn it, they got away..." Chang sighed. "We need new members..."

The unidentified Russian woman removed her mask, revealing herself to have long red hair, and facially having a look that put her in her mid-thirties. "And we will have them, Bethany. We will soon enough."

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter VIII: The Purple Diary**

* * *

**Later**

The status of most subway lines were all but abandoned, and some battles were fought under these tunnels, permanently putting all trains out of commission of their original purpose, and for some poor but lucky souls, they made a home inside such cars. The lines were also a good way to get around for Domicile members, and the same could be said for the two scouts, as long as they were fast enough to move in and out. And they were.

Lyra had left a flashlight and a heavy backpack at the station they got out of, and they were glad to find that no one had taken it. "All good here, camp time..."

Lynnette limped it from there, moving behind Lyra while the brunette shone the flashlight in front of them. "I can't wait for the double-stack sandwiches."

"I've got my salad and sparkling water I'm so ready for..." Lyra could practically taste the ranch dressing. "Alright, we're far enough from Roosevelt station, here's as good a spot as any..."

Lynnette licked her lips as Lyra unpacked, setting up shop. It started with two rolled up sleeping bags lined up vertically against either side of the rail tracks, and then a blanket in between them, which was where their food were placed upon. Lynnette hogged her three sandwiches quite fast, mixing them with a nice Powerade bottled sports drink. "Oh my God, so good!"

Lyra was more of the classic variety, having ladylike mannerisms that outclassed Lynnette. "Could you be anymore manly?"

Lynnette burped in retaliation. "I'm good, man."

"Well, it pays to be a little healthy-"

"Hahaha, don't talk to me about health!" Lynnette guffawed. "We are so far from healthy, you know? All the killing and the fighting, that's not good for us. There's... There's all these bullet cases and skeletons- No, bodies that aren't even decomposed completely yet, all of that is up there-"

Lyra let her fork slip away, facing Lynnette's direction. The flashlight had been facing in front of them, placing each other in the bleak of darkness. "Lynnette...-"

"-It's never pretty. I wish it was, I wish things were different, like... Like how mom described it."

"Yeah..." Lyra let her eyes fall upon the empty ground. All she knew, all they knew of the world before this one, it had been described as beautiful and peaceful, more than this one. Parks with playgrounds, all occupied by happy kids. Dog owners who walked their best friends of four legs around streets. Bicycle riders, taxi drivers. Friendly people, friends, neighbors, loved ones gathered around on special occasions, holidays. There was so much the two wanted to explore, to experience. To be alive and free from the very state and life conditions forced on them. "I'm sorry, I know how much it meant to you back there, but-"

"But you don't want to see me get killed, I know the drill," Lynnette dismissed. "You're not my mother, Lyra."

"But we're sisters..." Lyra nodded to. "You may be my cousin, but we are sisters in this. I've certainly thought of you as a sister, and nothing will change that."

Lynnette gave a reply through silence.

"Do you know I love you?"

"Don't be all mushy on me, Lyra."

"Okay, but just know that I do."

"Tch..." Lynnette let out. "Anything else you gonna say?"

"Other than the fact that we're going to be hung by our mothers, no, I can't think of anything to say."

"Oh dear fucking God," Lynnette moaned out. "Mom's so gonna blow a gasket. It's out thing she runs around in red and white, but me- I mean, us, well..."

"Not like my mom is less merciless than yours, please!" Lyra laughed.

"I'd trade in a heartbeat!" Lynnette offered jokingly.

"Nay!" Lyra picked her fork back up. "So... Can I ask something?"

"You goddamn... Ugh, yeah, why not?" Lynnette continued devouring her sandwiches.

"I'm sure you have a dream, a perfect heaven for you, would you perhaps want to share it with me?"

Lynnette opened her mouth, but the words were still mentally forming together. "It's a simple one, you really want to know?"

"Wouldn't have asked, sis."

Lynnette chuckled, snorting away. "Fair point... I imagine a nicer world, all clean and pleasant like in those picture books they've read to us when we were kids. You remember those, right? The pictures with the kids running in the park, and barbecues going on. I'd like something like that with all of us. Aunt Lana and the other fallen of the family to be alive and healthy..." She stopped to think. "No... What I really want is a better future for us all, that's what I really mean. That's all."

"That's deep and... Selfless to say the least." Lyra twirled her fork around aimlessly. "I like that answer. You know, I do wonder about the past. If I could have a chance to go back, I would accept in a heartbeat. I don't mean that to say I want to escape this world solely out of fear, I want to be the one to change it all. You know, change the past, write a new future, and a better one."

"Oh, getting all scientific on me, huh?" Lynnette finished her food, and as luck would have it, her body finally repelled the two bullets inside of her. "Stupid fucking anti-pheno bullets!"

"Be grateful the effect wears off or I'd have clawed them out, and that could have been painful."

Lynnette's wounds healed as she dug herself underneath her sleeping bag. "Yeah, so you say! I'm going to sleep, Lyra. Goodnight."

"Right... Yeah, sweet dreams," Lyra whispered.

_My name is Lyra Laude, and I'm sixteen, just a few days older than Lynnette. We both share the same father, which leaves me on a nasty question to wonder, but I know that he loved my aunt Lynn more than my mother, because Lynnette has a younger sister named Lynn Laude III, only ten years of age. The thought that dawns on me is that my father... Well, our father was a Domicile member, met his after his third daughter was born. Yeah, I grew up without him but I do faintly remember him and his weird white hair on him, just really briefly. There really isn't much I know about him, and it doesn't help that my mother and aunt Lynn keep us in the dark about it. He's a Domicile member... Right?_

Lynnette started snoring strong and heavily.

_I come from a family of first generation phenos, mostly. That's the name for the super-powered people of the world. Well, most phenos were American citizens at the start, and the knowledge of what everyone knew back then, I found out about it via mother. She broke out of the Dadetown facility, found a nice woman, was part of a team of phenos while the world turned sideways. She'd been through so much over those years, and raising me all alone, well... If I wasn't here, if I obeyed the rules, maybe i wouldn't have been giving her the likely heart attacks to date. I can't tell if I am a burden to her, considering the only resources and supplies are delivered from the functioning parts of the New States to the towns and cities that welcomed and accepted change. That was how anyone who wanted to remain unscathed was to survive, and for the Domicile resistance and local scavengers, they raided Prime Federation supply convoys. _

Lyra finished her salad in the dark.

_My mother and aunt Lynn are members of the Domicile forces, leading a select group of pheno fighters, which I guess makes them one to disapprove of what we do- and trust me when I say they do. Getting home, we'll face only verbal scolding, and serious scolding, too. _

She fixed herself underneath her sleeping bag.

_We come from Royal Woods, a town that went to shit, state of which hasn't changed. Everyone alive in Royal Woods were not loyal to President Blood. I mean, there were those who were willing to agree to the terms to keep the town thriving, and those guys were the mayor and the town selectmen. Needless to say, the voice of the people spoke for itself, the angered residents uniting to take down the mayor and company and publicly hanging them. I know this because I have seen the remains of their corpses dangling at our tiny city hall. They've been skeletons in ripped up business suits, and I gotta hand it to their bones that had never cracked through the rope. Just a few more years until the skeletons went broken... I think._

She closed her eyes.

_To count, there's me, my mom, Lynnette and Lynn Loud III, their mother, my aunt, and we were all that was left now. I lost a few aunts along the way, and someone else I've been told was related to me. This particular person, I barely remember her, but she up and left when I was six. Her face was fading on me, but I remember she had light-brown hair, had a ponytail, and had the signature freckles. What was it, was the name they called her? What was her name? For the life of me, I can't remember, but maybe Lynnette does. Lynnette really took a liking to that girl, and when she left, it devastated Lynnette pretty hard. I only wish there was some sort of closure for Lynnette... Now, if there is any other living relative of the family tree, I don't know about them and I probably won't expect to learn about them anytime soon. If it makes it easier for mom and aunt Lynn, then I can't ever pry it outta them. _

And she fell asleep.

_Things will be easier... Things will be easier... Won't it?_

**The Next Day**

Both teenagers kept off the road, passing through fields, forests and whatever the easier way there was to remain undetected by any convoys passing around, and air recon as well. They had already dropped the critical information at a resistance outpost miles back, successfully warning them of Blader patrols and the elite team deployed around the areas. It was an eye for an eye, and the Intel had earned them some essentials to take back.

Lynn Loud, the aging zoomer, had been shouting at both girls while Luna Loud dumped the contents at the table, of which were consumables mostly. "DO YOU TWO ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU TWO HAVE ENDANGERED YOURSELVES?!"

"And for a day's worth of food?!" Luna was in disbelief at this. "Dying over this, Lyra?!"

"A day's worth?" Lyra approached the table. "Should be enough for-"

"Divide it by five, Lyra! It is too little for us!" Luna then studied Lyra's surprised face, and then added two and two together. "Oh, don't tell me you were planning to keep for yourself! Or maybe for you both!"

"No..." Lyra denied.

"Then why didn't you get more if that were the case?!"

"I had something..." Lyra shot her eyes downward in shame. "Never mind, I'm sorry, mom-"

"Yeah, you should be!" Luna pushed Lyra out of the kitchen, into the living room. "You know how dangerous it is out there! You are incredibly lucky that neither of you were so much as shot!"

Lynnette winced at Luna's words when she was escorted out by her mother, which Lynn noticed, stopping her. "What was that? D-don't tell me- Lynnette fucking Laude, do not tell me that they shot at you!"

The blonde girl remained fearfully silent, only affirming mother's suspicion.

"Is this true?" Luna demanded to know. "Did the Federation soldiers find you? Bladers, perhaps?"

"We managed to escape them-" Lynnette skipped to the chase.

"But were you shot at?!" Lynn urged to know.

"Y-yes..." Lyra admitted. "If- If it means much, we fended off the Primer Lissandra-"

"I'm sorry-" Luna held a single hand up to silence her young. "Y-you two... Were up against the Primers?!"

"Yeah, cause I totally wanted Lyra to share that!" Lynnette gave Lyra the death glare.

"In all fairness, we fought off Mercer somehow," Lyra pointed out, radiating with guilt.

"Lynnette, you know the Primers are the elite units of the Federation! What if they managed to shoot you-" Lynn placed her finger on her daughter's forehead, and pushed her head back severely. "Just one shot here is all it takes, and never mind the fact that you are both zoomers with claws and tails, able to regenerate as fast as nasty wounds are inflicted upon you. Just one anti-pheno round right here, any area in your fucking brainless head, and your younger sister and I would not even be burying you, and the same goes for you Lyra."

"Aunt...-" Lyra let exit in solemn.

"You're still kids, and I don't want you two dying anytime soon. Grow up and live, far away from this." Lynn took a breather and headed upstairs. "I'm gonna go wake up your sister, Lynnette. She's been missing you since you two left."

"Okay..." Lynnette sat on the couch of the living room, joined by Luna in the middle, leading Lyra to seat herself down at the other side.

"What you both did was wrong and dangerous," Luna scolded. "Look at me, girls. This is not in any way okay, do you understand me? Lynnette, your mother does everything she can to provide for you and your sister, and you go off and do your own thing. She raised you better than this- And Lyra, I thought you knew better as well. I'm awfully disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry, mom..." Lyra apologized, locking hands with her mother. "I'm sorry."

"Girls, I know you mean well, I know that you wouldn't just sit around and do nothing, and I admire that, but this isn't a fairy tale. It's real, it's all real and there are consequences of all kinds around this. Scavengers, Prime Federation and their Primers are always out there, and that's before I could even mention the diseases. Antibiotics and medicine, those are hard to come by, and if none of us hsd regenerative abilities..." Luna couldn't picture the dead children and infants that succumbed to the illnesses where the counter medicine were in the hands of the smart looters. She pulled Lyra and her niece for a group hug. "Do you know I love the both of you?"

_That explains it... _Lynnette rolled her eyes. "Thanks, auntie."

"I want the absolute best for both of you," Luna preached. "You three kids are all we have."

"I love you too, mom..." Lyra rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "We'll be here."

"You'd better be," Luna threatened, then released and looked upon the girls with shock. "You two really fought that Mercer chick? Seriously?"

Lyra let out a laugh, leaning back to the couch. "Oh, God-"

"That's right, I kicked her out cold!" Lynnette loved to feel like the pro. "You've had to have been there."

"Ah..." Luna let something enter her mind. "Hang on-"

Lynn Laude III came running downstairs in excitement, jogging to reunite with her older sister and cousin. "Lynnette! Lyra! You're both back!"

The youngest daughter of Lynn was different from her mother and sister, proving to be a nerd girl eho loved all things books and comics. Up close, she didn't look like a Lynn's kid. For one, her hair preference was not a ponytail, but a bun, giving her a sophisticated look. Next was that it seemed her vision was impaired, and without a system, she had only been given random glasses that improved her eyesight. She was also born with fangs right st birth, unnatural for the family and definitely worth noting. It made her a carnivore of a girl when it appeared she had taken a liking to meat, either cooked or raw. Lynn Laude III was a happy girl for the most part. Today, she presented herself in a pink zip-up sweater and jeans that were already getting shorter on her. "Good afternoon!"

"Hey, little sis," Lynnette greeted, trading in Luna for the little girl. "Taking care of mom?"

"You know it!" Lynn Laude III jumped on her older sister's lap, leaning on her. "I do the best to make sure mom remains safe!"

"Frickin' A!" Lynnette gave the young girl a high five.

"You know..." Lyra found herself back in wasteland territory. "Mercer saw us both and knew who Lynnette was."

Luna skipped a heartbeat while Lynn froze in place on the stairs. They looked to each other with freakishly serious expressions, and then things sped up past their understanding. Luna quickly pulled Lyra and Lynnette away from the living room, and Lynn moved towards her youngest daughter. "Sweetie, why don't you go read one of your books? Your aunt and I are going to talk to the girls."

"Oh- Okay, mom..." The little nerd was left alone again, feeling sad once her mother left to follow Luna.

"Are you sure?!" Luna just had to know. "Are you sure Lynnette-"

"Mercer described her as 'Adrenaline's booger brat' and that's saying enough," Lyra specified. "Why, what's going on? I thought they knew-"

Lynn came in and cut everyone off. "Idiots! We kept the existence of you kids away from them... Or so we thought! Damn it, where the fuck did we go wrong?"

"Y-you kept me a secret-" Lyra grasped at this revelation. "We..."

"Had all the reason to hide you..." Luna assured. "We had to make sure we were safe here- Safe meaning away from the crosshairs of the Federation, I know. That's why we never want you to step outside the town borders. We hope that this would have kept you safe-"

"They knew all along..." Lynn snorted through her nostrils in anger. "We're being played with, then..."

"What do you suggest, sis?" Luna wondered in desperation. "They're going to close in soon enough, they'll have to."

"Luna..." Lynn pulled up a chair at the table, seating herself down. "There's only one thing to do here... Final Reset."

Luna's eyes widened at the last two words that eluded Lynn, then went dreary, centering on Lyra. "Final Reset... Lynn, it shouldn't be time yet-"

"Whether it's time for it or not, it's better than this hellish world. You know the pros."

"Um- I'm sorry, what is this Final Reset you're talking about?" Lyra inquired about. "Sounds like a plan of some sort."

"Oh, it is..." Lynn nodded. "It's something your mother and I were thinking about carrying out, but under the circumstances... I think the best candidates to carry out the Final Reset would be the both of you."

"I- I'm sorry, did I just hear you correctly?" Luna snapper repeatedly in Lynn's face. "Lynn, no, they're just kids!"

"Yeah, I understand that, but they are also people of the world, and they chose to escape home to try and make things better, regardless of our words and the very nature outside these walls! Plus..." Lynn placed a hand on Luna's shoulder to appeal more emotionally to her. "They'll have a chance to be free. The ticket out of this life."

"M-my Lyra... The thought of my Lyra-"

"In safe hands, sis," Lynn eased. "The era will be different, you know this."

"I don't understand-" Lynnette dropped.

"Sit down..." Lynn told them. "There is so much that you two need to know, and now that things have gotten this dangerous, we have no choice but to lay it all out on the table. Final Reset is an operation we've been planning for ourselves to carry out, but it has to be you two now."

"I still don't understand-"

"Niece," Luna tried, "Final Reset calls for us to leave you three unattended for an unknown time period. The stakes have risen now, we cannot leave you now, so this mission falls from our shoulders and onto you, do you understand?"

"A mission-" Lyra hiccuped.

"You want us to do a task?" Lynnette raised an eyebrow at the mothers. "This Final Reset thing?"

"Want you?" Lynn mocked the very concept. "I don't want you to, that's a fact. But... Choices are being taken away from us, just as time is, so we need you to do it."

"Mom, what is Final Reset?" Lyra begged to know.

"Girls, before I answer that, you've got to know some stuff." She cleared her throat and made sure she had their full attention. "As you know, your father has been missing for the last several years, and... I can't hide it any longer, but I'm afraid that he is gone."

"G-gone?"

"He's dead?"

Lynn found yesterday to be easier. "There is more to him than you both realize, and we can't drop all the secrets to you, but your father is the one true catalyst of this war."

"Oh, ho!" Lynnette squealed. "What the fuck?!"

"What?"

Now it was Luna's turn. "You heard right, girls. Daddy dearest did something that led to a crisis back then. If not for that, the Prime Federation would not have risen from the shadows."

"In other words... Final Reset is an assassination mission to kill him before he can get a chance to make the move that binds our fates to this horror."

"What did he do?"

"He tried to play God," Lynn vaguely stated. "And none of us knew about it until after it happened. Now..."

"Wait, if we kill our father before he, you know, meets you, doesn't that mean we'll fade out of existence?" Lyra theorized. "And... We have a time machine?"

"Mom, oh my God, you've been holding out on us!" Lynnette gasped. "Why can't we all just go to the past and live there?! That works too!"

"Lynnette, it's not that easy or simple," her mother turned down.

"Well, we don't know for sure what will happen," Luna reasoned. "We have nothing to base our conclusions off, so anything can happen."

"And I have high hopes for you," Lynn continued.

"So tell us about him," Lyra implored. "Now's the time to get an idea on him."

"Ugh..." Lynn hit nerve territory immediately. "He never was father material, that's for damn sure. He's a pheno like us, but he was just too... Sick, a real bloodthirsty maniac. The thing we both knew he loved was the guns and all the killing he did with them. We weren't always at good graces with him, we've had our moments."

"If I recall correctly, you sided with him-"

"Oh, not this again," Lynn rolled her eyes up. "That was long ago, and it was a mutual interest... I don't feel any less dirty, but you won't let it go, will you?"

"Fine, whatever!" Luna quieted down. "Back to this, yes, he never played well with others, it makes him a lone wolf, but to get on his good side, you'd have to appeal to his nature, and you know what? You girls are nothing like him, taking after us in looks and personality and that's a good thing."

"Y-you want me to kill-" Lyra felt a little uneasy at the concept of taking life. "Mom, I... I don't know..."

"If we kill him, will the war be over?" Lynnette questioned.

"It's time sensitive, we'd have to deploy you at the only point in time where he is vulnerable and isolated. I figure it is the best time for it to happen, and don't hold anything back, no need to hide your powers, okay?"

"All out?"

"You know it!"

"Huh..." Lynnette twisted her fingers. "A time travel mission..."

"What's his name?"

"Lincoln, his name is Lincoln, and that is all you need to know about him for now," Luna detailed. "Now, we have no place to tell you what he did, knowing of this event has more consequences, so kill him... Or if you really feel against it, you kidnap him and make a prisoner out of him, but I don't recommend it because there are parties chasing him."

"What- That's critical!"

"I don't know man, prisoner stuff means we'd be there for..."

"Forever," Lynn and Luna ominously shared. "You cannot let him leave."

"That settles it." Lynnette had made up her mind. "If it's for the world, then I'll see it to the end."

"What's his abilities?"

"All there is to him is everything's enhanced, the essential superhuman."

"The point in time I want you both for is when he, and shamefully me as well, were arrested by anti-pheno forces. You ready for the briefing?"

_And aunt Lynn went over the plans with the both of us. On July 25th in the year 2030, a special anti-pheno convoy that started a journey, was moving two wanted phenos to a black site in San Francisco, California. The phenos in question were aunt Lynn and my father. From what she can remember, it was a total of four armored personnel vehicles, and the fifth and middle one was where they, the precious cargo, were in, depowered and heavily chained. And you know what auntie had the courage to admit? She says there was a little accident around nightfall when the convoy passed around the Los Angeles area. Not just any accident, but one where a certain someone had broken out- and no body of a white-haired man named Lincoln was found. It baffled me, and it could have ruined the writing of our own future that way. Still, it meant something. It had to have, apart from the whole fact that we had achieved it somehow..._

_And that had worried me. A convoy that was hit, and that Lynn had no idea who struck it and freed him. Why, I didn't sign up for the mindfuckiness. No, not at all. _

"Holy fucking shit..." Lynnette went after hearing it all.

_I'd love to know what Lynnette was thinking... Perhaps if I asked, it would knock off a portion of my concerns. Tell you what, I think I could very well get my mind off of this by watching a drama-comedy. I do love some Jennifer Aniston, may God rest her soul. Or maybe something with Ashley Rickards, or Britt Robertson. But none of them could even tread water in comparison to Loanne Wardell, the youngest of them all. She did comedy, she did drama, and she was a strong woman who survived a horrible kidnapping. I didn't get access to enough of newspapers that continued the story, but Wardell stopped with her acting career not long after. It makes me wonder, what became of her in the war? _

_Yeah, if I go there, go to the past... _

"I'm in..." Lyra decided. "It's crazy, and I'm not overstating it, but I'm all in."

**Later**

_Turned out mom and aunt Lynn raided a Prime Federation facility that came with a time machine. This machine was in the shape of a magnet with its legs upwards. A few brainiac members of the Domicile had worked on it, resetting it to be part of their movement. It was in our favor, and tonight, it would be put to use for us. _

Lyra ran the plan again through her mind again. Route, convoy, strike in South California on July 27th, the day it passed through the state. She readied herself in a purple leather jacket that didn't go covering past her black shirt, and her blue jeans were faded and torn, enough to make her hope she would get new ones.

Lynnette had received a gift that came from somewhere neither girl could figure out, and it had never been explained as to where it came from, but the present in question was a zoomer suit identical to Lynn's, only the color scheme was different. Different, meaning green and black. And Lynnette didn't deny herself to wear it. The thing was skin-tight, bringing out her natural curves. Lyra felt silly and left out that she didn't get one of those. Lynnette held some black goggles in her hand. "You ready, Lyra?"

Lyra, nervous and shaken, feigned a calmness that was betrayed by her voice. "This is a huge weight on me, sis. Mom's asking too much of me to do this."

"Yeah, well, we're on the same boat, Lyra. We just have one person to kill, and it's the end of the war. Simple as that." Lynnette gestured with a smile and a thumbs up.

"Are the goggles really necessary?"

"If I'm gonna wear a suit, I will make myself look better with these!"

_For some reason, aunt Lynn wasn't here, but my mother and some of the soldiers were. It seemed we had their firm blessing for this one mission, and then... I don't know why, but seeing my mother... It was as if something bad was going to happen. It was her face that I could read, it wasn't that of a hopeful one, but it was more... Dark. There was anguish and despair in her eyes... There was pain. I... I didn't know what to make of it, but my mouth and mind did all the talking. And then, I saw her crying. I saw her crying, and it hurt me to see her like this. So..._

"M-mom..." Lyra had been guilt-ridden with running off and worrying her. She had to do it, she had to live up to Luna's expectation and not mess up. Not anymore. "I'll come back, mom! There's no need to cry! I'll be back soon enough and I'll make you proud of me! I'll make you proud of me, I promise!"

Lynnette placed on her goggles, readying herself up as the time machine went online. Lynn then came in, appearing before her daughter and niece not a second too late. "And I thought you'd be busy fighting the Prime Fed guys."

"Plenty of guys to fill in for my absence," Lynn explained, "plus I was not going to miss this. It's going to be the last time I'll see you again in a while."

"Yeah," Lynnette curtly agreed. "It'll be fast, right? I mean, it sounds all too simple if you ask me..."

"It should be, yes..." Lynn closed her eyes and looked down on her, placing an arm on the daughter's shoulder. "I'll be with you, okay? Always, in your heart..." Lynn turned to Lyra. "My niece, c'mere."

"Ah, auntie-" Lyra hugged the zoomer, as did Lynnette.

"Sing it again, girls..." Lynn then requested.

"Ew, aunt, no!" Lyra begged, shrugging.

"Come on, mom, we're too old for that-"

Lynn tightened the group hug. "I won't let go until you do it on behalf of me and your mother. Lyra, start it off, why don't you?"

"Oh, fine, aunt..." Lyra agreed, reciting the lullaby in her melodious sing-song voice. "Um... If you find yourself lost, deep within the woods... Follow the sunlight to the end of time..."

"And all the happiness from the world will be waiting to meet you again," Lynnette ended. "Still freaking short if you ask me."

"Maybe it is, little one, maybe it is..." Lynn allowed them to leave. "We'll see each other soon, okay? You guys go on now... Time awaits you..."

_I was nervous, not just because I was about to be a part of something huge, and not to mention right out of a sci-fi movie, but because I would soon be entering a world on my own. I wouldn't have my mother watching over me, no telling me where to go and what to do, other than what I was going into the past to do. I had to be a woman, a strong one who took initiative just as much as Lynnette would soon be, and that in itself... It was a frightening thing for me. On my own for the first time, unsure of what I would see. What would it be like on the other side?_

Lynnette raced to the blue portal eagerly, and Lyra jogged it at a slower rate, both girls disappearing into the past.

**July 25th, 2030**

_At first, we didn't know where we were... _

The two girls faced a brighter afternoon of a holy day. The sun, set in a beautifully, perfect place, shone upon them and the very field of grass their feet were planted in. Lyra's guess was that they were standing in where the future facility would be constructed on. Up ahead was a highway, packed with several passing cars heading in either direction. Cars in color, over the rust and paint-burned metal scrap left in the junkyards of streets back home, cars that were functional. One piece of a healthier world. "It's... It's beautiful..."

"There's not a sign of...-" Lynnette grew closer to the road. "Look, Lyra. Look at it..."

"I am."

"I need to see more..." Lynnette wished to get a full worldly experience, and so it was that she ran down the left side of the road, zooming away out of Lyra's sights.

"No- Oh, my God, woman!" Lyra had no choice but to chase after the green afterlight made from the blonde. _Lynnette, ever the eager beaver. _

And there was a city that Lynnette came to. A city of light, a city full of people wandering about. No corpses, no bare skeletons or skulls around. Certainly no signs of fallout or.a citywide destruction. Her nose sniffed the air once she stopped right on the rooftop of the highest building her eyes caught. She detected the scent of hotdogs, popcorn, right down to even hot pretzels, all of which we're new to her, proving that there had been more than she believed. And she wanted it all.

Lyra caught up to her three seconds later. "I'm so glad I'm a zoomer, but you can't keep running off like that!"

"Hush," Lynnette suggested. "Take it in, take in the yummy smell, sis."

"I-" Lyra let her sniffer discover the new scents. "Oh, my!"

"Isn't it everything you could ever want?! Oh, I want to try out whatever I can get my hands on."

"Cool it..." Lyra looked around the city. "Mom sent us back before the 27th, that's for sure. We'll need to find out today's date and where this Los Angeles is on the map. We know the who, we just won't know the where it'll happen, but there are two of us, and we're zoomers so that's favorable to us."

"Date... Oh, find a newsstand. They'll be sure to tell us!"

"Good idea, what about-"

"I vote we stay in a hotel for the few nights we've got until then."

"And while we're at it, you need a disguise," Lyra barked. "Get out of that suit, you're radiating pheno all over you."

"Bullshit!"

"Lynnette, don't argue..."

"Eurghhhh, fine! But only because it's... Uncomfortable around my boobs."

"I wouldn't know," Lyra shrugged off. "About that hotel..."

**Later**

_It was the 25th today, meaning only two days until we were to go do our thing. _

Lynnette swiped a keycard to one of the rooms on the upper levels of a fancy four-star hotel, disappearing with Lyra into the elevator. And as per the brunette's suggestion, Lynnette had gone incognito, hiding her suit underneath a hooded green sweater, black pants that were slightly baggy, and a baseball cap. "So, are you ready to beat daddy?"

"Well..." Lyra questioned it again. "I know mom made it clear what was at stake, but... I feel like I'm having cold feet."

To make Lynnette give into a disguise, Lyra joined in, switching her attire for a gray sweater with a skull, and pink leggings that brought out an unnecessary sexiness, making her yummy eye candy.

"What, don't wanna kill one person to save millions?"

"I mean, I do want that! I just don't want it to be us!" Lyra touched her hair out of guilt. "I know what I said back there, but it's scary to know that I have to get my hands dirty. And not to mention, he's the reason I'll be born, same as you..."

The elevator kept going up at a slow rate.

"If we do this, doesn't that mean that we just fade from existence?"

Lynnette had a blank expression.

"I don't want to disappear..." Lyra had pulled the curtain off the hidden fear not even she knew she had. "I don't-"

"Well, clearly you didn't watch enough Marvel movies to know that it might not work out like that."

"That's all fictional!" Lyra just rolled her head back. "Oh, my God, you are just a nerd like your sister."

"Maybe so, but let's not forget that altering the timeline is a concept only played in media. Different rules all around, but Endgame makes the most sense for me. We already exist, and if..." Then, she gave it some thought. "Oh, no, fuck everything. I take it all back..."

"What?" Lyra wondered.

"If those rules apply to real scenarios, then we won't actually accomplish anything, we'll just be creating an alternate timeline if we succeed... Um- Damn it, I wish I knew what was real..."

"Either way, I don't know about being the one to deal the death blow."

Exiting the elevator, they ventured off into the hall. "What is this, room- Room 39."

They entered their illegitimate room, where two other girls had just vanished from, and neither time travelers had any idea about it. Lyra jumped on the bed and laid face down. "I can't do it. I just can't, sis."

"Running away so soon, Lyra?" Lynnette kicked the door shut. "Can't say I'm not disappointed by your will."

"Not my will, Lynnette. It's my morale, my conscious."

"More like the fucking bible you've been reading whispering thoughts of saints into you."

"You knew-?"

"You're not very subtle reading it at night and away from us, ya know," Lynnette pointed out. "And besides, you have the skills for it! He's dead in the future, it makes no difference in speeding up his date with the grim reaper."

"But... Lynn III-"

"Grew up without a father, remember? We're all fine with only one parent."

"I don't know... I don't know if I can."

"Okay..." Lynnette circled the bed. "Hey, what's with the Sprite can there?"

"Huh?" Lyra hadn't noticed it before. "Oh, huh... I'm not touching that."

"Ditto..." Lynnette joined Lyra in bed, opposite her. "Whoa, this is a comfortable bed!"

"Totally!" Lyra took off her sweater and reveled in the cold sheets. "Ahhh...,

"Me too!" Lynnette did the same, snickering lowly. "This is nice..."

"Yeah..."

"Hey, um, if you really feel like it's wrong for you, then I should be the one to do it by myself."

"There's that, but I- I can't just sit back and do nothing. This is for my mother, a chance to to right by her when I fucked up back there." Lyra shook her head, too conflicted for her own good. "What kind of person would I be if I can't even do one simple thing? It's the game changer, the very thing that spares millions!"

"Exactly right!" Lynnette heartily agreed. "Help me out during that night, we've gotta zigzag through the area thoroughly. I'll take it from there, there's no need to dirty your hands, but I'd rather you did."

Lyra went to the balcony, moving outside to see the world from her position. "Wow, look at all of that!"

"We have time to kill, sis," Lynnette slid in suggestively. "What do you wanna do? No, hold that thought, I want to take a nap."

"No, let's go see the outer world!" Lyra pleaded. "Pretty please?"

Lynnette had already started snoring, having gotten too comfortable in bed.

"Really? Fine, I guess it's just by myself!" Lyra let herself out, strolling off on her own adventure.

**Later**

_I've seen grass before, but not like this. _

Lyra sat on a bench of a park nearby, a lively and ideal place for kids, friends and family, and pets to run around. These undisturbed souls, untainted by the spoils of war, a peaceful community that was worth being a part of, worth saving. All of that happiness she witnessed in the kids on the playground, and the dogs that panted cheerfully, keeping up with the frisbees and balls thrown across the fields, it told her of a beautiful reality that could be. A surreal imagery that had never been pictured the way it was now, unbelievable and strange to her. All of that, but it was truly heartwarming, the visual version of taking in the sweet taste of honey.

_They're all so... Alive. _

One such dog, a German Shepherd, galloped its way to her, rubbing against her exposed legs and turning on its side. Lyra had little knowledge about dogs, not knowing that it wanted a belly rub from her. "Oh, hello!"

The dog barked with content, insistent that it keep rolling around to goad Lyra into touching him, up until the owner walked by and pulled the joyful canine away. Lyra never took eyes off of the pet, wondering what it was like to have owned one, and by the time the dog left her eyes, she decided she wanted one. She wanted a pet dog to love, raise and play with. Forever.

_I enjoyed the glimpses of the reality cemented in the past, it was a bright one with no worry about- Well, about anything! Look... Look at all those kids in the playground, running around. I can see all the swings being occupied, the kids on them being pushed by their parents... I never had that, but I wish, just once, that it happened just like this. No curfew, no corner-checking for the psychos. Wouldn't you?_

Lyra got enough of a view today, so she booked it back to the hotel... Finding Lynnette had disappeared on her own. "Are you kidding me?!"

_I could have gone off on her a million times over and not hold back. Fortunately, I didn't need to do do, because there was a God, and He looked over me. As for what Lynnette's punishment was..._

**July 28th, 2030 - Los Angeles**

_Let's just say that our father knocked the much needed sense into her. _

Lyra slapped herself upside the head mentally. Lynnette, stripped off her uniform, in place for a hospital gown, stood up from the bed, her feet bare naked. The cops in the room that guarded her wouldn't be waking up for awhile.

"You're way late, sis," Lynnette simply retorted.

"I didn't think you'd make a move on him this fast!" Lyra scouted outside the window. All clear.

"Make a move on him? What are you, fucking incestuous? Work on your context or wording while I find my fucking clothes."

"No!" Lyra tossed Lynnette, ramming her out of the room before the latter could find new clothes. "We have to go!"

"A LITTLE MORE WARNING-!" Lynnette landed on top of a land rover over the parking lot, flat on her back. Lyra raced down sideways and came lifting Lynnette up on her back. "HEY!"

"If I'm gonna carry you, I will!"

Lynnette rolled herself from the vehicle, her green lizard tail whipping about. "No, do not baby me! I am no one's baby!"

"Hey, you found Lincoln, right?" Lyra pryed. "You know, daddy?"

"Yeah...?" Lynnette opened her arms in confusion; a hell of a time to talk over this now.

"Is- Is he how they described him?" Lyra showed fear and worry at the thought of a devil

"Find out for yourself," Lynnette vaguely nodded to. "Trail is hot."

"How hot?" Both girls were speeding away from the hospital, Lyra running behind her. She followed Lynnette into a store, coming in and out for better clothes. "Um, hold up-"

Lynnette skidded to a halt in the parking lot for Lyra. "He's escaped, thanks to my fuck-up! At least we know that what my mom said came to pass. It just wasn't what I was expecting..."

"Then, that means nothing's changed from the timeline-" Lyra froze to think it over. "Um... I'm not good at this. Do it for me?"

"It means that we fail if we're going by the rules of most movies. Who could possibly know?"

"Don't hurt my head, please!" Lyra tugged on her hair. "Oh, I've been meaning to ask, how the hell did Lincoln beat you?"

"Miracle of anti-pheno gizmos," she sarcastically said. "Fucking advancements."

"Timeline of events isn't fully memorized on me yet."

"I left the sheet I made that covers the last few decades behind... Sorry."

"Oh yeah, I remember that... Good God, Lyra, you made something useful, and you blow it!"

Lyra had her attention get sidetracked for a split second. "Actually... Hold on..."

"What- What are you-?" Lynnette lost visual of Lyra for nine seconds, confused as to why she rushed back to the store. Lyra had a goofy, giddy smile on her face, revealing a purple diary right in the blonde zoomer's face. "What, a notebook?"

"Nuh-uh, a diary!" Lyra cheered. "Oh, I've always wanted one of these! Perfect for my thoughts and moments! And also, I can jot down the events that happen in between now and our time!"

"Oh, well..." Lynnette chuckled, tapping on Lyra's shoulder with her elbow. "Oh, I see, you just need the excuse to validate your feminine side, hehehe."

"Wh-what- No, no, I just... I mean, what I said isn't wrong-" Lyra, at a loss for words, had gone tomato red with embarrassment. "Leave me alone, bro."

"Whatever, ha, you won't catch me owning one of those girly things!"

_Ugh, she's such a brat! At least I know she won't get to touch the diary and reaf of its contents. Lynnette was always the one of us who wanted to be macho tough- and my guess is this was why she wasn't reluctant as I was to kill out father. But... I don't know if that was the one true Lynnette, or an act to cope, a defense mechanism of some sort. Lynnette, she may have been an irritation at times, but I genuinely cared for and loved her all the same. And i knew it was mutual. I didn't need to hear her admit it, I didn't need to see it acknowledged directly, I just knew it in my heart like a sixth sense, and that was always enough for me. Nothing will ever change how i feel about my family. _

_As of yet, things were complicated, and Lincoln was somewhere out there, but he would not be far from here. Lynnette's little stunt had to have made him aware of her, an unknown pheno out to hunt him. It begged the question; who was Lincoln in the now?_

"Hey, we need to get info on Lincoln. His last name, any obtainable history, anything that tells us all about him. Where do we start for suggestions?"

"The cops around me were talking while I was taking a 'nap,' they said his full name."

"Really?"

"It's- His name is Lincoln Loud."

"Loud...?"

"Listen, there was something else the cops mentioned, and it caught me by surprise..."

"What is it?"

"Now, before I tell you, I need you to confirm that we've been told our mothers come from the Laude bloodline."

"Yes, we're all Laude... Why- What did you hear?"

"Wait, one other thing. Mines shared the same vehicle with Lincoln Loud, right?"

"Uh-huh, she told us... Lynnette, what did you hear?"

"The officers- One of them called my mother Lynn- Lynn _Loud."_

"Lynn Loud?" Lyra found herself puzzled. "No, that can't be, she's Lynn Laude-"

"It gets worse..." Lynnette continued. "They confirmed it, my mom and my father... They are brother and sister-"

"N-no fucking way!"

"So if this is true for me, then..." Lynnette pointed at Lyra. "The same can be said about you. Luna Laude is Luna Loud in reality."

"Th-then that makes us-"

"Don't say it..."

"P-products-"

"Don't say it!"

"Of-"

"DON'T SAY IT!"

"Incest!"

Lynnette gagged. "Goddamn it, no... I don't want to hear it out loud!"

"LOUD, WE'RE LOUD!" Lyra shook Lynnette wildly, finally succeeding to make her throw up, and right on Lyra's clothes. "EWWWWWW!"

"Suh- stop!"

"SORRY, I JUST- OH MY GOD, I'M A CREATURE OF SIN!"

"Hey, lady, I wasn't that freaked out, but it's disgusting, I know."

"MY HANDS- MY HANDS ARE-!" Lynnette shut down the hysterical Lyra by slapping her twice, on both sides of her cheeks. "OW!"

"Don't make a scene!" Lynnette lifted Lyra into her arms. "Clearly, you are distraught, but I can manage with you! Deep breath!"

"Ut-" Lyra shut her mouth, gripping her diary tightly. "You better know where you're going!"

"I do, trust me!" Lynnette urged.

_I've recently learned of my true parentage, a dark secret of its own over the fact that my birth father is the catalyst for World War III somehow. I'm a child born through a brother and sister, just like Lynnette and Lynn- Lynn Loud III. I had serious questions for them when I get back, and I expected the truth, nothing else but the truth. _

_My name is Lyra Loud, and I've come from the distant future to ensure that the peace of this nation stays intact, and that right now could mean the erasure of not only my existence, but the existence of my two... Half-sisters, I think. In any case... Whatever the results would be, I don't have long to carry it out, and with the help of Lynnette, I think we will manage. Lincoln Loud, we will come for you._

_We will save the rest of our family. This time. _

* * *

**AN: Time travelers are in play now, but Lyra and Lynnette will not be the only ones here. To those who have been my readers since the start, I'm certain you know what it is that must be prevented. Here, I have stretched out the consequences and aftermath of this specific thing that has been fated to pass, and it has happened. There are many factors to consider, and more than I counted on, which is glorious if anything, but not easy.**

**Regarding time travel rules here, I am going to mindfuck you, make you think, but I found a way to make it work- and this method is one where no movie or book has actually gone through. I can't tell you what I'm doing, but it's definitely crazy. **

**Lynnette had freed Lincoln and Lincoln only. Don't worry, you'll get that scene before the end of Act III. Prepare for the worst. **

* * *

"Take a seat, girls..." The man in total control had his back to them, office chair turned away from them. The office itself was half full, occupied only by the mastermind behind the ruling power Prime Federation, and the three female soldiers he had deployed to capture Lyra and Lynnette. His voice was quiet and strict, but absolute in the coldest way possible. There was a hint of a high-pitch tone, but it went nearly unnoticeable due to his lower tone now. "You have failed me yet again..."

"With all due respect, they are zoomers, they-" Lissandra Mercer was quick to use that as an excuse.

"But was it not you whom had once caught a zoomer and ripped her apart?" The man in the chair raised a finger up, wiggling it around to say no. "Don't ever degrade yourself as inferior, you've beaten one, you can do it again."

"Y-yes, sir..."

"Try not harder, but smarter. Use tactics, do not rush this. Dismissed."

Mercer and Chang, sitting at either side of their Russian captain, both got up to the exit. But the middle-aged redhead did not budge. In her firm, heavy voice, she had the audacity to talk back to her superior. "No, you fool."

Mercer and Chang could have shit bricks to convey their fear and nervousness around dissing the nation's leader like this. They froze in place, looking back at the redhead. Things went dreadfully quiet.

"Come again, Letenko?"

"Three proves ineffectiveness! More Primer members are needed!"

"Now, why do you come to me with this now?"

"Uh- I didn't think we would need reinforcements, even with extra regular soldiers in our control. We need more special cases- Men or women with a personal grudge against the Louds as we do!"

"Is that your final answer?" The man behind the chair spun around, finally facing his team of Primers. "We've always had three to keep it minimum, but my, how you have shown mme initiative, Letenko. That is why you are the leader of the Primers, over these two teenagers here with a hard-on for specific Loud members. As it so happens..."

He reached into his desk and pulled out a folder, opening it to show the Russian he called Letenko. The Russian woman spread them across in a line, seeing five different files on their new candidates for the team. "You- You planned on this-!"

"Primers were always going to have an increase in numbers. I had to keep my own secrets, it makes for an interesting game."

"Wait..." Letenko looked at the final file, mouth going agape as Mercer and Chang circled back to look at their potentially new members. "What the fuck- You are considering this girl?!"

"I've been monitoring her well long enough to know that she has what it takes, given the right propaganda and seeds to plant in her."

Mercer and Chang were also in shock at what Letenko stared at; the file in question was of Lynn Loud III, marked down as a candidate for a Primer, an enemy of the Loud family, what remained of them...


	31. Chapter 31

**July 17th, 2030**

"It surely is funny, wouldn't you say?" A parked van stood idly by on the other end of the street. Across from the van, a gathered mob had formed to protest the treatment of the rising phenos at a detention facility, where the rumors were already circulating the media. Said rumors were that Congress and its borther-and-sister powers wanted to pull them off the street due to scattered public concerns over the controversial superpower commuhity, an entirely new thing added to the changing world.

Phenos, either potentially dangerous people or victims from the real selfless monsters in human disguises. Vial's involvement was out, and James Shepherd went into hiding, the obvious move that painted him guilty and responsible for the crimes against the experimented people. The public was divided, pointing fingers at not only either the phenos or the conspirators behind it, but the government that had let it happen under their noses. Everyone, and none of the phenos, they believed, was just as equally responsible. And maybe the world would have truly sympathized with them, if not for the spoonful of paranoid fear that came to them; these phenos had some sort of freakish ability, and if any single one willed it, they could very well initiate the chaos that some were fearing in secrecy.

The Superbeast of Dadetown was the first symbol of rebellion. Luna Loud herself had not known by, but she was used as propaganda that served the anti-pheno group. Footage of her releasing the phenos, and the aftermath of the dead; that was the sort of power each of them had, there was no avoiding or looking past it. A few more break-outs happened in between then and now, and naturally, Vial ended up being shut down, with the help of a secret party that the intelligent players were suspecting that some outside party was behind it. No pheno attackers, or any good Samaritan Vial employees, but someone, or some persons who had known what those eggheads were up to.

Either way, the pheno revolution had already started slowly and below the radar. For the majority of the people in the parked white van, the phenos were the next danger of America. Now, for one thing, none of the phenos were up to fishy shit around, no crimes had been committed by them for intent. All the while, numerous precincts and legal offices around the nation never stopped receiving calls of angry family members requesting for help and aid in combating the monstrosity of a science division. And that was where Darcy Holmandollar came in play.

"You think this is funny?" Darcy was the minority against the notion of painting the phenos a menace to society, but here, she had no choice. The blackmail card was used against her by the head of the first anti-pheno group that came to be, which had her play a slave to a whole bunch of ignorant, stubborn individuals with the same ideas. Neither of them stood by to watch their very way of life change due to a freakshow's gifts. It had to be done, it had to remain the way it's always been, no such chaos to rewrite the rules of the street. "You're talking about possible murder here."

"None of that is on our hands, you stupid fuck!" One of the antis bellowed to Darcy's face.

"Ease up there, Billy," the driver soothed. "She'll do what St. Claire wants, and St. Claire says now's the time to do your thing..."

Nathan Tyler Niles and his buddies Dick Sullivan and Billy Clarke were a trio of young men in their thirties, all coming from the elitist families. Nathan was the leader of this trio, being a stunning 5'9 with a skinny but muscly build. His facial MO was usually serious and nail-biting hard, but was one to have a raunchy sense of humor, and when it counted, some additional racism in several of the jokes. He, a platinum-blond, short-haired fellow with a heavy face, surely was a racist.

Dick Sullivan was a handsome devil, and if you had to compare him to anyone in real life, he was the fused hybrid of James Franco and Ryan Guzman with a preference for a clean, facial hair-free face. He was an idiot at most, and one with rich parents whom had bought his way to a high school diploma and college degree, a fortunate sap when it came to education, and a useless nobody for the rest of his life, apart from being a lapdog to Nathan.

Billy Clarke was something of a sadist. He had the right characteristics and traits to be successful, and none of that interested him. He was the tallest of the bunch, a scrawny, lanky shit with a taste for animal blood. Pets like cats and dogs? You'd bet he would slice up before the killing began, and it made him sick. The bastard managed to lie through his teeth during the mental evaluations he had in his lifetime, knowing full well what was truly right and wrong, and the law, as well as how little his moral compass was, would prove to be powerless to stop his vile ways. Soon, he'd be graduating to people if no one looked too closely at him.

The three didn't mind being here, subjecting themselves around the inferior, lower class scum like the crowd of protesters outside, but the show Darcy was set to put on made it all worth it. "Video camera ready to record?"

"All set for use," Dick confirmed, holding the portable hand-held camera, passing it to Nathan.

"Go on, Holmandollar," Nathan motioned, "get out there and break up the mob."

Oh how Darcy wanted to go on a rampage on them, and if she could, it would have happened already. The terrible reality for her was that Lacey St Claire, the holder of the blackmail card, had Darcy cornered and unable to make a move of her own, other than what St Claire wanted her to go. In existence was a special package that contained a letter and a few photographs that were of the disastrous type for Darcy. This package had a destination unless St Claire had it retrieved, and she'd only do that when Darcy had served the needs of the anti-pheno side of the nation. For one, Darcy was pro-pheno, having a desire to give support to them. It angered her to know that these people here classified them as the bad guys, a root of evil that needed its true colors out in the open.

As for Darcy's chaotic secret that was used against her, it was certainly one with grand consequences should it ever get out. Bet anyone within her circle of friends would like to know of it. What this secret entailed in nature was her involvement with the Freights many years ago. Darcy was one of its youngest members, no reason to look at her and figure out that she ran with that group at first glance, but she was one of them in the end.

Darcy Holmandollar, a nineteen-year-old girl with more to her than being a simple ex-Freight who had gone into hiding. She had broken into a Vial Corp facility four years ago, and with the help of another Freight, the one with the weird white hair. She could barely remember that night, but her partner had done most of the wetwork, letting the lead fly from his heavy-duty gun to the pistol-whipping guards. Darcy wasn't as much of a fighter the way he was, but the rising curiosity about the medical science's properties had given some of the a firm curiosity that sounded likely to check out. And before Chandler and his head Freights planned a raid on the first Vial Corp facility, you can be damn certain that Lincoln Loud had gone one step ahead.

And so it was that the two of them had the same pheno abilities to this day; Darcy was a pheno working against her own kind, to make them all look bad. And she truly hated how things were.

Darcy forced herself out through the back as Nathan pointed the camera out the window. The plan was to trim and have it send to the news outlets; what more could they say but agree phenos are the savages they needed to see? _I'm sorry for what I'm about to do here..._

Darcy made her eay over to the street where the protesters were out here, holding up picket signs, yelling out what their minds were fixated on saying, comments such as "Free the phenos!" and "They have rights, give them back!" No one looked her way, or let alone noticed the woman with the bob cut coming over. She went around them, making it look like she was leaving, disappearing from sight. She turned back and broke into a run.

And the scene that made this little act a golden one, reading production value across the film, was the moment where Darcy plowed through the crowd like a bull stampeding on a rampage. Nathan did his best not to laugh in enjoyment while Darcy willed what St Claire commanded. The protesters left standing had stopped to scatter in all directions, none of them helping out the fallen injured. Darcy went more ballistic with it, picking up a pair of the signs, using them to swing away at any of the poor pro-pheno protesters she could hit. "WE DON'T NEED YOUR PITY! WE WANT REVENGE FOR WHAT VIAL DID! FUCK VIAL AND FUCK YOU TOO!"

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter IX: Rampage**

* * *

She counted it. Twenty-seven of them, and if she could guess it, all heading to intensive care for broken bones, ribs, limbs- what have you? The guilt swelled up, and nothing about this had actually made it all worth keeping this devilish secret, but she had to. With a solemn, disgraced face, she had to keep going, to own up to her actions. Maybe someday down the line, she could have her revenge, but not now. Not in this dark lifetime.

Darcy had remained quiet while Nathan called the methodically evil mastermind to let her know the status of their power move. She contemplated it for the ride back, feeling like a true piece of shit in the essence of pieces of shit. This wasn't how she expected to put her pheno powers to use, and she could barely compliment the fact that it hadn't worn off after those four years, not knowing how it worked.

"Yeah, she did it, we've got the goods, Lacey-" Dick had the phone held up to Nathan's ear as he drove to a drop. "Okay, yeah just meet us there in- Oh, you're already there? Alright, we're close by. See you then."

Dick pulled the phone away and hung it up, placing it on the cupholder.

Nathan shot his eyes onto the mirror, noticing Darcy being her broody self. "What's got you down, Holmandollar? You can't tell me you feel remorse for that?"

Dick and Billy gave her expressionless stares to which she didn't look back at.

"You held back, I saw you..." Nathan jerked his head. "A murder or two might have sold it to perfection, but you accomplished as you desired- It's a good compromise at most."

"Why are you part of this?" Darcy had the womanly gonads to get that. "What did we do to you three?"

"Oh, I'll tell you..." Nathan took off his right arm, raised his finger and circled it around. "Money, girl."

"I don't get it..." Darcy turned her head towards the front. "You guys aren't poor, so what gives?"

"Ah, you've misunderstood..." Nathan kept driving smoothly, and slowly to explain how he believed the world ran. "I don't mean the pay me and my boys will get, but when I say money, I mean the natural order of things. The way the rich and the powerful figures look at this, phenos have the potential to resort to crime, that's always inevitable in all groups of people, but the scary part here to fear would be these so-called phenos. They could quickly climb up the ladder of overthrown the moneymakers, the entrepenuers, the billionaires, everyone with a two-dollar name, you dig? They'll be the world runners because of a fucking needle having been poked into them, it's a completely unfair disadvantage that upsets the balance. No fucking way will a mutant with flying powers or something mean more than my family."

"How could they climb up as you say?"

"People with super abilities make for opportunity. They could do things easier that the average bank robber and criminal. And you know, they're all former people, too. And we're all basically the same. Think about it, any criminal phenos can so much as easily steal a truckload of gold if the right ones assembled to do it. There is that chance that their actions could cause an increase for whatever it is they'll steal in the market, and where there is a shortage of supply-"

"There is an increase in demand, therefore the cost-" Darcy caught on. "Cost is part of the chain reaction in the disruption of the economy."

"There it is..." Nathan tapped on his head. "Phenos will make things expensive when it already is. Lower class faggots could be homeless, we become the in-betweeners and the phenos will have their fucking thrones in the end. That is not what our ancestors worked for, the rich will be victorious against these thieves. It's all a domination over this, and they don't even know it. I don't care for them, they're all low-class scum."

Darcy's eyes lit up with fire. "Excuse me, but that includes me, Richie Rich. Don't ever look down upon us like trash! You may have all the money, but you're nothing beyond that fucking mansion you crawl out of."

Nathan went silent as his two buddies broke in sneering laughter. "Quite feisty of you, yet."

"Nosey bitch is who I answer to, not the likes of you," Darcy reminded them, laying the law down. "If I so inclined to beat your ugliness out of you, I just might."

The rest of the ride was a silent one, the young men having gotten too afraid to speak up against the ex-Freight with a perfect pheno ability. They came to their destination; a multi-level parking garage where an exchange was going down. The van drove inside, rolling up to the far end of the first level, coming across a black limousine taking up spaces in a row. Nathan stopped parallel to the limo, lowering the window.

The second he lifted and shook the video camera in view of the backseat of the limo, the chauffeur exited the limo and retrieved it, then spun around to open the backseat door. "Miss, the video camera." Tiny girly hands that could only belong to Lacey St Claire yanked at the camera, slamming the door shut. The driver looked back to Nathan. "Miss St Claire appreciates the completion of this small errand," he said with little emotion, opening his nice suit to roll out an envelope with the green goods.

Nathan found himself pleased to have done the possible to maintain his status as he was now. "Aww yeah-"

"Miss St Claire has also requested that Miss Holmandollar accompany her back to the family residence."

"Huh..." Nathan waved back at Billy, telling him it was fine to let Darcy go. "I guess the high and mighty princess isn't done with you after all."

"Just what I need," grumbled the pheno girl. She was reluctant to get out of the van to switch over to the limo, but nothing about her had any fight at the second. Complying, Darcy was escorted by the chauffeur into the limo, where she found her blackmailer sitting comfortably.

Lacey St Claire was the snob, fitting the stereotype for the common, rich daddy's girl, a spoiled brat with the free ride in life. She was dressed in all yellow, her favorite color. There was this nasty side to her sickening smile where she formed her lips to make them more of an "O" and it definitely weirded Darcy out. Her hazel eyes had met the camera with grand love for a few minutes, treasuring it with all her delight. Darcy sat across from her, back turned to the front. "Oh!" Lacey faced forward, setting the video camera on her lap. "For your sake, I surely hope the believability is realistically authentic."

"It better be." Darcy leaned back, resting up. The van drove past them, disappearing further into the parking garage.

"Oh, now that that's been taken care of..." Lacey formed her uneven, twisted smile, running her fingers down the top button of her yellow knitted sweater. She meant to arouse herself, and to place the slave Darcy in a sexual temptation. There was a gay gene in Lacey that got her playing with home team at times, and right now, alone with Darcy, she figured she could have the pheno perform for steamy sexual stuff, or the other way around. "You do as I say, and what I say goes..."

"Hmph..." Darcy mumbled. "I bet you're enjoying this."

"Well, it keeps me in place, and it will..." Lacey patted on the empty seat next to her. "Here, to me."

"What, why?" And for Darcy, it would be the first time putting herself to be abused in such a way that even she would be disgusted by Lacey's forced advances. "Whatever, surely you want to torture me with the footage."

And she was wrong; next thing Darcy knew, the blackmailer tugged her close enough that she practically set her lips all over the pheno's small neck, a one-sided physical engagement that drew out Darcy to discomforting levels unlike she had ever felt before. Whatever the bitch wanted, she had to endure through until it was over. Of course, it had only begun, and Darcy would soon find herself being stripped of half her clothes for the other's enjoyment and genuine pleasure. And while Lacey had a damn good time on Darcy's stunning body, the blackmailed girl could not even resist, or let alone drop a single tear.

**Later**

The limousine dropped her off on the note that her services would likely still be needed by the yellow princess, but Darcy hoped it was over, hoped that Lacey would pull back the package and terminate her as a servant.

Again, the stunt she pulled tonight had made her feel awful and unworthy to be blessed with the gifts, and there was no hypothetical thinking to be made; Darcy had paved the way to the favor of the anti-pheno voices without a doubt, and it wouldn't be long until it made the news, covered on television, radio and newspapers. All of which she'd try to avoid for a while.

She lived in a crappy apartment complex in the crappy part of town... Living, not what she could call it. Here, the rent was extremely cheap and affordable if you didn't mind the obvious cons of it. To list, there was the destruction of property spread around the old brick building. Graffiti and tagging, falling shingles and nasty odors were just the tip of the iceberg, conditions that rendered the place a horrid living location. It was all she and her small group of friends had in the meantime.

Darcy had to climb up the fire escape to get inside so much as to not wake the angry little landlord of the building. She made sure to be as quiet as she could be or bust. It was fortunate for her that their room lined up on the side of the fire escape, being the room on the third floor. Darcy found the window open for her, tiptoeing in. Her friends were asleep as she had hoped, seeing a bunch of them spread out.

Eric Langston, Terry Smythe, Nicholas Cromwell, and Victoria Thompson made up a snorefest of epic proportions, an opera all on its own. The only bedroom of the apartment belonged to each of them on a clock; it was in first-name alphabetical, from girls to guys. Tonight was for Darcy again, the first one of the ladies to receive alone time again, and with tonight's cursed agenda, she needed to be alone. Good, if she cried...-

She didn't wake them up, and her stomach rumbled with hunger. That would have to be held off until morning. She wandered through the sleeping beauties softly, aided by the carpet. That went almost too well, and would have stayed that way if not for Terry's leg being in the way, unseen below. "Shit!"

"Ow! D-Darcy?!" Terry Smythe was an average punk bitch, a girl no older than twenty, with a mohawk dyed bright purple. She had gone to sleep in her "thrashing threads" which meant the classic sixties greaser-esque attire and look. "What's with the late-night activity?"

Darcy pressed a finger to her own lips. "Shhh, please don't wake them up."

"Too late..." Nicholas, going by Nicky to the bunch, had feigned his snores and slumber state. "You were supposed to bring grub. Pizza boy handled it and got us some freebies..."

Darcy sniffed the air, detecting faint scents of pepperoni pizza. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't excuse you suddenly running off," Nicky chastised. "We'll humor you by letting you gave your turn in the bedroom, but I still want an excuse."

"No offense, Nicky, but you're not the boss here," Darcy struck down. "Don't you talk down to me as if you're some strict fatherly figure, so fuck you. Fuck all of you-"

It surely zipped up Nicky, the big brother of the group. For his height and size, he surely had the role to be father as well, and to add, he was the oldest of the clan. The blond boy was once a rich fellow, but his path in life was south with the drugs and nasty trouble with law. Here he was, cut out from mom, dad and millions. "D-Darcy, I'm not trying to father you, but- You know you have to be responsible."

And him being here as a poverty-stricken American did him all the good he sorely needed, despite the every-so-often withdrawal to fight.

Eric Langston was the youngest one there was. He was suave but lazy in terms of personality, and yet, he had a pizza job to date. How you'd recognize him was by his slicked-back hair of the platinum-blonde color, otherwise you'd never know it was him, even with a cap to cover part of it. "Don't shout at him, he's just-"

"I didn't ask your opinion, Eric," Darcy revved out. "I can't give you an excuse, but this wasn't on me! I just came across trouble, that's all... That's all it was..."

"What- What kind of trouble?" Terry forced herself up, touching Darcy with ease. "Hey, what happened?"

Darcy jerked Terry off. "Don't touch... I'm going to bed."

"Yes, please...!" Victoria gave them all the finger from the floor. "Shut the fuck up and sleep!"

"Damn it..." Terry retracted her hands off the angry pheno. "Darcy, what- What the hell did they do to you? Y-you call tell me at least..."

Darcy closed her eyes in pain.

"Can you?"

"Darce, deep breaths," Eric calmly breathed, sitting upright. "Talking helps."

"I did-" Darcy squeaked, feeling trapped by her recent activity and the secrets behind it. "I did something stupid t-tonight."

The three young adults gave each other serious looks of discernment, wondering what Darcy alluded to. "What?"

"Um-" Darcy averted her eyes, giving off a long, dreary sigh. She grabbed and pulled Terry to the bedroom. "Only you."

"Wow- Okay, okay!" Terry waved off the others. "I'll be right back."

**Minutes Later**

Victoria Thompson wanted the juicy details behind this little Darcy situation, craving for drama like a whore. Of the lot of them, she was the daddy's girl who had it only one way, and no other. She was cute, but she was a definite bitch with a stuck-up attitude and something of an ego, a real troublemaker who barely fit in with this crowd. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Victoria, leave it alone," Nicky pushed. "It's personal business."

"We're all friends, I don't see why we're being left in the dark."

"We're not..." Nicky turned on the lights, going into the kitchen for a quick snack. "They're talking it over, and I know Darcy can trust us, we've been on the same boat, it makes us blood siblings-"

"Ha!" Victoria was amused by his shtick. "You're still a snob, Cromwell. We're not that similar, it's the life that fucked us hard, I wish I wasn't here."

"We _all_ wish that, Vicky," Nicky tapped, backed by Eric's nodding. "I don't like it either, and I know Eric here doesn't, but we're all we've got when the others turn us away."

"You are so dramatic, man." Victoria fell forward into the bedroom once Darcy and Terry let themselves out. "Oh- Agh, I lost my nail I chipped! Oooh, it fell around here-"

"Darcy has need of your attention, guys," Terry motioned. "This is serious and important."

Darcy headed over to the messy table, accompanied behind by the four others, all of them huddling around the table as she sat down. It was a cult of statues with eyes centered on her and only her, adding pressure to get her to talk. The echoes of her guilt personified whispered like demons hiding in the tranquility of the atmosphere, little trickster trolls cloaked in sheets of invisibility, calling at her, conjuring dark magic that disturbed and terrified her. No way could she know what their reactions would be. She was a pheno freak who acquired her powers through a different way, and for that to be explained, she'd lay her Freight past on the table, figuratively and literally. She didn't want to involve or endanger them if that was a possibility; bad enough that she spilled onto Terry so far.

"I used to run with the Freights..." She went dead quiet, looking down at the pizza box, listening closely at their reactions, never looking up once. "I was part of that-"

Nicky exhaled in disbelief, bsrely audible in range.

"-But I got out when they fell that day four years ago."

"You...?" Eric couldn't believe it. "B-but you-"

"That isn't the real me," Darcy continued. "Hell, I don't think it ever was. I can't tell you why I was there, part of them, but I managed to walk out, and no one knows. I mean, I assumed no one knew up until a few days ago."

"Days? What- What happened then?"

Darcy then had the urge to back pedal. "No- No, I can't- I shouldn't be talking-"

"Darce, no, you've come this far in trust, why stop now?" Terry pulled up a chair next to Darcy. "You can, you're gonna."

"There's more to it than that..." Darcy admitted. "Now, before today, before Vial did what the news say, I broke into one of those places and took a little something."

"V-Vial?"

"What, the corporation infamous for the kidnappings?"

"Took something? What did you take?"

"A power-up..." She broke a portion of the table with one fist, making the tenants inside squirm about in wide astonishment. "I am one of the first two phenos of the world, and as far as it goes, one who accepted it of her choice."

"Dude..." Nicky awed.

"Jesus!" Eric croaked out.

"So, you're being hit with the blackmail, right?" Nicky had gathered it by then, the pieces being too clear to not place together. "Someone knows you are a girl with a bad reputation and...-"

"I don't understand how, but I've seen what they've got on me, and tonight, I... I had to forcefully break up a protest."

"A protest...?"

Darcy nodded. "My blackmailer is an anti-pheno member who wants them gone as soon as possible. I danced to the song they wanted, and there's a video of it to prove that we really are as bad as they believe."

"Oh, shit..."

"P-please tell me you didn't hurt or kill anyone..." Eric prayed.

"I'm not some psycho, Eric. With that being said, I..." Her pause did nothing to get her off the hook. "I didn't go lightly with them. I wanted to, and it made me angry that I couldn't, s-so I used it against them-"

"You didn't do this..." Nicky shook his head in disbelief. "They made you-"

"And I still hate it!" Darcy expressed. "I can't do anything about it, and I have to make sure the evidence they've got on me never ends up out there! I just can't let it happen, and it scares me..."

"It's starting to scare us, too," Victoria dropped, nearly mockingly. "You might as well kill us if you're spilling the beans."

"Victoria-" Nicky warned.

"Don't Victoria me, you pretentious moneybag!" The wavy blonde-haired young woman dared point a finger at Darcy. "This girl's history is problematic! Hey, let me remind you that I've got dirt I don't want getting out, and the same can be said for you all, I'm sure! Staying with her is a liability, I vote we cast her out! Rations and sources will be less consumed, and also-"

"That's a no from me," Nicky decided.

"Totally not from me either," Terry voted.

"Nay!" Eric agreed. "She stays!"

"N-no, no!" Victoria had fight to give. "Darcy isn't the problem, I'd say it's what they have on her. If someone were to destroy it-"

"I can't, it's been sent off as insurance should I go after them, and I'm able to... But not without paying the price."

"Do you need to go away?"

"I'm certain I'll be found, I wish I had a way out..." Darcy accepted that she would become the tool against the phenos and their supporters. "Where would I run off to, and how long until they'd find me? It won't do me any good, that's resistance in their eyes, and-"

"They won't bother chasing you, but they'll just release whatever evidence there is."

"There goes what little life I have left..."

"Isn't there a damn thing any of us can do?!" Terry was all in to jump the train Darcy boarded. "We can try to find it, can't we?"

"And alert all who are involved? I've only been fucked around by one person so far, I know there are more but I don't know who they are..." She got angry again and vented on the table on a lighter force, surprising herself to recollect on it later. "I don't have the time..."

"Darce-"

"There isn't anything to do here, I'm damned to bend to their will, it's that simple. Hard for me, but simpler than the other harder thing..."

Nicky exhaled through his mouth, arranging himself to an empty seat. "This is you confessing, I understand. I can't judge-"

"Correction, we can't judge," Terry grinned at her clan. "We know the new Darcy today, we know she's pure and selfless. It's going to be okay, but I just wish that we could do something here."

"We're sorry this is happening to you," Nicky added, looking grimly at Victoria. "Right, everyone?"

"Of course!" Eric nodded.

"It's sickening," Terry thought.

"Yeah, okay," Victoria peeped out. "I guess I wouldn't like it either."

"Now, I just hope they don't make you something really messed up, and enough that you're being used to make propaganda for them. I don't want to be involved in all that."

"I still can't believe you're an actual... What, phenom? Pheno?" Eric wound up scratching his head. "You'd figure they'd be calling them mutants or inhumans, guess I'm used to reading too many comic books."

"Pheno for phenomenon, at least that's what I would safely guess," Terry pondered. "Pheno-men would be cheesy."

"That's cringe, yo."

"You nerds," Victoria teased. "World of nerds."

"I hate it, but I can at least maintain control on the body count, keeping it at zero if this keeps going," Darcy brightened, finding one good thing in all this. "At least there is that."

"Yeah, yeah, that's good."

"You're right, now... I am really pooped, guys..."

Darcy yawned. "I'll have to continue this in the morning, I'll be seeing you guys morning."

"Likewise."

"Fucking finally..." Victoria was the first to jump to bed, the latter three following her lead. Darcy went back to the master bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Terry had pursued her eyes to the girl until she was no longer in view, and a grin formed on her. If there wasn't hope yet, there would be down the line. They weren't the best of good seeds, but Darcy was a pure adult hit with bad luck, nothing a few prayers couldn't fix. Maybe that's what she, and everyone here needed. Prayers and hope to push past the dark embers of the past, all challenges to be overcome as one, and only if they stuck together as they were now. Only if they maintained their friendship. And tonight kept it on the same level, maybe even raising it.

And Terry was glad for them. Thankful for what she had now. Happy Thanksgiving from D to you.

**July 19th, 2030 - The Day After The Leaks**

Maybe it was the prayers, and that meant God existed. The prayers that worked, the ones Terry had sent out, answered by Him via the newspapers. Only, she didn't know the true significance of it, and neither did the others, but the newspaper was brought to Darcy's attention post haste. The headlines mentioned about a thought-dead Freight who had turned on his own group and desecrated the very name of the Freights. This person, this Lincoln Loud of white hair was running around, partaking in the crusade against the injustice of the powers behind Vial Corp.

Darcy's friends were already putting the pieces slowly, she could tell from their faces. There was no need for her to confirm who the second pheno was, for she had answered it with a smile of pride and great confidence, which was also on her face due to her having a way out of this mess. While she was more of a puppy who was harmless save for times of crisis, she knew Lincoln as the big brother Rottweiler, ready to tear apart any and every flea that became a bothersome issue.

Somehow he had survived his initial attack against the Freights when it had been believed he perished, scary a fact in its own for Darcy. This was good, it meant that she had an exit, and immediately, she had to send out the emergency signal they've made with each other. And off she was, hurrying to mark the special occasion SOS for him to see.

**July 20th, 2030**

The sky never looked so reddish and golden as it did now. Darcy might have never noticed the sunset too much, and the same could be said for the daily sunrises. A new day was coming around the corner, a hopeful one at that, especially for good old Darcy Holmandollar. Not a soul stirred that wasn't her own right here, on the rooftop of the apartment building. She didn't know how long it would take for Lincoln to arrive, but she knew one thing-

"You called for me?"

She knew he would not let her down.

Lincoln stood behind her, Colt handgun drawn out at waist level, directed at her. "I wondered if you were alive, Darcy."

Darcy kept looking over the ledge, arms lain down on the concrte barrier. "I know what I'm going to see before I turn around."

He made it known he was armed, sliding the gun back. "Credit is due where it's due. What did you need for me to be summoned?"

"I've been stalked, Lincoln," Darcy informed. "They know I'm a pheno, they know I'm ex-Freight, they're blackmailing me to do their bidding, and it's not beneficial to the good folks and Vial's test subjects."

"That's interesting to hear, sounds like you've gotten yourself in a pickle."

"The last thing I want to do is get someone killed, but if I have to choose-" She didn't need to explain the complexity of it. She knew he knew very well about how these scenarios played out.

"You've done the right thing, coming to me with this..." Lincoln smirked with cruel satisfaction. "You've got names?"

**Later**

Lacey St Claire was most definitely a mansion bitch with more rooms than she knew what to do with. She turned all spares into bedrooms and slept around wherever she wanted. Tonight was one one the third floor, with a perfect landscape of the sight right outside her window. She went into her pajamas, totally telling the ghosts in the room that she was a child at heart, a dear fan of the warm, snuggling sensation in bed.

And underneath that queen-sized bed in her bedroom, a very special guest with a very special survival knife was out to play.

**Elsewhere**

Darcy didn't need to think about, but she knew very well what and how Lincoln utilized his skills. It wasn't anything revolving ponies and rainbows, that was for sure. She didn't know about his adventures she missed out on, but that wasn't of her concern. They were close on the platonic levels, trusting each other as the strangers they've been, a close relationship marked right before the true friendship level.

Darcy Holmandollar, the spared ex-Freight to be left alive off-grid forever. Lincoln himself had known the moral quality of her, the only real reason he didn't try to kill her back up top. She was thankful for that, understanding well how he worked, and she found herself thankful for where she was now. It was ironic at most, being saved by the man she had created, almost like the debt had gone being paid off. Whatever he did in the now, it didn't matter, and she had no questions to ask. Better if they never met again for everyone's sakes. Thankful for it. Thankful.

In any case, she would see herself to a better sleep. And things would realign to their proper position. And then, back to the calm emptiness she knew.

* * *

**AN: Happy Thanksgiving from me to you. **

**Eric Langston owned by BurgerTac. It's just Langston, I just added the first name. **

**Terry owned by the sin kid board, is originally Tabbycoln, and it's copy-paste Tabby. Dull as shit.**

**Victoria Thompson owned by Rad/SadWriter/Faggot13, the guy behind some memorable Pastebin stories. Still want to take over "Lacy" to be honest.**

**Darcy's just like Lincoln physically, and the opposite in all other angles. It needed to be. More lore to her down there. Night. **


	32. Chapter 32

**July 27th, 2030 - Near Los Angeles**

The convoy moved at a rushing pace, all vehicles synchronized in movement. For the sake of safety protocols, all five armored vehicles had their headlight off, all personnel sporting night vision goggles. The night was quiet, no stragglers or hostile movement in sight, or anything out of the ordinary. The very special cargo, two phenos of the so-called Patriot force, would soon be delivered to a state-of-the-art high-tech black site, where the sun would not reach.

This was McMahon's personal playground, a field where he could so easily win by labeling them society's true menace, as proven back in the shitstorm that went on in Royal Woods days ago. Two of them down, and soon the others. He had flown to California just to see them rot in the hole, already feeling the immeasurable pleasure he'd draw from it.

Except that there was a third party involved, composed of two teenage girls from a voluntary time displacement. These girls were simply here to kill one man to save a great many. And that man, Lincoln Loud, was at his most vulnerable point, killable. A perfect point in time for Lynnette Loud, formerly Laude, to rush in and swoop for the kill like a hawk taking a snatch for the frail mouse.

* * *

**Act III: Further Into Darkness, Chapter X: The Bounty**

* * *

Lynnette came in running towards them from the opposite lane, claws out for the speedy kills. Everyone could die for all she cared, not like mother Lynn said anything about leaving the nameless guards of the convoy alive. That, and she sorely had a quench for a little murder, which might or might not have been the reptile side of her. Lynnette was as cold-blooded as normal as she looked to be.

She came across the convoy real fast, holding her left hand out diagonally, slashing off the tires and scraping metal for all five vehicles, then repeating the cycle to the other side. She was quick to disappear into a hiding spot in the middle of nowhere, whereas the armed personnel were quick to take exit and load up with their pheno-killing firepower.

"Fan out! Cover all sides!"

"Secure the package! We've got a special guest tonight, boys!"

All guns pointed outward of the convoy. "Clear!"

"Clear over here!"

"No visual on tango!"

"Maintain sights, men! Piercer is out there!"

Lynnette dashed across the road, slashing a personnel guard in half, vanishing to the other side with their weapon.

"Edwards is down! All units, close distance onto the package! Extra tight!"

Lynnette took aim with the advanced rifle she gripped, firing two shots before scampering away at her abnormal speed. Once the guards had locked on the muzzle flash, Lynnette took two by surprise, clawing them down to size. "Over here, boys!"

"ON YOUR SIX!"

She tossed a guy right into the side of the carrier vehicle, tugging the pins off the grenades on his belt. "Boom goes the dynamite!"

The following explosion tipped the vehicle to the side, crushing three more guards to death. The force of the impact propped the back open for Lincoln to crawl out of. He had been depowered inside the vehicle, but out in the open, he found it easy again to bust out of the cuffs and chains placed on him. Right on the ground, one of the advanced rifles awaited his cold, shooter touch. He picked it up without so much as a second thought, unsure of what to make of this situation.

Was this his sisters at work? Maybe a new, secret party on his side? He could say that he needed support, and that was realistically unlikely; who would side with the ex-Freight and the blood-stained hands? Either way, he'd have someone to aim at- and that someone was fighting the final few guards left, only thing were dark, and there was no way to actually see them. "I can hear you!"

Lynnette had predator vision, a bonus perk that let her move in the dark without relying on light sources. The same could be said for Lyra, but this chapter contains no Lyra. Once the guards were all downed, Lynnette squared off with the staggering father of hers. She had a nice laugh watching him bump around in the dark. "I bet you can, but can you find me?"

_That voice, that- That can't be, Lynn's knocked out in the...- _"So, who are you, and why do you sound like-?"

"I might just be Lynn herself," Lynnette played, remembering her mother's place in this. "You took your eye off me, did you not?"

Lincoln bought it, hook, line and sinker. His head went back to the downed armored van, and for a second, he actually believed it to be Lynn messing with him. And here, the zoomer in green and black took the advantage, coming up right behind him to strike and kill. Or so she thought she had the upper hand.

Lincoln turned and aimed the rifle at Lynnette, shooting her low in the stomach as she had come charging, her direction quickly changing to the left and downward. "Nrghhh! H-how did you-?"

"It's almost like her voice, but the thing that was off was the lack of groans of these guys. My Lynn does not kill, and that's a fact-" Lincoln brought up the rifle to Lynnette's face. "Now, who are you?"

"Death!" Lynnette slapped the gun away, going for a hailstorm of her punches to deliver unto her father. "Take this-"

The shot that Lincoln took to her body did not harm her, but strip her away of her powers, and she had only perceived it as an injury that healed just as fast as it had formed. Her attacks amounted to nothing, so easily blocked and countered by Lincoln. He had her, spun her around and locked her in a firm chokehold. "Start talking."

"F-ffffffff... K-kill you! Kill you!"

"Sure you will..." Lincoln picked up his daughter with both arms, and heaved her back down to earth as hard as he could. "But not today, fake."

**July 28th, 2030**

Things weren't easier as they've just been the past few days. At no doubt would Lynn wind up in a hell of her own if she never woke up in time to get away before the reinforcements came in. He could have rescued her, but that's not how he wanted to play it. Not since Lynn had gone berserk back in Royal Woods, taking his characteristic to be blood-craving like him, itching for any clone she could terminate. It was for her own good at the second, but there'd be a time to break her out from that confinement to be damned to.

As for the fake Lynn, he decided he didn't care as much, and the fake would be on a steel table by morning, he was sure he had killed her dead. Still,.an expert who had gotten him out by herself, that took skill, and all the details had made him interested and curious. This, he kept a reminder to look into. Probably a McMahon puppet to speed it up, who can say? The senator was impatient.

But, damn this person in particular; Lincoln had been broken out, and if McMahon would, and he will, he would use this against Lincoln, and all orders would change. Simple terms, he became a shoot-to-kill target for heightening the level of extreme danger he presented, so no way for him to be captured again and get himself shipped to McMahon. Time for new tactics.

He was in Los Angeles, wandering the streets with no food or a proper disguise yet. He needed to reach a safe haven fast. No friends here, no allies of any sort left him at a disadvantage. Break into a clothes store solved the disguuse dilemma, but free food... Where in hell? No use holding up a restaurant, but stealing money...

Stealing... Money...? And then it clicked; he was in Los Angeles.

**Later**

He went around, drawn to the ghetto parts of the city. One such store he came across was just a front for some hoodlums sitting on drugs, at no doubt. None of that was interesting, but there was plenty of chow, guns and average clothes to snag off the bodies when he was done getting his hands bloody again. He didn't count while he punched and stabbed, and a few times, rounds went off, all of them being strays.

He filled up his stomach, taking on tacos de carne asada, the works. It was eating here, next to a body with its head blown off, where he reminisced about those times with Ronnie Anne, a former girlfriend of Mexican descent. For a girl, she had interests akin to a normal guy, which made her the ideal partner for him back then. There were countless good times they had, but all of them far out in the sea of life. While at that, he wondered what she was doing now, who she was today and how she was doing. He could barely picture her smile, hear that voice with her adorable laugh. Things were so simple and easier back then, so much that he could escape to the past if he could.

Snapping out of it, Lincoln wiped his mouth, moving around the back collecting all firepower left for the taking. This solved all his problems, now he just had to move. The mission was botched to high hell, no way to get to McMahon this way. The hunt had set him back to square one, leaving him to resort to the trail-sniffing method. He had been shaking up the tree for awhile, cleaning up the corruption and sinister motives planted within Kapacity Korp's assets. Maybe breaking into one would tell him all about McMahon... Fat chance.

Lincoln hauled off two bags of firearms, mostly handguns and shotguns, with only one automatic. Pity the best weapons and toys were scattered in the wind awhile back, and that included the easy teleporting across states in a matter of seconds. All can be damned.

**Elsewhere**

Peter McMahon enjoyed his cup of joe black, the liquid being too hot for his lips. For the most part, it was too good to be true. He didn't jinx it in any possible way he could have, feeling the luck of the world on him for a change. Lynn and Lincoln Loud were set to appear, restrained and placed in heavy incarceration here. It didn't go like that completely, for Lynn Loud was the only pheno who made it to the destination, but the fact of Lincoln's escape had enraged him greatly, bringing out his veins on skin level, turning his face puffy red.

The old man had one last card to pull regarding this mess. In his eyes, Lincoln was the greatest threat to take care of this little issue. This particular move was not the ideal one, posing as a risk that could connect him to the questionable action taken on. It started when he went into the office of the site's director, identity known as The Supervisor in the time they stepped foot within the perimeter. "How did this happen?"

The Supervisor had been informed of the little breakout miles out of the site. "Couldn't tell you myself, seemed we have more leaks that a cheap paper fucking cup, McMahon."

"Sorely unacceptable! Your men-"

"Did their best to defend the convoy, I can assure you..." The Supervisor was also on edge due to the loss of his men. "Cleaning this up is not easy, I have to lie to everyone's faces, say-"

"No," McMahon had other ideas. "Why are you hiding the fact that phenos did this? You and I know very well that we've got free-thinkers out there, and ones interested in Lincoln Loud. Why did they not spring out the other zoomer from the convoy?"

"Don't you get snippy with me, McMahon, I'd like to address the nature of this unnecessary massacre of my men if it dragged no fallout or investigations to my doorstep. Let me be clear, this is strictly black operations, not public records."

"Outrageous..." McMahon finished his coffee. "Simply outrageous."

"Be grateful we've got one of these supers in our midst, this will make the business suits happy for a change, one loose end to help divert the attention of vigilantes sanctioned by the Patriot Division. It might be what the world needs, it might not be, but this makes the group behind that group look like idiots for it."

"Conclusively, yes," McMahon agreed. "This other one, this Lincoln Loud surely seems like bad news. I find it dangerous to be letting someone like that roam the streets of America, especially when he just so happens to have been a member of the psycho Freights."

"Feel the same way," the Supervisor shared. "I'm sure the right measures will be rolled out. APBs and weekly alerts on him. Now... You have an interest in them, him specifically. Mind sharing your own thoughts?"

"Gladly, I'd like my country pheno-free- Crime-free if anything, and I fear the future of the nation if we can't do a damned thing about it."

"Overly worried?"

"Exactly right, I am but a concerned citizen," McMahon lied through his teeth. "Wouldn't you wish the same?"

"Yeah, yeah I would." The Supervisor leaned back in his comfortable office chair. "I take it you'll be leaving?"

"Very, I stopped by to see the mistake being corrected. Alexander Elmont was a fool to believe that random John and Jane Does could do his work. With that being said, I wish you farewell."

"Uh-huh... Good luck in all your endeavors, senator."

It might have been the inner paranoia or a sixth sense, but the tingle had gone off from his head to tell him that the Supervisor had gained suspicion of him, and there was no reason to be around any longer. The less who knew, the better. Next step was to head vack to the airport after this change of plans, as for Lynn Loud... _To hell with that girl. _

He would go on to fly back to the northeast in his private jet, and from there, a very special call had to be made. He held it up to his ear, waiting for the other end to be picked up. "Hello, it seems I have a clothes problem that needs to be solved right away."

_"Of course! What are the details?"_

"White clothes all over the place, not to mention it's the well known brand seen on the news. It hits you like a freight train."

_"Ah, I know what exactly you are talking about. How many quarters are involved?"_

"Five quarters for it, send to anyone on the maid list."

_"Do you want the wet or perfectly dry?"_

"Dry, nothing but dry."

_"Note will be out soon, Mr. McMahon."_

They hung up. _Five million for his fucking head... This is what I have to resort to. _

**July 29th, 2030**

Lincoln woke up for a brand new day, stretching his arms and legs straight, yawning out. It was a good sleep under a bland, average motel for the night. A shower and some breakfast to add and he'd be good to go, heading back east, part of a cursed road trip cross-country. Not what he hoped, but there had been a lot of driving more than the justice these last few days. It was too tiring for him, he wished he had a spare Matrix Portal to get him closer to McMahon.

He went to the window, looking out to see the van he rode in on. No cops around, or anyone on the sidewalk for that matter. The scenery was vacant, free of any living person- except that it only applied to ground level. The guy from across the street perched high on the rooftop of the adjacent building gave him a greeting with a round from the sniper rifle. Lincoln barely caught the glint of the scope, tumbling to his side to avoid the shot. The glass had shattered along with the passing of the bullet, and Lincoln crawled around from the window, spooked and caught without so much as a handgun. _Not this again!_

No time for the questions, he had to make it out alive. His mind perceived the shooter to be anti-pheno personnel, coming to kill him this time over capture. Smart. And then, it wasn't like that when he realized it was only one shooter centering the crosshairs. Not the work of an agency. Freelancer in the working area. Freelancer... Did they know about Lincoln's invulnerability to regular slugs? Time to test it.

He crawled under the window, raising his arm out in the open. If it went through the palm, he was dead being pinned like this. If not, he could walk out of it alive. The shot rang out, echoing through the vacant streets.

And the bullet deflected off of his hand. _Fuckin' A!_

If anything, Lincoln was arrogantly brave and ballsy, feeling once again to be the indestructible force of nature. He showed off by standing up, putting himself out in the open to challenge the shooter. Right away, he knew it wasn't that young brat Lemuel again, but some amateur with no information on him. An easy win for Lincoln for sure.

The shooter himself continued to unload his magazine free of rounds, centering right over Lincoln's heart. And he fired, but the target on the crosshairs did not go down, nor did the round seem to pass through Lincoln, leading him to continue. "What the fuck-"

Lincoln jumped down to the ground, mobilizing to the van to arm himself while the mystery sniper had to reload- and in that timeframe, Lincoln was running it across the street with the nice double-barrel at hand.

_Oh, man! _The shooter himself had good reason to be afraid, knowing to retreat now. He packed up, strapping the sniper on his back, repeling down over the backside of the building. _They said he was a pheno, but a bulletproof one?!_

Lincoln had barely reached the entrance of the building when Lynnette, interested in round two to make up for being humiliated recently, stopped him dead, flipping him back onto the road. "Your fight is with me, now!"

_That voice... The fake Lynn! _Lincoln had lost his shotgun as he flew back, leaving him without s weapon. "Not you again!"

"We've got some unfinished business, Lincoln!" Lynnette growled, intending to finish the job here once and for all. She circled Lincoln and kicked him from behind as he stood up, sending him on all fours. She brought out her deadly claws, grabbing his head and setting her claws on his throat. "This ends-"

The shooter had circled around the building, seeing Lynnette about to take the bounty prize from him. He objected to it, grabbing his sniper rifle, taking aim and firing at Lynnette's legs, which immobilized her zoomer ability. "If anyone is going to collect that money, it's gonna be me!"

Lincoln picked himself up as Lynnette lost her balance, tumbling down. He gave chase to the shooter in the skull ski-mask, who ran down the street. And the grand escape for the mystery shooter came in the form of a self-operated motorcycle that slowed down for him to get in on. "Damn it!"

"I'll see you again soon, Lincoln Loud!"

Lynnette dragged herself away only a few feet before Lincoln forced her on her back, jamming the shotgun barrel onto her cheek. "Oh, God- Bastard!"

"You have her voice, wear her face and suit, but you can't be Lynn..." Lincoln was in no mood for games again. "You working for McMahon?"

In his mind, he began to reconnect the dots, wondering if McMahon had known his change of tactic, suspecting that his capture was of the willing kind to get closer. Lynnette, or a random pheno with shapeshifter abilities, was an assassination task at no doubt. It also begged the question as to who the shooter was and what the goal was. There were those words he heard. _Collect that money... What money?_

"Who is McMahon?" Lynnette wished she was caught up in the world politics.

"I ought to kill you for mimicking my sister... But then again, I tried that once-"

"I clearly can't stop you," Lynnette knew, speaking out with some tough-girl bravado. "But just know that I am not the only one hunting!" _Lyra, you'd better finish it if he kills me..._

"Hmmm..." Interesting choice of words that made him reconsider pulling the trigger. "If I shoot your face off, will you die?"

"Find out yourself, Lincoln!" The shells in her legs were finally forced out by the healing process of her body, enabling her to run again. "Ha, looks like I'm back-"

Lincoln blew open her chest, thundering out a bloody hole that brought out a storm of pain for young Lynnette. He dug the barrel deep into her flesh, moving it around to dislocate key body parts as much as he could. Now she totally needed a new suit after healing it in the next few minutes. Lincoln pulled out the shotgun and grabbed a fistful of meat- he was hungry enough to resort to cannibalism, horrifically scaring Lynnette. "Wonder how pheno tastes like."

"Y-YOU SICK FUCK, DO NOT EAT ME!" Lynnette pleaded. "NO, YOU DISGUSTING-"

Lincoln gobbled down on Lynnette flesh, taking four bites before running back to the van at the motel. He pulled out, running over the screaming Lynnette without ever looking back. If that didn't kill the pseudo-zoomer, then nothing would. Things began to make sense when he put on the radio, hearing a special bulletin notice on his escape and the reward for the information that led to his capture. This wasn't necessarily McMahon at work, but the report gave him the idea that the senator had created his own bounty and sent it through the criminal underworld via the connections tied to the Black Network. All the contacts had passed it down, and the shooter and this pheno now seemed likely to have answered to it.

Smart, assembling assassins and bounty hunters to his doorstep. Who was next?

The answer came in the form of three Mustang GT vehicles coming fast from behind him. He was half of a full tank of gas at the time, no need to stop to load yet. He figured he'd get a few more miles further into the highway he drove on, but it didn't happen. The first GT drove up on his left, the second one moving to the front of the van, and the third one finalizing the blockade onto the right. He knew the hailstorm of bullets were coming before it happened, and the only wish he had was that the windows would at least be bulletproof. Not even that.

He slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel left, pit maneuvering the left vehicle to its side, driver and passengers lined up for him to take clean shots at. The car had slowed him down to make him stop, leading the other two Mustangs to do so as well. The dance started again out in the open like this, a nice little shootout with him against eight other men looking to collect.

**Later**

"He ate me, Lyra!" Lynnette pulled at her ripped uniform, hissing away with discontent. "He pulled from my chest and the audacity-"

The visionary brain on Lyra had only made her gag a few times before submitting to vomiting, cursed by the disgusting imagery that played mentally. "C-can you stop? I get it-" She let out another load. "That's gross-"

"That's twice, how is that possible?!" Lynnette was in disbelief that she found to not be lasting here in the past. "I hate this place, I wanna go home now."

"We can't yet, I know you under-" Lyra coughed the last of her vomit out. "Hrrrk!"

"Help me with this, Lyra," Lynnette requested. "I know where you stand in this, but I need your help. Just help me take him down and I'll end him."

"So you admit that you aren't the best?"

"Don't."

"I'm no better either."

"That's what I think, but... Come on, we gotta go in together."

Lyra let out a breath of air. "Phew, alright, just don't go running off on me a third time."

**Elsewhere**

Lincoln switched rides after the last firefight, going fast in the Mustang until he came low on gas. He pulled up to a gas station, eager to also buy snacks for that nearly-empty stomach There shouldn't have been a dangerous enemy around this time, but it seemed his intuition was erroneous once more; he had been followed for some time by a pick-up truck hidden in between cars, the driver of the vehicle having seen their opportunity to strike.

Once Lincoln had walked out with a ham sandwich, a big, burly and fat man dressed in a blue suit held a heavy minigun, pointing it right on Lincoln. "MONEY'S MINE, LOUD!"

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" Lincoln prepared for the bullets, thinking he was going to brush them off. Only, he made the assumption that these were regular rounds; they were the pheno-killing kind. "DO YOUR WORST!"

This was where Lilith and Lumi came into the picture. Lumi, the telekinetic girl born of Lupa's essence, floated up, stopping the bullets from hitting Lincoln. Lilith flanked the attacking man, rushing at him. The minigun turned to Lilith, but Lumi redirected it upwards, letting the sky have at it. "NO! NO, I NEED-!" Lilith kicked him unconscious with a spinning roundhouser.

_Who the fuck are these-? _Lincoin rushed back to the Mustang to fill up, but Lilith and Lumi came to him while the cops were being called. A closer look at Lumi told him the surprising news that Lupa was alive. "Thought you were dead?"

_"She_ isn't," Lumi revealed. "Also-" She punched Lincoln in the gut, her strength being superior over his own. "This is from her for killing her."

"Ergh!" Lincoln made no sense of anything anymore.

"Lumi, let's leave!" Lilith held her arms up. "Lucy's still right behind us!"

"Deep breaths!" Lumi soared above ground, grabbing Lilith to flee from the gas station.

This left Lincoln to search the minigun-toting madman, obtaining only the man's cellphone and wallet. Bingo, an actual driver's license that reduced points on his skills. Plan here was to go there and see himself out for a better weapons cache if it existed. Place could also be rigged, but who was he to not dive into risks? He left the scene feeling cocky, with the eyes of bystanders around staring at him and the unconscious man before he left. Hopefully the cops arrived before the man exited cold slumber.

**Later **

Three hours later, Lynnette Loud had once again found her father, settled comfortably in someone's house, or maybe it was his. Aw, who could say at this point?

She hid firmly into a bush, concealed right in the front yard along with Lyra. "We've got him trapped! Take left, I've got right!"

"Understood-" Lyra had her eyes on the windows, noticing a faint sparkle reflecting on one of them. "Hey, what is that?"

"What is what?" Lynnette stood up, jogging to the right side of the house. "No time to-"

A rocket struck into the front side of the house, sending the atmosphere from tranquil into a frenzy. The two zoomer girls were caught by surprise, left frozen stiff for Lincoln to come out with an assault rifle, taking aim at both of them. Apart from the fake Lynn, he found himself mesmerized by Lyra, a complete stranger to him. Didn't stop him from sparing her, regardless.

As for the gorgeous Lyra, she took it in, gazing upon the birth father she'd been told had run off to lead forces against the Prime Federation. Whether he'd been killed or not remained to be seen, but right away, she wanted to talk to him, daughter to father. There were questions already, and even under these conditions, Lyra split her lips to get something out. "White- white hair..."

"Stay still!" Lincoln bellowed, secretly wishing for a dampener to help him here. "Getting help will not do you any good, green."

"Double team, Lyra?" Sniper from the other side shot at Lincoln again, but the bullet never met contact; Lynnette stopped it dead, sparing Lincoln rather than ensuring he died. She wanted him to die, but not on someone else's terms. Lincoln kicked at her waist, knocking her down the steps. He pushed past the statue that was Lyra, not sure how to respond. Lynnette learned from her mistake, flipped on her stomach and broke into a run, slamming right into Lincoln, but it didn't end there for her. "SHOOTER'S MINE!"

"Uh-oh..." Skull-mask had prepped up with the right tools this time, and yet, Lynnette Loud was around to prevent the prize money. "Oh, come on-!"

She grabbed him by his shoulders, disarming him free of his weapon, forcing him right down onto the backyard of the next house over. "YOU'RE MEDDLESOME, BUT THAT ENDS TODAY!"

"S-so are you, freak-" Lynnette forced off his ski mask, revealing a Mexican man nearly I'm his thirties. "Why do you need money, speed pheno?"

"Money...?" Lynnette held back her punches. "What are you talking about, money?"

"The... Bounty on his head...?"

"Bounty?!"

"Zoomer trash..." Lincoln really wished he had dampeners on him even more. He had been lucky to have survived this long, but something told him he had lucked out by now. Lyra didn't seem much of a menacing threat, but he didn't let his guard down for her. "What about you, purple? What can you do?"

"S-same as her..." Lyra staggered. "Are- Are you really Lincoln Loud?"

"You're not in it for the money?" The Mexican sniper went out cold, lights knocked out by Lynnette.

"Fuck the money..."

"What's it to you?" Lincoln quickly eyed the dropped automatic, mentally calculating the grab. "I don't think it matters, given what you're here for."

"...You know what our mission is...?"

"You can try to kill me, but I'm going to stand in the end," Lincoln triumphantly stated. "The girl in green failed more than once already, can you do any different?"

"Well-" Lyra had begun to sweat, knowing where this was going to go.

"NO!" Lynnette grew densely tired of being delayed of her mission. "HE BELONGS TO ME NOW! I'LL BE DAMNED IF I CAN'T BEAT HIM!"

"Sis-" Lyra insisted on double teaming on Lincoln. "We can do it together..."

"FUCK THAT! FUCK EVERYTHING!" Lynnette's mind had reached its breaking point. It broke her to know that she could be beaten this simply, even with a hardened mother trying to push her to do just as good as she was, if not better. The screams of failure sickened her, driving her insane and itching for more. It had to be the story where Lynnette was the champion through even the bloodiest of means, the story where she proved to have a place among the strongest. She could not afford to come back a disgrace, knowing what hung in the balance. "NOT YOU, LYRA! ME, ALL ME!"

Lincoln got in between Lyra and Lynnette, turning his back on the teenager in purple. It seemed like the fake Lynn had enough of consecutive fails under her belt. This was a little rant that led to a sloppy fight where judgment grew clouded, a fight Lincoln could win against the zoomer, assuming Lyra made no move of her own. "Bring it on."

Lynnette rushed it, running with her fists readied for a series of swings. Lincoln County a perfect counter to it that not even he believed would work. It started with him falling on his back, throwing his legs to stop her, and when Lynnette smacked against it, he worked hard to raise them up and threw her over his head. The impact on his legs left them in pain, and if he only stopped Lynnette without redirecting her momentum, he would have broken his legs for sure. Thank God he remembered the science of motion.

Lynnette flew a few feet high, falling head first with her hard fall breaking her neck, shifting her head stuck turned left. Things went dead after that, and Lyra tended to her sister's aid, freakishly poking at her displaced head. "Oh, God- Oh, no- L-Lynnette? Lynnette! Oh, my God-"

_What- Lynnette...? _Raised more questions than answers at this point, but one problem first. Sniper guy was still over there, and no self-operable motorcycle had come, meaning one problem to cut down. He wasted no time, running from Lyra and the thought-dead Lynnette, finding the thorn on his side laid down at the backyard, surrounded by the probable homeowners. One thing led to another, and the Mexican sniper died in his sleep, windpipe crushed by one stomp of his foot. Well, he stomped twice to make sure, scaring the homeowners before taking exit with the sniper rifle.

The two girls were gone by the time he came back to the street. Hopefully this time he'd be free of them, and any pheno scum wanting to collect however much they'd cash out on him. Yesterday. Yesterday, things were easier. Yesterday, he only had to worry about the Freights. Fuck this, fuck all of this. Patriots, Black Network, the non-stop agenda of one corrupt senator centered on revolutionizing humanity's future by committing genocide in secret. The entirety of two databases worth of stuff out there was bad enough as it was, to be taken advantage by anyone. So many problems, not enough Lincoln to solve it quickly before it escalated beyond his control, and he made no mistake in making the careless assumption that he had free time.

He wondered for one faint second how the others were doing, and how they had it since the personal feud in Royal Woods. Luna and the twins, joined by Sam, Link-A and the prototype for the superior human, they were somewhere out there doing fuck knows what, but knowing them, it was not fighting back against McMahon and Kapacity Korp. He was the only one who cared enough to end that particular war. Just him, just the ravenous Lincoln Loud.

Like he'd always been. Alone.

* * *

**AN: Act III ends here at last, and it's slower in story progression than I hoped, but things pick up to the steady beat back around. Looking back, I might believe this or the previous chapter to be weaker ones of this act. Perhaps it was, but there's always more to increase and keep it floating. **

**Act IV starts next year, and with that, the mind games really begin.**

* * *

And then, there was a couple seated at a table just outside a Starbucks. And then, the other man of short, spiky hair, height of 5'9 and pale skin than matched a vampire's own, with his blue eyes protected by a disturbing black color that screamed emo, yet looked also punk, came into the picture, had been already by then. The woman of the two seated rose from her spot, heading inside to conduct her business. Here was the slick opportunity for dude to start his favorite game.

"Hey, brother, that's a pretty lady for ya," he smoothly let out, taking the woman's place. "

"Um... Yeah...?" The boyfriend narrowed his eyes, then shot his head around in confusion. "Why- Why are you-?"

"Sitting here?" Punk dude tapped on the table. "I'm getting to that..."

"Seriously-" It made the boyfriend antsy and impatient real fast, but Dylan Blood was faster.

"Got a question for you, man. Tell me, do you love her- What's her name? Courtney? Amanda? Tara?"

"That's... None of your business... Please leave."

"Have you been proposed to her yet?" A nice smirk of cockiness formed across his face. "Oh, you haven't, I can see it."

"Leave now!"

"Can you say you truly love her if that's not the case?" Blood tapped faster on the table, now using both hands to sing along with the tone. "You don't love Rachel."

"No, I do! I do, and I would also love it if you just left!" Boyfriend stood up, cup raised at waist level. It certainly looked like he'd spill it onto Blood. "Who do you think you are anyway?!"

"How can you prove it? How do you know? Does she even love you back? Does she cheat?"

"I know Jade! I know she wouldn't do that-" Silence was drawn at the table. "No, she wouldn't..."

Blood got it, pulled on the threads of doubt to exploit and break down the man he had never seen before until today. He spun it, wrapping it around his fingers. "Tell me know, do you still not doubt your love for her? Do you not also doubt her love for you?"

"I love her-"

"But the other way?" Blood stood up to circle the distraught man. "You're not in her head, you can't see her thoughts, how do you know she truly loves you?"

"I don't...-" He shook his head, dangling in shame and humiliation now. "I shouldn't be-"

"I can see that you are conflicted, now..." Blood pulled up the man's chair. "You tell me, did I make you reassess what this relationship you have with her really is? Hmm, did I?"

"I..." The man ended up lightly sniffing. "Yes, yes you did...-"

"...Then you fail..." Dylan Blood revealed a survival knife from the back of his shirt, jamming it right underneath the man's left armpit. "You doubted yourself by influence of another. You are an unworthy, weak-willed man no good for the rest of us. I sentence you to death in humiliation, and the last thing you'll ever see is the woman you doubted. Die with shame."

"N-no...-" The man stumbled down onto the chair, bleeding in pain. "Y-you tricked me-!"

"No... You tricked yourself, but the operative word is..." Blood left it at that, walking away for the man to die knowing he had brought into question what had been always real.

_Fooled. _


	33. Chapter 33

**Lyrics to Easier To Run by Linkin Park**

* * *

**Dark Before Dawn, Act III Special #1: A Very Dawn Halloween **

* * *

_No, no. Let's make this in my head. This is how I can envision it, plus all the characters introduced so far! I don't know the list, do you have a list?_

Link-A, the girl clone of Lincoln Loud with the superchip inside her brain, came with her crew Leven and Carly Evans-Nguyen to the Halloween party hosted by the main six Loud family members. Link-A, known as Linka these days, came to the part in a Supergirl costume. Leven himself only brought a Superboy logo t-shirt to the party, and Carly decided her ninja-like suit was acceptable, minus the blades.

Fruit punch bowls and snacks on the table, techno dance music playing out, balloons and decorations, and not to mention the incoming party-goers in costume and face-paijt, had started bringing life to the party. Lana helped Lola with the banner, setting it up high across the living room. Let it be known that Linka and Leven were anticipating Lincoln in a Superman costume, but alas, this he was not in; Lincoln was Batman, however, with the cowl and all.

"Yikes..." Linka cupped.

"Yeesh, my money was on Frank Castle," Carly admitted, handing a passing Lynnette a five-dollar bill. "They weren't lying when they said they were from the future."

"Quiet, quiet, these lines are misleading!" Linka scoured the party. "Hey, where are the dildos?"

"This is not R-rated. Link-A," Lori warned her, placing her arms on her hips. "No sexual behavior from you, got it?"

The clone blew raspberry at her, waltzing off to Luna and Sam, intending to flirt with the cute Sam.

At one end of the party, Lemuel and Allie were exchanging words, drinking some of the red punch. Lemuel matched Lincoln's Batman, coming in as the Red Hood, and as for Allie, she came as Terra. Here, Lemy didn't get the real significance of Allie's choice here, only noticing how hot she was. "So, this party is really something, huh?"

Allie smirked, showing off her perfect teeth. "I'll say, it's certainly fun to be around my type of people. You know, shooters and dysfunctionals."

Luna looked over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes at Allie. She, in the She-Hulk costume, loomed over Allie, snarling. "Dysfunctional?"

"Yikes..." Allie hid behind Lemy. "I'm- I'm sorry, don't eat me!"

"Ugh..." Luna exhaled, dismissing her. "Are you two a thing?"

"M-maybe...?" Lemy answered, heart shaking.

Luna pointed up to the second floor. "Condoms in every room. Have a good time."

Allie wasted no time to pull and lead Lemy away upstairs in a rush. "Oh, hell yeah, you're awesome!" Lemy complimented Luna.

"Eh? Eh?" Linka gave Sam the eyebrows, trying hard to get into her pants. "I'm technically not a minor if that's an issue-"

"Will you stop trying to fuck me?" Sam rolled her eyes, walking away from Linka. Did I mention Sam came as a cheerleader for Luna? The full package included pom-poms as well.

Dana, Cristina, Fiona, and Becky were engaged in a game of Uno, the bunch of them dressed as werewolves up to the neck. "Boom! Plus four for Dana! And green!"

"No fair, you could have pulled that out on Rebekka, Fi-Fi! I always knew you had a hate for me!"

"Nonsense, girlfriend, I love you!"

"She loves you, Dana!" Cristina laughed.

"...You piece of shit," Fiona cursed under her breath. "Take it."

Darcy Holmandollar, or Dora the Explorer tonight, watched the game from behind Rebekka, laughing lightly. "You guys never change, do ya?"

"Hey, Darce," Lori kindly greeted. "Its good to see you."

"Hey... Uhh, Lori, right?" Darcy let out a sly laugh. "Sorry, so many names."

"And more now that we've got some new faces coming around. Hey, you've got a second? I could use some help with the chairs and tables."

"Sure!" Darcy followed the content Lori down to the basement, passing by Lyra and Lynnette.

"Look at this!" Lynnette waved the bill in her half-sister's face. "It's my first crisp five-dollar bill, and..." She sniffed it with pure enjoyment. "Oh, I'm a rich bitch, baby!"

"Glad to see you happy for a change, but you cheated Carly out of her money and you know it," Lyra pointed out, laying down the law. "That's shameful, Lynnette. For shame."

"Aw, well, what can you do?"

Lincoln came by and took Lynnette's bill from her. "You can try to start by not having sex with your siblings... Lord knows I fucked up by fucking Lynn and Luna..."

Lynnette awkwardly scratched her neck, moving away from Lincoln. "C-come on, dad, we're not following the incest trope-"

"For your sakes," Lincoln prayed. "I regret not wearing condoms for those times."

"Y-you're a monster!" Lynnette ran off crying like a little girl, leaving Lyra to feel the intensity of his cold, dead stare. The brunette of wavy long hair said nothing, giving him a shaky smile akin to Loanne's.

While Lyra and Lynnette ran outside, the backyard wasn't totally empty; Leia Prescott and her little gang of runaways perched around the porch, laughing and telling juicy stories about boys of their pasts. They were Disney princesses for the night, Leia being Cinderella, Gwen being Sleeping Beauty and Marsha being Elsa. They, along with Lyle and Lindsey, were locked into a game of Spin the Bottle. Next was Gwen's turn, the bottle spinning wildly, stopping right at Lyle.

"Oooooooh, I have a boy under my control," Gwen smirked. "Hehehe, what could I ask him to do, I wonder...?"

Lindsey went red, hoping Gwen would not take advantage of her dream boyfriend.

"Hey, I've got it! Lyle..." Gwen went on all fours, crawling to Lyle and wiggling her ass. It definitely worked to infuriate Lindsey when she was aiming to hurt Leia for the lulz. Gwen really lucked out. "Hey, big boy, why don't you let me give you a big kiss on the lips? Hmmmmmm?"

Lyle began to sweat. "Whoa there..."

"Don't be shy, baby boy... I don't bite."

Leia coughed visibly, taking injury to heart. Gwen sensed it but went for the nice strike, sitting right on Lyle's lap, softly pressing her lips on him once leaning closer. And she had it, which Leia screamed no to deep inside her mind. If it wasn't for Lindsey jumping out and pulling Gwen away, it would have been Leia to move first. But Leia did, attacking Lindsey for throwing Gwen down.

"All fucking right, there's a fight!" A trio of women, walking around the house, broke up the fight between the you by girls. Of this trio were Laika Letenko, Bethany Kira Chang, and Lissandra Mercer, the latter girl cheering on the altercation. "That's what I like to see."

"Oh, great, Primers..." Leia was not impressed. "Go away."

"We've come peacefully..." Laika eased. "Halloween is not celebrated where we're from."

"I'm here for Kit-Kat bars!" Lissandra went in, sniffing around for chocolate. "SURPRISE, MOTHERFUCK-"

"Errrrrr! There, right there, Lemy!" Allie found the right spot for him to utilize his thrusts in. "Oh yeah, f-faster! Faster! Make me cum, make me your bitch like Vale was Pat's!"

_Oh, no, a 4th wall break covered in roast and propaganda! Just like D to burn the fuck out of his enemies! ALL HAIL CHIPHATER. _

Linka, no.

_Linka, yes. _

Lemy pulled on her costume's collar, bringing out to show her perky, B-sized breasts for him to play with. "Scream it, Allison! Scream my name!"

"Uh! Oh, oh f-" Allie hit orgasm mode, moaning at the top of her lungs. "YES, MY KING! PH, LEMUEL, PLANT YOUR SEED IN ME!"

At this, Lemy pulled out and off of his unofficial girl. "Whoa, I am so not ready for kids..." He told her, not intending to get her pregnant.

"L-Lembone, you fuciny idiot, I- I was just saying it to strengthen the mood-"

"Which feels ruined, and-" He looked down to his penis which was no longer erect. "Even my dick says so."

"Oh, my God, this is how-" Allie began to dress herself, moving out of the bed. "Fuck, whatever, fuck off."

Lemy zipped back his pants, putting on his Red Hood helmet, taking an L with a half-boner out of there. Allie had gone feeling humiliated, so much that she decided to stay- and Lilith, who had been hiding at the other side of the bed, made her presence known by standing at long last, scaring the shit out of Allie. "Greetings, mortal."

"H-holy shit-" Allie made an effort to cover herself, but then she uncovered her body. "So, uh, do you wanna have sex with me?"

Lilith raised her shoulders. "Alright, sounds like fun."

Lumi floated down from the roof, feeling chilly enough to want warmth. She followed Laika and Bethany inside, with the eyes of Leia's gang and Lindsey following them. "Why don't they just use the front door? Fuck."

"Lindsey, be nice," big brother Lyle policed.

"UNO! BOOM, HA!" Fiona threw her arms up. "Darcy, get over here, I'm stepping out of the round!"

"Sweet!" Darcy replaced Fiona while Cristina shuffled the cards. "What, no Chandler?"

"No Chandler, he got no invite," Dana explained. "Not this time."

"Ohhhhhhkay," Darcy whistled. "Grateful for trustworthy friends at least."

"And are these trustworthy friends coming?"

"...No..." Darcy reluctantly answered, making the Freight girls laugh. "But that's not the point, I don't want to introduce you to them, they're really good people."

"So were we... Before..."

"The Primers of the Federation are here!" Lissandra flung her red cap into the air with excitement. "But don't ask me to dance, I can't dance!"

"This is already a mistake," Bethany whispered to her companions.

Laika centered her eyes on Lincoln, the latter male looking back at her in the same, cold way. The staredown had begun, bringing the party to a halt. The onlookers gave their attention without uttering any type of sound. Lynn, Luan and Lori were on standby to pull Lincoln should any fight ensue. Darcy and the Freight girls paused their match to look on, and Fiona was taking a crapper. Lilith was eating Allie out, both of them unaware of the intensity of the auras between Lincoln snd Laika. Lemuel, Lyra and Lynnette had just come right at the perfect moment to see history in the making. All eyes were on the two.

"Well, this is wonderfully awkward!" Linka exclaimed.

Bethany and Lissandra backed away from Laika's sides, scared straight.

"What's with the stare, red?" Lincoln didn't like how the Russian woman eyed him.

"You know what this is..." Laika advanced- up until Lynnette and Lyra stood at father's side, waiting for Laika to start her dramatic bullshit again. "Ugh, maybe next time, Batman."

"I don't get it, how can they tell that's Lincoln?" Lola asked her twin.

"I don't write the fanfiction, Lola, just go with it."

Lupa unlocked the door from inside, opening it to let herself, Liby and Lacy in. "Who's got cigarettes?"

"Hiyah, everyone, good evening!" Liby warmly greeted, dressed up in the Harley Quinn jester suit, a play on significance for Batman-Lincoln.

Lacy herself came as the Flash, wishing well that she was a zoomer much like Lynn. Dreams were dreams, sweet little Lacy. Dreams were dreams. "Yeet!"

Lupa didn't care how she went, her attire was dark enough to be a costume of its own. "No one? Okay, I'm going home..." And there she went, floating off into the night.

"Lupa! Lupa, you're our ride home!"

"Survival of the Sinner was made because Lincoln used Lynn as an escape from the pain Ronnie Anne caused!" Lacy screamed, but Lupa left anyway. "Crap, that kind of critical thinking was sure to bring her back!"

Liby scratched her head. "Escapism? Really, Lacy?"

"I don't know, I'm just spitballin' here."

"Aw, my big, older clone sisters are here to party!" Linka came up and gave them a big hug. "I love you guys, I know I'm murderous and bloodthirsty, but I like being around you guys. Hey, can I stay over-" Leven pulled her away. "Hey!"

"You're not going to trick them into letting you stay at theirs so you can murder them in their sleep!"

"Oh, barnacles!" Linka sulked, letting herself be dragged ass on the ground. "I'm going to kill myself."

"No killing!"

"Yes, mother."

Laika, Bethany and Lissandra took to the kitchen, sitting alone from the rest of the party. "This is shit."

"I'll say..." Lissandra took a bowl of nachos for herself. "Poor suckers don't have any chili of cheese of these, it's basic and disgusting."

"I don't know, I mean this isn't boring..." Bethany broke off from her faction, pacing towards Carly. "Hey, you, I've got words for you."

"How can I help you?" Carly gave her a sour look.

Liby and Lacy met with their predecessors, joining in the group of main Louds. "Hey, what's shaking, girls?"

"Liby, don't be cringy." Lacy sat herself down next to Lynn, smiling at them. "Let's see. The twins, Luna, Luan and mother are here... Where's Lincy?"

"Being all batsy," Lynn scoffed. "Literally Batman."

"Batsy?" Lacy held out a twenty, groaning with irritation. "I guess I was wrong."

"I'll take that!" Lynnette grew richer after swiping Lacy's cash. "Yeet!"

"Lace, stop making bets with the time travelers!" Liby chastised. "They'll milk you dry!"

The chimney let in an unnamed visitor; when they came falling down the chute, most of the partygoers stopped what they were doing, circling around the fireplace. They expected a menace to arrive, but they who came out crawling out of the narrow fireplace was none other than the famous actress Loanne Wardell, her presence alone encouraging a handful of the girls rushing to her, awed and in pure fangirl mode to take a handful of her.

"AUTOGRAPHS, I NEED AUTOGRAPHS!"

"That's the real Loanne Wardell!"

"WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?!"

"Hey, hey!"

"Take a selfie with me, please!"

"LOANNE, I LOVE YOU!"

* * *

_And that's how I imagine it, me! They'll fangirl over the stunning actress, and I'd drool over her, try to slip her a drug for a roofie! Not like Carly wants to have fun with me. I don't know about the others, but there could be some harem or something. I can see Lincoln getting it on with Lynn and Luna, that's to be expected down the line, considering- Agh, Lyra Laude and Lynnette Laude are here! _

_...We won't have a perfect Halloween, nor the rest of the holidays. That... That hurts me... I want it to be good for them, and it won't be. I... I feel sad... Excuse me while I attack Luna. Enjoy what Thanksgiving looks like in my head..._

"LUNA! OPEN YOUR MOUTH, PUSSY!"

* * *

**Dark Before Dawn Act III Special #2: A Very Dawn Thanksgiving **

* * *

The table was as long as Raganoxer's dumbass long hat, all seats being taken, and cramped for that matter. Lincoln, Luna, Luan, Lynn and the twins arranged the table, handing out the platter and beverages. Mashed potato, gravy, delicious turkey, cranberry sauce and more delicacies went around. Upon giving Lemuel and Allie a fresh plate, Lincoln was thanked by the girl with a smack on his ass. "Thanks, handsome, but you know what I want from you? Sausage."

"Allie, stop cheating on me."

"You crazy millennials..." Lincoln muttered, making Allie laugh like a hyena.

"My man, you are one of us, too." Allie picked up a for, licking her lips.

"I'm older than you dumbass kids working for the corrupt fucks. Eat up."

"Lincoln, tone down the language," Luna policed. "I want this to be clean and non-drama, okay?"

"Allie, why do you embarrass me?" Lemuel wondered.

"He's hot, and it's arousing to know that he's probably bigger than you."

Linka and Carly giggled from their seats, laughing at Lemy. Meanwhile. Darcy and her old Freight comrades went around sharing the mashed potato. Fiona was hogging most of it, annoying Dana. "No, you took too much, damn it!"

"There's more coming!" Fiona shouted back. "Besides, I'm hungry, I've been holding out for this."

"Are- are you kidding me?"

Fiona made a morphed, funny face. "Does this look like the face of someone who kids you?"

Rebekka and Cristina sneezed in near silence, looking away. "What's so funny?!" Dana crossed her arms at them.

"You piece of shit..." Fiona narrowed her eyes, fork amd knife gripped tightly.

"No eating yet, let everyone get their plates and we'll say the prayer," Luna ensured to her siblings.

"Hey," Linka raised her turkey leg to Sam's face. "I'm going to eat this and use the bone to fuck you, honey boo-boo bear."

"Linka, stop flirting with my girlfriend," Luna roared.

"Okay, boomer," Linka joked. "Did I get that right?"

"Linka, hush," big brother Leven silenced the clone. "Put down the leg."

"The Linka Log will be realized, I promise you that, cutie pie!" Linka blew Sam a kiss before dropping her turkey leg.

Laika took to chugging that imported vodka from motherland, better shit than what they had here in the Americas. She drank half of the bottle's contents, clanking the bottle down and burping wildly at her Primer crew Lissandra and Bethany. "Hate this holiday, what even we thankful for?"

"Well, there is free food, and not to mention-" Lissandra licked her lips in delight.

"We get downtime here, Laika," Bethany stated the facts. Her nose smelled the yummy odors of the divine meal based on-

"Oh, those poor indians," Linka sobbed sarcastically. "Never mind us, we couldn't possibly be doing bad-"

* * *

Luna leaped backwards, slamming the attacking Linka right into the side of the armored van. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"Linka, get your hands off of Luna!" Leven jumped in to yank his younger clone sister from Luna's back. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, hehehe!"

* * *

Leia, Loanne, Lyra, Lynnette, Lyle and the middle three clones were arranged next to Lemuel, the closest thing to having the Sin Kids in here.

_We didn't forget about the others! If we could add Salvo's-_

No.

_But- But-_

No.

_A Linka sad. _

"So, tell me, futurist, when do I die?" Leia tugged at Lyra's leather jacket fiercely. "Maybe I could prevent it. I can, right?"

"I don't even know who you are, Leia Prescott doesn't exist for me."

"Same for me, maybe it's the era," Lynnette assumed. "Or maybe you guys were covered up."

"But- But you know Loanne-" Leia stammered.

"She's an actress-" Lyra's words made Loanne smile joyously. "-And you aren't, what did you do?"

"C-come on..." Leia sulked.

"Don't spoil it for yourself, honey," Lupa called out. "I wouldn't want to know when I die, not me, and not any of my sisters here."

"DOES THAT MEAN ME AS WELL, BIG SISTER?!" Linka had overheard, screaming from her spot on the table. "I LOVE YOU, TOO!"

"...Tell me I kill her at least," Lupa whispered lowly. "She's off her marbles, psycho just like Lincoln."

"Tried to kill us before," Liby added.

"She might not even be done with us, I suggest you avoid her-"

_No, wait, rewind!_

"She's an awesome albino," Lupa complimented. "She's good with guns, can heal rapidly, and she controls virtually-connected devices at will."

"She's a kickass chick," Liby tossed in.

"She might be the next Lincoln Loud, I suggest you get on her good side."

_PERFECT! PRAISE THE GIRL WHO CAN DOX AND DELETE YOU OFF THE INTERNET! I could make money doing that! Cha-ching! _

The second the main Louds sat down, Luna cleared her throat, ready to begin. "I realize that for some of you, Thanksgiving is rare or not celebrated too often, but I hope that this one will be as good as any other. Now, if there's anyone who wishes to say grace before we begin, you may do so. I'll begin first, though."

"This ought to be good," Linka chuckled.

"Linka, please," Leven hushed.

What no one knew was that Linka had pickpocketed Leia's phone and hid it in a safe spot, overlooking the entire dinner table and its occupants. Here, Linka secretly recorded the event as a live stream. "Hehehe, fuck you, Lizy."

Lissandra twitched, turning towards Linka with confusion.

"Dear Lord, I give you my many thanks," Luna prayed, eyes closed and hands folded over the table, "for us all being here in health. Tonight, I am thankful that You give us this night for us to come together in peaceful unity, where we can be friends and family just like You intended. I'm thankful for the family I've got left-"

Linka wheezed nasally, rudely interrupting Luna. "Sorry, I just-"

"Linka, c'mon," Carly poked. "Let her speak."

"So, yeah, I love my family and I just hope we can solve our issues in the main story soon-"

_Wait, they're fourth-wall breaking! No, wait, it's gotta be me only! Wait, hold on a second-_

* * *

Linka was pinned to the floor, arms pressed on her back by Leven. "Ow, you're hurting me! Hurt me more, faggot!"

"Linka, stop with the craziness for once-"

Luna went in the midst of brushing off the insane clone. "Watch her at all times, man."

"Yes, I concur, my apologies," Leven excused, pulling Linka up. "Now, are you finished being hostile and stupid?"

Linka drooled from her lips, her chilling eyes centered to nothing but the ground below. And then, her weight started feeling loose in Leven's grip. She was long gone, it seemed.

"L-Linka?"

Her eyelids began closing.

"Hey, Linka?"

She wasn't there anymore.

"...Sister?"

* * *

**Dark Before Dawn Act III Special #3: Coldest Christmas**

* * *

_I'm here..._

Snow. Joy in the streets, joy in the households. There had to be children and parents huddled around the Christmas trees, sipping on hot cocoa and having a good, wholesome time. Them, and the whole world. All of them but Linka. Linka, the clone of white hair, copied memories of a troubled human being, and with no real place in the world. She walked through the snow with the right amount of warm clothes so not as to earn frostbite, with even an orange scarf wrapped around her tiny neck.

Linka was alone for that night, wandering around in the long, cold, dark night of her life with no destination. No home to come to, no one to come home to. No one.

Had to be the reason why she chose a random house and looked into it. She looked, watched the spectacle of a healthy family, a good example of one at that. She didn't know what to think of it, but there was a little sting in her heart that swelled up, filling her of an emotion. Body warm, heart beating faster and noticeably now. The pupils of her eyes grew big, glittering in the light that reflected upon her face through the window.

_It looks nice... _

She thought she had something to say, but her mouth drew nothing but a silence. She closed it shut as the night continued, the cold air flowing through the town and the snow insisted on falling without end.

_Wait..._

She pressed her mitten-covered hand onto the window- and suddenly, the lights inside gave out without warning. She gasped, her cold breath floating out of her lips. "Wait, no- No, what-"

_I understand it... And I'm stupid for it._

Linka stared at her reflection in the window, seeing not her own, but Lincoln staring back at her. "D-dad-" She looked behind her, thinking he was there. He wasn't, he had never been there. It clicked when she faced back. "Oh..."

She closed her eyes.

_I thought it would look good in my head, I want it to be like that. I want it perfect... It's just me playing myself... I'm... I'm foolish. And it hurts... It actually hurts me. _

* * *

Linka snapped out of it, submitting to broken tears, inexplicable to Leven and Luna. She slumped into her knees, covering her hands while she sobbed from the agony of her heart. Big brother Leven and teen Carly, who'd been watching from the distance, moved to Linka's sides, bending down and rubbing their hands on her slim shoulders. For why she cried, they did not know, but for the first time since the chaos started, Linka had expressed emotion like a true human.

It reached Luna as well, leaving her to let Linka off with a warning.

* * *

"You're not alone, sis," Leven assured her, digging his way out from the snow underneath Linka's feet. "You've got us, you've got family."

"Leven...!" Linka faced away from the darkened house. "I do?"

"Course you do!" Carly appeared behind Linka, slapping a hand on her shoulder. "We're going to be around, Linka. You know this, you know we're going to be stuck with each other."

"The Asian is right, little sister," Leven agreed, opening his arms up. "Give me a hug, you crazy idiot."

Linka formed a smile,, running her short, brain-malfunctioning ass right into his arms. "H-happy family?"

"Happy family, Linka," Leven soothingly said. "Happy family."

"And friends!" Carly threw herself into the hug.

* * *

_This... This is family..._

Linka felt less sad knowing where her close friends stood. "Thanks, guys..."

"Hey..." Carly scratched her neck. "Linka, I can't apologize enough for what I've done back there..."

"You're fine, Carly," Linka accepted. "We've made bad choices to no end, right?"

"Leven, I need a moment," Carly requested.

"Of course." Leven moved up and away from the girls, pulling Luna away with him. "Privacy needed."

"Why did you cry?"

Linka hesitated to answer. "I just had a thought is all..."

"You're okay, right?" Carly pulled Linka up, both girls standing back again. "I mean, you will be, I'm sure..."

"Yeah, that's my first time," Linka sighed.

"H-hey, Linka..." Carly looked the other just this once, pulling Linka close to land a sweet, deep kiss onto her lips. It definitely excited Linka, making her crazy for it, but made her crazy in the right way she was known to be on. If it helped her, Carly was okay with it- even better, Linka lived up to be a good kisser, craving more lust for it from Carly.

And this chapter ended with Linka and Carly/Cici kissing for a few more minutes.

_Yay! YAY! HAPPY ENDING, I'M CRYING! NO AUTHOR NOTES._

* * *

_Something has been taken from deep inside of me_

_A secret I've kept locked away_

_No one can ever see_

_Wounds so deep they never show_

_They never go away_

_Like moving pictures in my head_

_For years and years they've played_

_It's easier to run _

_Replacing this pain with something numb_

_It's so much easier to go_

_Than face all this pain here all alone_

* * *

_Let's keep this little misplaced outro song meant for the previous chapter a secret. _

Why, Linka?

_Oops! L-O-L! And to all who read this, have a Merry fucking Christmas, and a terrible New Year with no resolutions being solved! ._

* * *

**Dawn resumes on January.**

**Disclaimer: jabs at people are meant for the humor, a mutual peace treaty has been created to neutralize hostility. Long live the Primers. **


	34. Chapter 34

**Just kidding**

* * *

**Lyrics to Life Of Misery by Drowning Pool**

* * *

_You think you're better than me, better than me_

_You better change your fucked up attitude _

_Don't look at me, don't look at me_

_Like you expect some sort of gratitude_

_You keep on fooling yourself_

_You're full of yourself_

_I could, I could never lead_

_Lead a life of misery like you live in_

_I would, I would rather die_

_Than live a life of misery with you in it_

_Look at you now, what a waste now_

_Your life of misery_

_Look at you now, what a joke now_

_Your life of misery_

_Take lie after lie after lie_

_If it makes you feel that much better_

_Look at you now, what a joke now_

_Your life of misery_

* * *

**July 29th, 2030**

Lyle Jefferson and Lindsey Sweetwater were the first two victims to fall into the falling cat-and-mouse game orchestrated by the punk-looking fellow with spiky hair and blackened stains around his eyes. Whether or not he was a true ruffian remained to be seen, but that didn't matter now. The very location he used for his base happened to be the defunct Black Network base that he found successfully, turning it into his own personal playground.

One such room, heavily reinforced with steel, went used by the two phenos, their powers suppressed away by the built-in dampener on the ceiling that had not been deactivated since they've been put in there. For the time being, they were asleep, the room itself feeling of foul remnants of food platter Dylan Blood had left for them to stack up and never collect, making it a pigsty.

He monitored the young kids, making sure they were staying put while his mind wrapped around to the game; he needed all the pieces, both pawns and hostiles pulled closer to him.

So far, his concern was the Loud family of phenos, and from the entire catalog or articles and files he'd access, he learned of Lincoln Loud and his pheno abilities; the albino had a good portion of strength from a rhinoceros, the swift agility of an Alaskan wolf, and lastly, the recuperation properties from a new species of snake, all three of which were modified a few different ways before the perfected version had been created. This, the albino had taken for himself to upgrade beyond the human limitations, an indestructible pheno. The indestructible pheno once a Freight, hands drenched in too much blood, and to Dylan Blood, such a person was not, and could ever be worthy of the power.

Luna Loud, debriefed to him by the files as a human-lizard hybrid, could be potentially dangerous on her own, and based on Vial's testing of her, it appeared that Luna had an appetite for flesh that deemed her a monster walking around everyday society. This one needed to be neutralized, and as far as he knew, it wasn't happening yet. Pity the government goons who were slowly incompetent for this shit.

The twins, he'd known about them, seeing their rise aa Velocity and Momentum as dubbed by the public, which caught on as fast as they came. The two zoomers operating around New York as actual vigilantes for the past two years with various theories and questions raised around them. Vial Corporation had created them, but the recapture of the twins was likely to cause trouble, this he saw. Lana and Lola Loud, family members related to the ex-Freight, who could have figured it out?

Truth be told, this was his huge break. You see, Dylan Blood was working on acquiring the intel from scratch. The day the world had learned that the remaining Freight survivors of Lincoln's attack had turned themselves in, the correct information came spinning out, the safe facts making headlines, newscasts, and even in talk shows. Lincoln was the hero who turned it around, dying as a hero to many, but not all of them. Certainly not Dylan.

Lincoln Loud and Lori Loud were siblings, but surely there had to be more. Hunch was correct, he found Lynn Loud, ironically an FBI agent who'd been single and going to bars with her lady friends. That was where Dylan came in, pulling the strings by impressing her, sleeping with her, to establish a false relationship with her so that he could learn all he could to exploit Lynn's relationship with the Freights in retaliation for Lincoln's one true crime; Lincoln had laid waste to the Blood clan during a Freight run. Lynn Loud was the only way to exacting that insatiable desire for sweet payback- and what should happen but her sudden disappearance along with her entire team? It angered him to a pulp, having been denied of the only window when it presented itself.

He had done as much research as it allowed for him before he got to Lynn. From the get-go, there were eleven children in total, not the ideal number of kids for an American family, only one of them being a male. That poor bastard, living with a harem of girls up until the very day it all changed because of a little house fire. Things got murky there, many of the siblings living with an aunt of theirs. Details showed that there were three casualties in the fire, the parents and one of the young daughters.

There was Luan, the psycho killer who had been slaughtering in the recent years. Psychotic break, maybe. Another unwell member to make up the Patriot team under this agency that came to light, formed for domestic affairs happening within the nation's borders, places where the regular agency powers had no jurisdiction in. The way it looked, it was a black ops scenario that missed its point by taking in the six Louds as a covert unit within it, succeeding to use their relevance as the super-powered phenos to dissuade suspicion of who pulled the strings. Of course, it didn't matter in the end.

A brand new game had started just for him, the work of fate smiling upon him in gokd graces, giving him the board, the players, and the placement for all of them, and this involved not just the main six Louds, but their allies and enemies up to here. The clones, the Wolverines, the Black Network faction that remained.

Lyle and Lindsey were not the only two captured in the old base; a third individual, tied to a chair, burlap sack covering their head. The sack barely moved, the person's face sucking breath in and out. This person was part of the game, one such card that had to break the Ungodly Stormbringer, the laat resort to get him on his knees to end the game.

_Rest easy, young ones... Tomorrow will come with bigger plans for you all. _

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter I: Blood Strike**

* * *

**July 30th, 2030**

Luna had not yet rationalized yet, and could probably never dig past the surface of Lynn's berserk motives for siding with the big, bad brother on his mission to exterminate the clones. She wanted to nelieve that it wasn't the real Lynn, for the real Lynn would have been trying to stop Lincoln and the Lucy clone. Nothing made sense no matter how much she tried to piece it together, and in the end...

Lynn had already done it, choosing her side already. The zoomer in red made herself the next excommunicated member they didn't want, leaving the main Louds divided by half. Linka, Leven, Sam and Carly made up the missing number to comolete, and even then, ot never felt the same. It never once felt like Luan, Lynn and Lincoln since the line-up of outsider phenos had changed massively.

Luna grieved for the tough state she and her siblings were in. She didn't need the strain, the pain of knowing how broken up they were, and that was before she could even say something about Luan to them. She'd already told Linka and her crew of Luan's disappearance which tickled Leven funny. The clone suggested putting Linka to use by tapping into feeds and monitors she could to gain any clue to Luan's whereabouts, but they simply did not have enough time to look at all of them. Linka tried, but nothing had come up.

Things could not be any worse than now, but then again, what could she possibly know?

"Lunes?" Sam had no plans to let Luna fall from the heavens by herself. Any and all dark thoughts had to be thrown out, shared off to release the burden's heavy weight. "You okay, honey?"

Luna didn't budge, back still leaning against the black armored van. "I didn't ask for this, Sam. Not any of this."

Sam closed her eyes, mutually relating to Luna in that aspect. "None of us wanted this, but what can you do?"

Luna sighed.

"Listen, hon," Sam turned to her, holding one of her lover's arms, "it doesn't have to stay the same, it might not. Maybe we'll come across Luan again, I have a feeling we might just."

"I should have seen it, Sam," Luna confessed to her guilt. "I can practically tell that she didn't like the idea of us having to go off without her. I know I'd have been scared if it were me without any pheno powers, praying to the gods above that my siblings come back in one piece."

"You had no way of knowing, Luna," Sam believed. "It could or could not have happened, it's unpredictable-"

"But I should have seen it- One of us, if not me at the very least!"

Sam shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong, Luna. You've told me that it was decided that she had to be taken out of the team for her own good. I know it hurts, but this..." Sam took a deep breath, ready to be shouted at by Luna. "This is better over her staying on the team just so she could die."

Luna shot her eyes at Sam sharply.

"Luna, this is no place for regular joes, and Luan being away from us makes her safe... For now."

"She's still defenseless, not to mention sick."

"Not too defenseless, she lived on her own as you also told me..." Sam kissed Luna's cheek warmly. "You are stronger than this, believe in her just as much as I do in you, babe."

"Maybe I should..." Luna tightened on Sam's grip. "Thank you, Sam."

Linka, Leven and Carly had come out of the Target store the gang stopped at. The clones and the Asian girl needed new threads. Carly looked like she was ready for a summer party, grasping away at her baby blue zip-up sweater over a light-red shirt, mixing it up with a plaid skirt and leather boots, heavy upon the soles. She brushed some of her hair over her face additionally, an interesting look to appease Linka's sexual appetite. Leven decided on track suit clothes in the blue color, looking like he was about a month away from a marathon he'd been set to participate in.

And then there was Linka, short blue skirt, black shirt with a pink heart sparkling over the chest, and top it off, a green beanie to give her that rebel girl look. It did her well when she checked herself out, loving the look. Apart from the new get-up, they walked out with snacks- and for Linka, A Minecraft creeper plushie she held with utmost price and enjoyment.

"Hey, Luna, we're back," Leven grinned, waving two bags of snack food at Luna and Sam. "Thanks for that."

"Yeah, no problem, we should get back to the motel now."

"Ditto." Sam knew the cue, tailing it back inside the van with Carly and Linka. Leven manned the wheel, Luna riding shotgun to join him.

Linka snorted while giggling, envisioning herself shoving the creeper plushie into Sam's vagina to help her get off, and that impropriety went suspected by Carly and Sam. "Hehehehehe..."

Leven pulled out of the lot at a steady rate. He had indeed noticed the expression on Luna's face, gathering the troubles that flooded her head. "Are you alright, Luna?"

"No, yeah, everything's fine-"

Leven was no idiot to believe it. "It will be, Luna."

"That's what Sam says," Luna peeped out. "I want it to be."

"We just have to stick together and wait for the mess to subside." Leven knew better than to believe they would be at peace, but a pep talk was needed for the group as a whole, especially for Luna. "We just have to stay hidden from McMahon and his Kapacity Korp resources and any other silver of power he's got, same as its been, and that's our real concern over any other."

"How can we expose someone like that?" Luna wanted all their current enemies out of the way, for her to not think and worry about them and the steps they took. "We need to, don't we? The Shepherd guy and Lisa had to have some connection-"

"I would doubt it to be the case," Leven shook. "If we chase him, it won't be easy. All he owns is Kapacity Korp, but more importantly, we cannot approach him as it is. Not unless..."

"Unless...?" Luna became intrigued. "Unless what?"

"Before Linka and I joined you, she wiped the files on all clones, that means that no outside being could know we exist. Maybe they have their suspicions of me due to-"

Luna snapped her fingers. "The Superior Human thing."

"Right, but if we share actionable evidence that it happened- That McMahon had always been involved with Vial Corp from afar, then there is a possibility that we get ourselves clear. We can get it over the air, or online- whatever works. Linka is the advantage-" He stopped his critical thinking, finally hitting a gold mine. "Linka and Carly..."

The contingency they had if McMahon had ever caught up to them was to make it look like Carly had captured them, had them hostage while she took them back to him.

"What about them?" Luna didn't understand it yet.

"There is a risky all-or-nothing move that puts the three of us right in the heart of risk..." He couldn't even believe that it was now being thrown on the table, despite that it was his and Linka's Get-Out-Free pass that guaranteed them and Carly to safe waters. The probability had been low enough to hold off, but maybe he was the fool to think of it as an impossibility, believing the distance put between the good and bad would be the same. They've only been running for so long, trying not to be captured- and that inevitable end of the free pass had reached its end now. "Luna, I sincerely hope you trust me, I've already come up with a plan."

"And this plan..." Luna pulled out a bag of Lays chips, helping herself to them. "Walk me through it, all of it."

"It starts with Carly's status as a close ally of the Black Network," Leven explained. "McMahon knows that the clones have defected, but Carly is still one of their own to them. We all get to a Kapacity Korp facility and announce ourselves, I can say McMahon will pay it a visit just for us. Linka has a huge advantage in her head, we could tap Carly with a wire of something- Or maybe Linka could bypass their monitors and redirect the feed to where we need it to go."

"Oh, that's smart," Luna weakly complimented. "Do you trust this plan?"

"There can be no wrong," Leven assured both Luna and himself. "There will not be."

The next time Luna would see Leven, she would not see a clone, but the same face and confidence as that of her brother's own. And yes, this character in nature was him, only better. The sun that reflected off his face only deceived her for the illusion. But she knew not fear from the essence of Leven, but rather hope. Hope and positivity where she would never have imagined to find it. And then maybe, just maybe, in the heart of the darkness that lived inside Lincoln, there might have truly been hope. "Thanks... Lincy."

**Years Ago**

The big kid of the five children flaunted his power around, commanding his minions to grab the scrawny, defenseless brat while on the playground. The kids grabbed the skinny boy who had been but minding his own business- and they didn't care about the poor soul.

_Yes, mob mentality. Follow the leader._

They'd shove him to the ground, make an example out of him. The playground was the jungle of Eddie Lars, the damn sadist of a child who loved the power, the slaves, over friends. The ridicule, the continuation of this nasty social order, the domination of the cruel, lawless power.

And nobody seemed to be fighting it back out of fear. This could not have been the natural order of things, yet it was.

_You're worthless nobodies, mindless drone serving a fuck who cares not about you._

Dylan Blood read a book that day at school, looking up when it happened. He not only saw the beating start, but the observations of the other boys and girls not making a move, watching the crew act under Lars' command.

_Do something..._

There was that desire where he wanted his inner justice to be satiated. Right and wrong could have battled here in the playground, but nothing came of it. And in the end...

The animals had won again, buying out the other witnesses by fear. No tattle-telling, not now. Not ever.

_Why don't do you it? You are more than five. _

Oh, how it angered him, disgusted him. Made him question the way the world turned while it went on. How did it come to this? Why weren't they immobilizing, uniting against the bad kids? Why... Why didn't they? Why were they weakened?

_I don't understand it... Nor do I want it. No..._

Dylan Blood found himself eager to be the one to stand up to them. And he did so, dropping the book, swiftly approaching the cabal of assholes. And the uneven, unfair fight...

...It not only left him beaten, but it made him the instigator of the fight, with no kid who'd been there a spectator backing him up, tossing the truth on the principal's lap. He was the bully here, not them. Not any of them, and the world only watched, letting it happen without intervening. Dylan Blood felt alone in resisting the rules of the world.

_These people, these abusers with power that goes to their heads, they who believe they can do anything without consequence..._

**Now**

A black SUV stopped right outside a mint, its passengers all armed to the teeth with submachines, sporting Kevlar on their chest. The four of them had come for a grand heist as promised by the fifth member, the leader of the pack, none other than Dylan Blood himself. "Get going! Five minute bag-and-tag! No casualties, masks on!"

"Got it, boss man," one of the heist crew members mockingly said.

Dylan put on his own iron skull mask, concealing his face. His crew advanced up the steps, heading into the mint. The plan was not to make off with the dough, but to lure out two specific zoomers he'd read about on the newspapers. Velocity and Momentum had always been rookies, two inexperienced crime fighters that did not cut out deserve what they've received forcibly. A pair of blonde girls with speed abilities, and they had supporters instead of the smart members of the public never considering that the pair could one day turn against them, proving to be sinister as the anti-phenos preached. If no one did anything...

Dylan checked his gear again. Armor set, gloves on. Handgun. His first dance with Lola and Lana Loud was now or never, and he hoped it was now.

They didn't fail to deliver, showing up right on time after the shootout had happened, and not even three minutes in. His crew had come out again, carrying only two large bags of what had to have been a hefty snatch, and they were all stunned to see the zoomers standing between them and the getaway vehicle. Dylan did not wait to see them at work, getting out of the SUV and circling around back while Lola and Lana made quick work of the four thieves.

"That was easy," Lola complimented herself with satisfaction.

"There's one more," Lana noticed, pointing at the approaching Dylan. "I got him."

Dylan held out his hands, getting to his knees, confusing the twins silly. "I surrender."

Two minutes before the police would get here. He had to make it fast. Lola and Lana grew closer to him- close enough for him to activate the dampeners hidden beneath his gloves. He pressed them, quickly jumping up to fight them. Lana tried to move away first, but her speed had been grounded, leaving her susceptible for a nice one-two from the madman's fists.

"LANA!" Lola jumped behind the getaway driver to tackle, and what she got instead was a swinging kick to the face that knocked her sideways, slipping head first on the stairs. "Augh!"

Dylan finished Lana off, hitting her again with a harder punch that did her in, knocking her lights out. Lola crawled back up, head going dizzy while she bled away, the blood running down into her left eye. She panicked, heart racing to insane levels, mind fogging up with fear and the adrenaline presented from this senseless beatdown. "Zoomers aren't shit!"

Lola went out with a whack from the masked man's fist, submitting defeat to Dylan Blood.

**Elsewhere**

Linka, Leven and Carly were talking it over, and from what Luna could hear, neither girl had been objecting to Leven's proposal. In fact, Linka let out a cheer and hugged Leven, and Carly smiled proudly, nodding her head to agree. Surely looked like they were onboard for it, pleasing Luna. It did sound perilous, she couldn't deny, but here was hoping that they could pull it off and topple McMahon, a man she had never heard of before she ended up on the Patriots, out from his power and resources.

Sam, inside the bathroom, peeked her head out, disrupting Luna. "Hey, could you come in here for a second?"

"Sure, dude," Luna agreed, wandering into the bathroom. "What's up?"

Sam sighed before crossing her arms, clearly bothered by something. "I get the dwelling I'm not supposed to shower, Luna. D-do you remember that thing that happened to me? You know, back at the joint?"

"Yeah, how could I not?" Luna grabbed a sheet of toilet paper, soaking it with the running water from the faucet. "Water triggered it, but..." Luna shook her head, then tilting back on it. Elmont had gotten the rundown on the six Louds and what they could do and what could possibly stop them. For Luna, her other form had a taste for blood and flesh, and she knew that. What had been recommended was mental training to destroy the insatiable bloodlust Lizard Luna yearned for when it presented itself. So far, it was not an issue.

Then, the matter of the other four phenos he brought unto the team came without so much as a fact. Maybe it was that Elmont had not monitored Sam, sure, but there was enough time for him to know. Did he know more? Or was it that Luna had been trusted that the Patriot Division's runner had never looked into it?

"I'm going to wipe this on you..." Luna motioned Sam to hold her hand out. "It didn't hurt you, right?"

"No- I mean, it felt like a layer of stinging all over my body."

Luna hesitated.

"No, don't worry about it- I have to know if it really is water..."

Luna ran the tissue across Sam's wrist, pulling it back to see it emit steam as if her skin had been made of fire. Right in that area, where Luna had rubbed, Sam's wrist turned black, almost a color of bruise. Sam felt it, hissed in sly pain from it. "It didn't do that before..."

"No, but..." Sam poked at the black skin. "It feels hard."

"It can't be water... Can it?"

Sam lowered her arm. "I don't know, but it's only my skin that seems to be affected..."

"Right, I've seen you being able to drink..." Luna turned her attention to the shower. "We know what cold water does, would hot have the same effect?"

"L-Luna-" Sam took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I'm afraid of finding out."

"No, nonsense!" Luna formed a smile on her, despite there being mutual fear behind it. "Hey, you're strong, I've seen it. No way it can harm you to concerning degrees, dude! I'll be right here..." She locked the door slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Sam opened her eyes again, taking in the positive radiation from Luna's aura. She hesitated for a second, but it was soon apparent that there was no real predicting in the outcome of having warm water pour down on her. Best bet was that she'd freeze up again, her body succumbing once more to that physical state of shock she received before. "Okay..."

Her clothes came off with grace, going from head to toe. Her beautiful breasts were exposed- even when they were the light-red color over normal orange skin, they caught Luna's eyes, catching her in the eye of guilty staring, a sort of pleasure she wished to throw herself at Sam, both their bodies naked and conjoined against each other, their hands running up and down each other's soft, tender skin. Maybe she could wind up in bed with Sam once it was over, and it have better been as soon as possible. The cheeks on Luna's face went red, blushing away before Sam's birthday suit and the divine beauty presented.

Not now, not yet.

Sam entered into the shower, starting it up. She took a step back so that her feet didn't make contact with the water. "Luna, do me the honors?"

"Yeah, hold on-" Luna fulfilled, switching on the showerhead with shaking nervousness. Sam let the water fall from new heights before she jumped underneath it, letting her entire body be drenched by the hot water. She knew fear again, unsure of the outcome. Breathing hard, Luna bit her lip and prayed for the best.

Sam held her breath for it, expecting pain on a different wavelength than before. The hot water did nothing for the first few seconds, and she let her guard down, releasing her breath and heartedly relaxing her nude body. Luna curled her mouth to smile- and then, Sam's skin began to glow a more brighter red, veins popping out all over. Luna quickly switched off the showerhead, dismissing the flowing water. "SAM!"

The golden-blonde girl began hyperventilating, but the sudden effect the jot water had on her body turned out to be different from the cold water; she experienced no pain, but rather a near-high octane power surge equivalent to steroids; her heart beat wildly from the increase of sudden energy, and quite possibly could give out from the overpowering she could not physically handle. "L-Luna-" Gasp. "It feels-" Her feet cracked the bathtub, body mass heightening to an insane level.

Luna pulled the towel from the racket, throwing it over Sam. By then, the blonde woman had started bleeding from her visible veins, but instead of regular blood trickling down, it was some orange substance that intrigued Luna, compelling her to touch it, and it burned her finger right back. "Yeow!"

The towel suddenly caught on fire, repelling Luna back with heavy confusion as she sucked her finger to drive the pain away. It was here that things had started to become more clearer. "D-dude... Your- Your power-"

Sam threw the blazing towel on the floor, and by the time it dropped, her orange blood seeping through the floor somehow, she made it click with grand horror. "Am- Am I volcanic?!"

**Later - Black Network**

Dylan Blood left his four pawns for the police, trading them for the two zoomers who operated blindly in the side of justice. Their justice and not anyone else's, such justice where it was not regulated by the true lawful personnel of the world. Any youngster could so easily make a judgment error when/if they patrolled looking to prevent crime. In this case, it applied to Lola and Lana, the very thought of wannabe crimefighters acting not only what they knew was a crime, but what the perceived it to be, a dangerous misconception. If it hadn't happened yet, it would have eventually, and what better strategy was there than to take out these freelancers.

The Black Network base supplied him aplenty with special anti-pheno rooms to hold one properly- and in this case, the twins were depowered, trapped in between concrete walls and a steel door that only opened from outside. Things were progressing at the expected time rate, and with no issue either, not any that he could see.

_Two down..._

Lincoln. Lynn. Luna. Luan. These were the ones left roaming around, and as far as he had known, they weren't all together. At the very least, Lincoln broke away from them, suggested by reports that a man of his description was seen roaming around solo, and another one where female phenos fled the scene of a fast-food joint. Loud girls who'd be searching for the zoomers when their disappearance came to light. He'd have to attack head on, but for now...

Dylan looked over the downed girls, having set up a video camera recording the scene perched on a tripod. The iron mask strapped over his head came down as he approached the Loud zoomers, positioning himself in between them. "Good evening, all you fine people all across the world... Allow me to so kindly interrupt your scheduled programming to bring you this special announcement."

**Elsewhere**

Eric Langston settled down on his day off, relaxing around the apartment. Darcy and Victoria were locked in a Q and A around the topic of phenos when Eric let out a groan of dissatisfaction. "Aw, who dares mess with my Ben 10 marathon?!"

The television went haywire before it cut to a dark room with dimly blue light lighting over three figures to be made out. "Eric, turn that up, will you?" Darcy was oddly curious by the event.

The pizza boy increased the volume for the girls to hear, still moaning.

_"I'm sure you've heard of the spectacular zoomers known as Velocity and Momentum, two great heroines running around in the New York City area..." The man in the skull mask picked up one of the girls, Lola, and shoved her face to be shown on screen. "I give you your symbol of peace and justice in their prime!"_

"Oh, my God..." Victoria uttered.

**Elsewhere**

A crowd had formed at an electronics store, all of them focused on the layout of TVs placed on display behind the window. Among these people were Leia, Gwen and Marsha, wirelessly watching history in the making.

_"You depend on little girls with an undeserving skill to keep you safe, and I say that is blind. You put your faith in the wrong people, you dare disrespect the commonplace system of justice. Make no mistake, phenos will be the end of humanity if we do not exterminate them. It's all wrong, do not assume they all share the same views, the idea of safety."_

**Elsewhere**

Lemuel sipped on a can of Coke, watching the live broadcast with his partner Allie. "Man's got some serious gonads."

"Yeah, he does," Allie agreed, smirking away.

_"Go on, my fellow Americans. Supply yourself, arm yourself to the teeth and take your fight to the enemy who lives among you. They who can so easily team up and overthrow the infrastructure of our nation! It has already started, but there is not enough killing of phenos to make a difference. You've seen them at work, you've seen what they can do! Dadetown was just the beginning-"_

**Washington, DC **

Peter McMahon, the passenger of his own motorcade, watched Dylan Blood preach from a tablet. He laid his eyes on some punk bastard, seeing him as just another anti-pheno member with connections to have been taking this to the media, right on the air. But McMahon had noticed closely at the background, and then his eyes widened once he recognized the room as part of the Black Network.

With everything that had been going around the internet, it wouldn't have been long until someone figured out where the base was- but a random man instead of the proper law enforcmennt? He narrowed his eyes, wondering what the goal was here, wondering who this masked man was and what he knew.

_"Phenos and Kapacity Korp are your enemies-"_

_What in Sam Hill?! _McMahon blew a gasket. _It cannot be-!_

**Black Network**

"The dream to continue Project Superior still lives on with Peter McMahon and the very company that he owns. Don't you think it's a little fishy that a state senator is interested in the science game when he is buried into politics?" Dylan dropped Lola, letting her fall back down. "Of course, all the Patriot Division files have not been deciphered, but if you are interested, file four-five-two through four-five-five talks all of Peter McMahon's crimes, role and connections so deeply hidden from Vial Corporation. The government would have wanted to keep that hidden from you in every way they can, but that does not sit well with me, and what can we really do but to ensure the balance of this perfect nation?"

Dylan pulled off his mask for the closing grand finale, coming closer to the camera. "My name is Dylan Blood and I approve this message! Tonight..." He pulled out a fresh, silver revolver out for the viewers to see. "My revolution will reign."

Before them, before the viewers from west to east, practically everyone who'd had their television on by then, Dylan turned around, firing two fatal rounds at the twins' heads. The next second after, the broadcast had ended. It would definitely be the stuff of traumatic nightmares for the kids who've been watching their cartoons, or browsing about the web for videos- nothing of which made him rethink this strategy. If there might have been guilt over that little thing, he would not express it so easily. That, and the rest of his mind had been too distracting, too precious and exhilarating for him.

He has just declared war on two different fronts, driving further his own solo campaign to get rid of the unworthy powerful and the one and only power behind the ongoing mission attached to Project Superior. Followers would rise, eyes of the mindless herd would avert widely and wake up to see the hidden, the cover-ups behind your everyday world-runners, and the risk of wars where they should not have been.

The only thing that troubled the young man was the fact that there were a few missing files, and nothing else was suggestive to clue as to what these could have been. Five files missing, at no doubt it was a last-minute attempt to hide something real bad.

_All those people, all those suckers killed or re-purposed to serve as one-use tools to perfect the ultimate human within Vial Corp... But what went on here? What-?_

He studied the five golden chambers from that one room. The monitors there were shot up to shit, as well as most of them around all over the base. No way he could pull the right intel to tell him what exactly came out of these chambers. _Five missing files... Five of these tanks. Ultimate human... Five..._

Link-A. Link-B. Link-C. Link-D. Link-N.

_Come on..._

Dylan pressed his head to the Link-N one.

_What are you trying to tell me?_

**Later**

"Lava..." Luna explained to the Linka trio. "It's lava- Or something along those lines."

"Hehehehehe!" Linka grabbed Sam's arm, rubbing her face on it lovingly. "I always knew you were hot stuff."

"That's unusually interesting," Leven shared, "and if we're speaking logic, it is unpredictabe and dangerous."

"At least we know that water affects me," Sam shone upon, and then frowned. "Fuck, I like swimming and showering! I hate this!"

"It can be solved, Sam," Leven reminded. "There will be counter-actives to this. We know that dampeners can cancel out supers, all they've gotta do is prolong the effects and make it into a digestive or liquid state."

"That won't be anytime soon," Sam feared. "I can't believe this... I literally bleed magma-"

"Lava."

"Lava, and who knows what else I can or can't do?"

Carly had been scared since Luna dropped the news, cowering behind the bed. _This is too much!_

"Yes, we don't know the full measure of her ability, but if cold water can stop her dead in her tracks, and hot water can overpower her but harm her body at the same time, then what effects would the sir have?"

"Hm?" Sam went and got lost. "Air doesn't harm or strengthen me-"

"Are you sure about that?" Leven pulled Linka away from Sam's arm and blew a gust of air right into her palm. Nothing happened. "Huh, now I'm more curious."

"We can figure that out later," Luna brushed off. "Right now we are dealing with McMahon."

"Linka here has had the liberty of locating the nearest facility from here," Leven patted the girl. "Three hours southeast of here."

"One step ahead of the game," Luna friend, flashing a thumbs up. "Good work."

"If I may..." Leven stood up from the bed to address another proposal. "I want to do this fast, we cannot afford to be wasting time when it so clearly moves against us. Nothing has changed, nothing is in our favor. Exposing McMahon will turn the tide, and enough voices behind us, including the phenos and their own supporters, they'll rally behind and stand with us."

The girls went silent, and even Carly rose back up to her feet.

"We'll get it, we'll get justice for all, and we will be the ones to fight against anyone daring enough to misuse the leaks for evil. We will..."

**Far From Now**

_"We will."_

The fated duel was here at long last, an inevitable date between clone and real human. The empty, narrow hall stood still just for them, in this right moment where only one would live, and the other would die, be killed by the victor. Linka, the scatterbrain clone of Lincoln Loud, had been armed with only a handgun, strapped up for the next battle inside the Black Network's long maze. On the other hand, Dylan Blood had only a silver object at hand, a very special grenade that, if thrown at the right angle, would ensure not only a kill, but...

"I know about the chip, clone."

Linka twitched, her mouth curling about uncontrollably. All she had to do was aim and fire. It seemed simple enough, was simple enough, and when she'd finish, the conflict here would end. At least, that's what she hoped for. Sweat flowed down her forehead and temples, feeling the aura of his dark nature. It made her quite nervous, scared even, to be stared down the neck by this egomaniac fixated on forcing his ideas onto the Louds and the world.

Gun versus grenade, who could have possibly predicted this outcome?

"And I want it."

**Now**

He typed out a very special message out, sending out into a forum on his cell;

**_We, as a collective, are the most sniveling, petty, hypocritical, two-faced human beings who have ever walked the face of the earth. We constantly give ourselves the grand illusion that we are superior over each other, that- That our opinions, the very ideas that make us who we are mean more than that of the other guy. But you'd be wrong to think that. You're wrong and you- Yes, you, you are in no way entitled to that bullshit. Have you ever once in your insignificant little life earned it? Well, I'm here to drop a bombshell on you. Here it is. _****_Nobody has earned the right to believe their opinion is worth anything more than anyone else's, and that includes me and you, and that is truth. So tell me... Why are you foolishly selfless enough to decide you can toss your shit onto others without a grand repercussion? Acts of violence, the intimidating silence of others, pack mentality, and even the unjustifiable reason to what, maybe kill someone because your partner has cheated on you with them? Or maybe because someone's wearing clothes of a certain insignia that you dislike? Use your words, people! We're all mature adults, are we not? We'd be able to resolve conflict with our mouths, not our fists, and it'd be as easy as one, two, three... And yet it seems to be impossible. Right now, somewhere in the world, some self-entitled man or woman, boy or girl, is out there doing wrong. _**

He was wrong, and he was right. In truth, it depended on the voice of the people to agree or disagree with him, but in the moment, it had only been him to follow it. One game after another, a batch of simple thoughts that came lined up by logical experience. Too much of it, too many egotistical, self-centered bastards and bitches not contributing to society. And then there was more, always more types of people unworthy. Plain and simple.

And it wasn't.

**We need to be fixed, and in today's world, will words really cut it? How about...**

Lola and Lana were dead, bodies slowly decomposing as the blood from their corpses filled and painted the floor dark red. Verbal methods were for the weak, the hopeless, the faint of heart. Not him, never him. Not anymore.

**How about if we employ physical tactics?**

**Later - Washington, DC**

His cellphone had rung sometime around night, right before ten. He had not gone to sleep yet, would not have for another hour, but had been laying in bed, ready a mystery novel. "Mmm, yes?"

_"Sir, uhhh, forgive me for troubling you at a late hour, but there are three guests who have broken into one of the North Carolina facilities, and..." _

_"Eyyyy, is that Mister Moustache! You tell him Linka and her bitches send their regard, hohohohoho!"_

_"Linka, hush-"_

_"Sir?"_

_The clones?! _"Do not let them leave, I will charter a private jet out there! You are to treat them as guests and nothing more! All guards will stand down!"

_"Yes, sir-"_

He hung up. _How fortunate! To hunt them would prove to be an arduous task, this... This is favorable! This is perfect!_

**August 1st, 2030**

Here was the state senator, coming down the hall with special cargo for one Carly Evans-Nguyen. And the Linka trio were in the office of the facility's director, having stayed the night over. Carly slept on the seats with Linka laying on top, and Leven leaned against the wall, sleeping in a tilted manner. "Rise and shine, young ones!"

"Wuzzzat?" Linka moaned, looking down on Carly. "Ohai-" She planted a kiss on Carly's cheek before being thrown off.

"Focus!"

Leven looked up, bewildered at McMahon's sight. "H-hello again-"

"I am pleased to see that you have not sustained any injury. Tell me, did any police officer give you any trouble? Or anyone else for that matter?"

"What's to stop us from leaving?" Linka challenged.

"Don't worry, sir," Carly passed with smug. "They can't escape."

"Dampeners?" McMahon formed a wrinkly, sickening smile that tried to radiate positivity, but failed immensely. "Very well, come with me."

The trio were escorted out of the office, led away right behind McMahon. And then the scenery changed for Leven. It all felt wrong, felt off when there wasn't anyone else apart from the four roaming the hall. He pulled Linka back, letting Carly cut in between them and McMahon. As for the elder man, McMahon, still holding out the back-strap with a new set of katanas, had begun to pull one of the blades out. "I see a future that only has the two of you-"

Leven stopped Linka dead on.

"-but for Carly-"

"Eh?"

McMahon performed an unholy spin, slicing through the air- and Carly's small neck clean through. He dropped the bloody katana once the head of the Asian minor rolled out of place, tumbling for five rolls before hitting wall.

"C-CARLY!" Linka rushed over and grabbed the dead girl's falling body. "NO, NOT HER!"

Leven's mouth opened widely, a sighing gasp escaping his lips.

"There is no use for her anymore, surely you had to have known that," McMahon jerked at them. "Whether or not she really caught you or if this was a pathetic ploy to spare you three from my heavy hand, you are here and in _my_ territory."

Armed guards broke the tranquility of the scene, two small battalions of them storming the hall and created two blockades, front and back in between the clones and McMahon. Leven winced in hatred and fear from knowing his plans had gone down the toilet. McMahon had just gotten the key to changing the game. Multiple dampeners came sliding out across the floor towards the clones, neutralizing them well enough to be captured. And the guards rushed in, moving to detain the clones.

And all Peter McMahon could do was laugh maniacally.

* * *

**AN: Sweet Christmas, we've got three corpses piled up already, and it's just beginning! Then, there is that one scene that should be familiar to you if you've been here since the start. It could only go one direction from here on out, could be anyone's game on what happens. **

**Farewell to Lana, Lola and Carly/Cici, they will remain dead. **

**Roster for Act IV, potential spoilers;**

**1\. Blood Strike**

**2\. Ligarto**

**3\. LinKAPACITY KORP **

**4\. X-Elites**

**5\. Blood Hunt**

**6\. Betrayal**

**7\. The Story Of Heather White**

**8\. Blood War**

**9\. In Memory Of**

**10\. Ghosts Of The Past**

**11\. Dark Before Dawn Act IV Special**

**For this act, we'll be going back a century to visit the impact a famously historical event had on a fan-favorite OC. **

**The end of Dawn nears.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Febrero 6, 2029 - Mexico**

One moment, the clearing was silent, all inhabitants around the area were quiet due to the peaceful terms they've established. One gang, two gang here co-sharing territory, but the third one, the one that could not make it, intercepted the details of this meet and took advantage of it. The advantage's name was none other than Roberto Santiago, formerly known as Bobby in the States. Roberto aged well, got a muscular body too, but wishes were horses around these parts, and the lifestyle wasn't easier the next day over the prior one. Survival was key here, just like its been.

He was there for the job, a hired set of gloved hands set to take out both parties for a grand payout of three-fourths of a million in pure pesos, the currency down there in the shithole country. The area was a steel mill he'd found a good hiding spot in, underground in a hole on the right level. He was a firm shooter with the Russian-manufactured AK in his hands, as long as he never blew out the entire clip in one trigger pull. The trick was clear, and here, facing up against about fifteen gang members, speed was the second factor. No sweat, easy breaths and focus, no hesitation.

Newspapers here in Mexico did not censor jack shit, and neither did the television. Here, you'd see a dead body or two just about weekly if you weren't too fortunate to avoid it, but that was just how ugly and broken Mexico was, in its state of poverty and decay, and this was not to include the majority of crime around, referring to the cartels that were everywhere. Sure, you could blame it all on them, you could say that life was hard because of crime. You'd be wrong, and Roberto knew better; it came down to the poverty itself, the lack of work that turned good men bad, resorting to the only way they believed to get in on. Maybe it was that, when education here was too much and too little. It surely looked that way, and when he, a legally-born citizen from the States, had applied the idea there, it wasn't so bad. It wasn't too much of a hellhole like it was here, but there was a sizable portion of this there. So, just maybe it was true; the true contributor to crime was poverty itself.

Back to this, Roberto whispered out a long prayer to his Dios before he unloaded his magazine, also dearly hoping that the two gangs would get paranoid and shoot at each other to ease up the danger, the killing for him. Well, whatever would happen...

_Estoy con Dios._

The rifle peaked its barrel out through the opening, the cover above Roberto's head springing up out of place. Neither one or the other group noticed it, not even when the Mexican gun-for-hire released the rounds in bursts, focusing only on the members of the same faction. This kicked off the accusations from the fear and paranoia, causing handguns to be yanked out into the battlefield, a literal crossfire to take underway in between. They had not focused on him but on each other, everyone scattering for cover or to try and get away from the shootout in one piece. He didn't allow the stragglers to make it out alive, so he dropped out those close by while the mill kept being ignited by gunfire. It wouldn't take long for the federal police to arrive, window was closing, and he didn't manage to count the remainder of the lot.

Roberto exited his foxhole, running around with the AK against Colts and Uzis, gunning down there nearby. Body armor stopped the bullets from hitting him in the chest, and the second pro was neither enemy from this side or that side were proficient in marksmanahip, not enough to take a headshot at Roberto. Recoil strayed away the aim when they panicked, guns waving around out of control. Whatever went through their heads in that second before he pulled the kill shot, he'll never know, but he had an idea of it. They definitely screamed, acted out of character when, just minutes ago, they were calm and in a rational state. Not anymore, not when they fought back, shooting, emptying out their clips and then pleading for mercy.

Mercy he could not afford to give here.

The calm of the empty steel mill had then kicked up a lot of dust, decorated horrifically with a barrage of corpses scattered all over, riddled up in bullets of either of his own weapon or the others'. Federal officers were not going to have an easy day today. Speaking of which, time to go.

Another task done for serious dough, just like before, just like those times he accepted, sticking his neck out not only for himself, but for that younger girl who lived with him. That young woman who knew what he did, not able to condone it, but let him off the hook; there was no stopping him, no matter how little sister Ronalda Santiago would try to persuade him to step out. Risks, rewards, it all meant nothing if... Or when he was dropped by a stray or a perfect headshot right between the eyes. He knew he scared her, but he had to come back home again so that she'd know it didn't happen. Even then...

That feat would not go anywhere, it'd only be buried for awhile until it resurfaced on its own. Forever.

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter II: Ligarto**

* * *

**Febrero 8, 2029**

The house was empty, quiet. Quiet inside, but out there, the kids, _los jovenes_, played around, making lively noises. Ronalda surely heard them as she cooked lunch for herself and big brother. Today's special was _salchicha con huevos_, the tasty dish that required corn tortillas and special hot sauce, the Valentin brand. Ronalda made a disgruntled groan at ear grab. "Otro tanke-"

"Orale..." Roberto ran a hand through his short black hair, nodding silently to his sister. "Yeah, I'll get on that-"

"After I turn this _mierda_ off..." Ronalda tisked, shaking her head. "The wrong things are harder here than back-"

Roberto looked up from the newspaper in his hands, breaking contact from the topless woman the newspaper featured this issue. "Sis-" He knew where this was going, something of an argument that came often, but not too often to escalate out of proportion. "If there was one such way-"

"I don't need you telling me again," Ronalda erupted. "I want there to- To be a solution-"

Roberto took his eyes off her slowly, unsure of what to say this time. His brown eyes locked once more with the pair of breasts on the print. No, mood ruined already. He sighed and put the newspaper down after closing it. "Rie-Rie, I know. Believe me, I know..."

The young woman moved the yolk around, letting it fry up with the wooden spatula. "It's been years-"

Roberto lifted his head high up to the ceiling.

"-And yet it still hurts me-"

He closed his eyes, heart throbbing with a familiar ache.

"E-extraño a mama y papa..." Ronalda's hand loosened enough to lose grip of the utensil. "I really do-"

"You have me-" Roberto tried to remind, only for Ronalda to yank out the special card she was known to use.

"Oh, right, you have the gull to say that when you run off playing _sicario _whenever the fuck _te da las putas ganas_! You've been lucky this time to not return with a bullet hole, but last time- Last time, Bobby, you came limping home, barely able to drive in perfect condition! _Tres cientos pesos _to get you patched up, and that wasn't even a month ago! This has to stop!"

"_Y que?_" Roberto cranked up to ten. "We've made it this far because of me! I know what I do, I can accept that-"

"I won't!"

"But it's all I can do!" His mouth twitched, acting out. "There's this, or... The other thing."

Ronalda came up to him, slapping him square in the face. "No, do not dare go there! We are not going- No, I'm not going to let you join a gang officially. We have to stick together to survive here-"

"Survive..."

Ronnie Anne went silent, looking outside of the kitchen. "I don't like this, I wish I could go back to that safe place in... R-Royal Woods."

"Yeah..." Roberto exhaled through his nose, following Ronalda's eyes. "Things were easier when we were younger."

Ronnie Anne sought out the comfort, hugging her brother tightly with not only love but fear and concern. It wasn't everyday that he left to do his thing, but when he did... There was always that chance that'd he'd never come back. She knew he knew how she felt, it didn't deter him, but it was an obstacle that did slow him down. Slowed him down, and nothing more than that.

All they had was each other, and the lizard that climbed along the walls of the kitchen, tongue slithering about, movement undetected by the two human beings. Lizard.

Lizard.

* * *

**AN: Your beloved characters suffer here and there, everywhere, but this angle is different and more realistic. I've definitely crossed outside state lines and seen how different things work, feel down there, so maybe trying to reciprocate it visually and on a relatable level would not be so far-fetched. I want to do a little snippet of these two before they step into the main world, amd they will have but enough time to establish some stuff, roles in with the main group. That won't be near, but it's coming. It will. **


	36. Chapter 36

**In Linka's Mind**

_Mmmmm, yes please, I'm allowed a little explicitly suggestive content before I say goodbye to babygirl Carly. Roll footage! _

Linka fell upon the bedside, back first, blushing and smiling with grab fortune, horny and eager to play and be played with by none other than the Asian-American of thirteen years old and counting. Her clothes had come off, all the more reason she was head-giddy for the steamy sexual intercourse coming her way. Her breasts were not developed, either natural or due to the custom genetics, but whatever, Carly was already growing on her. Speaking of-

Carly placed herself right on top of Linka, body moving down to conjoin against hers. The older girl was giggling away, then planting several kisses against Linka's lips and neck before going back up. The tiny hands dug into Carly's pink shirt, tucking right into the bottom, but stayed put. Linka painted like a thirsty dog, eager to see the young lady's tatas. "Nuh-uh-uh... I want you to beg for it."

"C-come on-" Linka drooled away at Carly while the latter girl ran her hands up over her breasts, cupping them up before they bounced. Linka opened her mouth widely, tongue rolling out. "I-I'll suckle them good- P-please- I love you, I love your body."

"Tell me, baby," Carly further teased. "Tell me you want these boobies."

Linka dragged herself up, pressing her tiny hands right on Carly's hips, sliding them upwards. "I want you, I want your whole naked body."

Carly smiled seductively, leaning close to lick Linka's bare chest from top to bottom. "You taste yummy..."

"L-lick- Lick my pussy, eat my pussy-!" Linka grew even more redder, face full of lust and seduction. "Dominate me, mommy."

And then Carly yanked off her shirt, followed by her black training bra, revealing her-

_Oh... Well...-_

**August 1st, 2030 **

Linka sobbed noisily, caressing the decapitated head of her dream girl- and then she was laughing wildly. "We can fix you! Fix- Leven, bring me that body!"

Leven himself remained still in place, switching back and forth between Linka and the running Kapacity Korp security forces. He lifted his hands up, giving himself up for them. "Linka, drop-" Leven tried his best to look away from the horrible fucked-up scene right in front of him, but the mess was done, too late to have avoided. A poor teenager not even fifteen had her life taken by a controlling figure of serious political power- and it had only begun. Leven had walked himself and both girls into a damned trap.

_Linka... The SCX chip...! _He remembered the objective, rushing quick to try and put Linka to focus. "Linka, quickly! The feeds-!"

Down the clone went, succumbing to a hard strike from the stock of a rifle applied to his head. Things went hazy for him, too fast as he fell, arms and body plopping right down before his face smacked against the smooth floor, nose breaking on instant. Whatever happened to dear, younger clone sister. "Linka!"

"NO, LEAVE ME ALONE! I AM TRYING TO FIX MY CHINK!" Linka seemed to put up more of a fight, but in the second before things went black for the next few hours, he could have sworn he heard her emit an agonizing shriek of mere heartbreak, a yell crying out from the artificial soul she possessed.

_Linka..._

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter III: LinKAPACITY KORP**

* * *

**Hours Later**

Leven was late to the party, having missed out on a Linka babble session. By then, by the time he'd woken up, Leven found little clone girl leaning against one corner of the room, head bobbing back and forth in an unhealthy, frantic manner. Secondly, her eyes were twitching, a sight best not to gaze upon through normal eyes. Were he someone else, he would not bear to look upon the disturbing girl of white hair behaving like a mentally shattered individual housed in the nuthouse. "Ah, Linka!"

Her mind must have still stayed and looped on the memory of Carly being beheaded in front of her. That, not even he could say she deserved to see it. The madness of itself was too cruel to simply let pass. There was anger in that, a sensible rage that provoked his kindred spirit to wish upon a sort of justice that called from within. If Leven could find a way to topple McMahon at his own game, whether today of tomorrow or any day around, then that would just be okay. It would just be okay...

"Carly... Carly... Carly..." Linka squeaked repeatedly in a high pitch, lips quivering about, undecided if they were trying to form a smile or a frown. "Hehehehehe."

"Linka-" The view of her changed when he towered over her, not even getting close by walking to her. The angle projected was of utmost sadness; Linka had been clawing st her palms deep enough to show the blood that leaked right out of her hands, dripping and staining the smooth tile floor. "Sister, hey-"

Linka didn't focus her eyes on Leven, almost like he wasn't there. She was a zombie who did not notice him, mind sucked into her own little universe, the world imperfect. She was the shadow of the man who had no such freedom the way she did. No fun, no relaxation, no chain on her. This was the state of Linka's character, a young girl of a clone who did not wish to relive the very hell as endured by her predecessor. Linka, fallen right into the internal abyss.

"I've got you..." Leven worked to break her nails free from her bloody palms, finding that Linka was not putting up a resisting struggle of a fight. He wiped the blood away from her fingers and the palms with his track suit, carefully embracing her with calmness to diffuse the mental state she was in. "I've got you, little sister, I've got you."

Linka worked her head unto Leven's ear, letting out the faintest of whispers, "We're not coming back, are we?"

Leven shalily inhaled, surprised to hear it from her. He gave no reply, hugging tighter to assure her those fears would not be reality. And maybe they were. He just needed to wait for Linka to be mentally patched up for a breakout. Nearly impossible at this stage. What was a Leven to do? "We'll be home soon..."

**Later**

Bodybag taken away, to be covered up rather than let it be bagged up by the nearest morgue, not to raise questions at all. It would be buried, Carly would be a girl who went missing- who could probably say otherwise? Good old Peter McMahon had it easy in that angle, but the worse had only just begun, right at the peak of the punk who dared to challenge him the way he did so. That booger child, that little pest named Dylan Blood as he had announced himself. Secondly-

McMahon's cell rang, his friends most likely. They'd have been fated to come, but it didn't happen sooner than he received, only affirming his suspicions that there was talking happening away from him. This little outburst from that bastard had more disastrous repercussions that could knock him off his platform, right down to nothing with the right evidence to support his claims. All of that was nothing beyond empty words, and they could not meant anything at all, not from this psycho who'd just executed the pair of zoomers who worked Northeast. For sure this could only make Blood a criminal, likely to be worshipped by other criminals, mainly the ones scared of the twins, or who'd been caught, stopped by them. Not a bad move, the middle-aged man could admit, but not good enough to capture the minds and hearts of the main public.

In his mind, Peter was more likely to maintain his power status, but it was still anyone's game in the end. He picked up the cell from his pocket, answering away. "McMahon speaking."

_"What the fuck is the meaning behind these accusations, you fool?!" _

"I'm afraid I have no idea," McMahon lied through his teeth, "these are baseless accusations that mean nothing, but what do you suggest I should do?"

_"These are your messes, McMahon! We will not help you with this matter, but you have to clean up this little fiasco as soon as possible. We here have just a discussion over this- Whether real or not, you know what's gonna happen if this is not avoided."_

McMahon twitched out in anger. "Hmmm, yes of course, I understand."

_"That means press fucking conference as soon as possible! Drop whatever you're doing and make a fucking statement as fast as you can!" _

He was ready to blow a gasket at this point. "Yes, I will do that," he accepted, hanging up to emit an irritated groan. _Why, that little punk..._

"Sir," the facility's head was there with him in the main office, awaiting further instructions from the senator, "what about the girl and boy?"

"Keep them here under lock and key, they are to be treated as prisoners, but do not neglect to give them food or water. I need them alive, so do your best to keep it that way."

"Understood, sir," the facility runner nodded to. "I suppose you are going to come back right after taking care of this particular thorn?"

"Unfortunately, yes..." McMahon stepped up to walk out of the office, patting upon his nice black suit, fixing his dark blue tie. "Can you feel it, Sanders? The dream of physical perfection is right around the corner, I've won. Not the Patriot morons, not the Loud phenos, me. Me!"

Sanders nodded and smiled in agreement. "Vial Corporation wins in the end."

The computer's hard drive on the desk chipped out of order, short circuiting into defective mode before the two, stopping McMahon from turning over the doorway. "And get that crap fixed! Use the resources you've got sitting in for this place!"

"R-right away, sir!" Sanders wobbled out, scurrying to thr desk phone.

**I hear everything.**

The computer screen went black, filled with only sentences neither man could see. McMahon left, and Sanders looked away while he got in touch with computer technicians.

**Where am I? Hello?**

Sanders finished up his call within the minute, hanging up and focusing on the monitor with the flashing white words. "Huh?"

**Hello! I can see you! Who are you?**

Sanders blinked idly, bringing his face closer to the screen. "What kind of bug-?"

**I am no bug, I am-**

The words went off, being rapidly replaced with the next sentence.

**I can't move my head, arms or legs. Why can't I?**

"Head? Arms and legs- Wha-?" Sanders moved away from the computer, visibly confused and creeped out. He looked around the monitor to see where it could be turned off, but then decided on unplugging it, effectively shutting down the entirety of the computer altogether. "Better."

Not better; the virus switched over from the computer to Sanders' phone rapidly in the form of a phone call. He didn't jump yet, answering away to the private number that had no caller ID. "Hello?"

_"I'm cold... I'm so cold, and it's so dark here..." _It was the voice of a little girl, a scared one at that, voice high-pitched and squeaky. _"Please... Help me."_

"Um- Who is this?"

_"I... I think someone c-called me...-"_

Sanders wasn't too patient with what he labeled just pranksters seemingly fucking around with him. Needless to say he ended up hanging up on the girl before she dropped her identity to him. "I hate kids."

Up above him, the surveillance camera moved on its own, turning to watch over Sanders. He didn't take notice, only focused on his phone, expecting another call, which never came. The intercom itself then proceeded to act out, interrupting the faculty of the building, courtesy of the same voice he had just heard from his cell. _"Someone has kidnapped me, I don't know where I am..." _

Leven looked up to the intercom system constructed onto the end of the room, high from reach. He recognized that voice, and yet he found himself confused by it- Linka was still asleep in his arms, the bleeding having already stopped awhile back, so how... Just how was it possible that Linka's own voice echoed through the systems? Or... Was this something else at work?

"It can't be..."

_"I'm cold- I'm cold and I'm scared... Leven, I want my Leven and Carly-"_

"Linka?" Leven shook the sleeping albino. "Linka, wake up-"

It seemed like it was Linka pulling the strings in her subconscious, which was rather odd of McMahon to leave unchecked. Maybe the senator believed that they had no escape even with the SCX implant in her head- a bit of a ballsy move, it seemed. It could have been that, but things did not make real sense. It should have been ordered to be suppressed just like their super abilities, but...

_"Leven! Lev, please come! Come find me! I can't see where I am!" _That Linka's voice grew alarmingly frightened, leaving Leven to focus right on that conveyed emotion over the actual clone in his arms. Linka herself blinked her blue eyes open and looked up at his chin, then hearing her own voice speak through the intercom. _"I need you... I'm scared and I need you! I'm- I'm going to try and move!"_

Linka railed herself upwards, gasping in shock. "That- That is not me!"

Leven wasn't sure of Linka's claim- until he saw for himself; no blood was trickling down from her nostrils, therefore- "What the hell is going?!"

_"I see lights... I see-" _The Linka voice cut out from the feed, disappearing before the clones' ears.

"What was that- No, _who_ was that?" Linka maintained her eyes on the intercom, eager for answers.

Meanwhile, Leven only stared ahead at Linka, drawing confusion as of yet. No way had he any sort of answer for this bizarre phenomenon. "Linka..."

"Don't you l-look at me, man," Linka attested, "I didn't do that."

"No, I know..." Leven leaned against the door, trying to listen out the into the hall. "But they don't!"

"Huh?" Linka backed away, with Leven bouncing backwards to provide hinself as her personal defense. "Lev?"

"STAY BEHIND ME!" His arms stretched out to the side just as a group of five armed security units stormed in, firearms pointed at both albino clones. "WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE SEPARATED!"

"Yes, big brother!" Linka wrapped her arms around his waist, peeking over his side.

_I don't understand... Why hasn't McMahon placed Linka under sedation or immediate brain surgery to have the chip removed? What was the point of keeping us able to roam around with the device? Something is off about all of this... _Leven never broke away from leaving Linka vulnerable. He stayed in place until two closing guards rushed him at both sides, leading him to tackle them both- and that left Linka wide open when he became overpowered, struck upon by the metal stocks just as before. It didn't add to how dizzy he had felt before, but his head was moving at all speeds, being hit, redirected around the group. "Not again!"

"Ahhh, don't let them rape me!" Linka joked, yet cried out, cowering right on the corner. "Three! Three old perverts want the Linka pussy!"

In the heat of the moment, during all of the commotion, the shouting and imbalance of peace, all cellphones in the room went off, calls received all in perfect synchronization, startling even the guards just as it did Leven and Linka. It certainly stopped the security force there, delaying them for a few seconds, until the mysterious force at work had then answered the calls, emitting only the familiar voice that belonged to the young girl clone. _"Playtime, assholes!"_

The mastermind behind the corrupted devices overloaded the phones somehow, heating them up for sizable bombs, setting them off right on the guards, causing grave injury to each of them. The tumbled down onto their backs and sides, either having a few fingers missing up to a limb, be it either an arm or a leg. They all screamed in pain, giving Leven and Linka the golden pass out of the room. Leven swooped down, picking up one of the dropped rifles. "Linka, come on!"

"Hell yeah!" Linka scampered off with him. "Carly is to be avenged! And soon, I will fap with my Creeper plushie in her memory!"

"Save the sexual crap for later!" Once out, Leven stopped, handed Linka the rifle and punched against the wall, cracking up a crater. "No dampeners, we're back in business!"

_"Leven, Linka..." _The voice of the intercom came alive again. _"Get out of this place! This is where Vial Corporation will win should they capture you! Night vision goggles are located in the armory! Floor above, third room on the left!"_

"Third room..." Leven repeated.

"Wait, who-?" Linka closed her eyes, tapping into virtual territory. On instant, her nose began bleeding.

"Not now!" Leven had to carry her in the state she was in. "LINKA!"

Linka took over a series of computers, all of them sending out the same message; **You have my voice and my virtual superpower. Why and how? I hope you can detect this. **

Leven ran upstairs with Linka in his arms. The alarm wasn't activated, neither were security guards marching their way; was this the force preventing it? Was it them... Or was it Linka in actuality? "If you die..."

Linka had control until the force at work, the copycat structured like her took over the monitors; **The answer is simple, yet complex to comprehend. At first, I believed myself to be the real Linka, the real first clone bred under the Black Network. **

**Allow me to introduce myself, I am-**

Linka opened her eyes, pushing herself from Leven's arms, rifle still locked in hand. "Jesus fucking Christ, I-"

"Talk later!" Leven advanced towards the floor. "Are they helping us?!"

"Yes..." Linka nodded. "Yes, it is."

_It? _Leven continued onward, pushing past some labcoats walking around the perimeter. He took the rifle back from Linka, meaning serious business when they spotted him. "Out of my way!"

"Third room, Leven!" Linka reminded. "Night vision, night vision for what?"

Leven had already surmised what the plan had been. "Dont you know?"

He entered through, finding what he and Linka needed.

"No...?"

"We're having a blackout."

The mysterious party aiding the clones played their part, turning off the grid of the entire facility, submerging it into complete darkness. Leven slipped on the goggles, switching them on. "Linka?" Vision became bright green for him.

"Got them on," Linka confirmed, brandishing another rifle from the wall. "Fuck yeah, now we're going to have bloody fun."

"What about them?" Leven returned back out to the hall, seeing the staff members stumble around blindly. "The voice, the-"

"They'll be fine," Linka assured with a fond calmness. "Blackout has them pinned, and that's before the-"

A wave of explosions kicked off from the pockets of the faculty's labcoats, injuring or killing them all at once. Leven was eager to stay and see the show, somewhat in a state of shock, but Linka had carried the gonads from the pair, insisting on pushing him away. "Fuck them, they're all linked to Vial! They're the maggots who got away, you know, the missing Vial Corp staff!"

"There isn't need to murder them-" Leven believed.

"There is _always_ need to murder them!" Linka countered back, voice firm as ever. "They'll never get away with it, not once. Ever."

And she sounded just like him. "Sis..." He refused to believe she said it, dictated by the same hostile and bloody ideals. "Not them."

Linka could have fought him. "Yargh."

"Not them."

Linka rolled her eyes back once they got to the stairwell. "We'll continue this later. Oh, wait, the voice told me to head up! A chopper was landing-"

"Stealing a helicopter? Lincoln himself can't fly one!"

Linka smirked, still insisting on it, running up to the helipad. "We're not flying one! We're flying _in_ one!"

"What-? What do you mean?" He began to catch on. "What did they tell you?! And who is up there? Someone's up there, aren't they?"

Linka maintained her silence for the grand surprise. "I can't tell you, you'll just have to find out!"

"Linka, if this is another trap-"

"It's not!"

Leven gave chase regardless, following Linka to the top, right onto the rooftop. She had slipped her goggles off to find Sanders standing in between her and the helipad, staring at both of the clones before stepping aside, allowing the two to leave. "You two live up to the word on the street, you've gotten out easier than I expected."

"You're letting us go?"

"As much as I would like to keep you here, I'm afraid I must allow it," the man explained, pointing to another shadow standing in front of the helicopter. "Your escort is General Charles Flip of the Marine Corps. He's the one who made it possible for your backs to be scratched, now you have to return the favor. Goodbye, clones..."

Linka guided Leven towards the chopper, greeted with a salute by an elderly gentleman with a strong build but a chubby belly, white hair and mustache visible just like the wrinkles on his skin. "So..." Once Linka boarded the chopper, she shut her eyes and had another nosebleed. A few seconds later, she was on Omegle, taking over all windows to seek out the mysterious party who helped her and Leven flee.

**Talk to me, I know you're watching. I know you're seeing this. **

Leven buckled up himself and Linka, not asking any questions yet. The general boarded back in the chopper, pilot starting up the aircraft. "Linka?"

_**Hello again, Linka.**_

Leven gripped the little girl's hand tightly. "We're out of there now."

**Is it really true? Are you really what you say you are?**

"I'm sorry we could not intervene sooner," the general briefly apologized, "we were not able to intervene, nor had we the right jurisdiction to act upon it. We are a military force, not the clean-up crew stuck in janitorial services of our homeland."

"You mean... You mean to say that-?"

"Alexander Elmont's last card was contacting me to inform the true state of what is what should not be."

Leven listened on. "He came to you?"

"And not a moment too late for us to act upon it. Now, obviously I can't send my men to fight your war, that's a bad message to send to the public, as much as I'd love to fight it, heh. Don't quote me on that!"

"So... What about us? What's the plan?"

"I'm denying that scumbag McMahon all that he needs to turn the world upside down," Flip explained. "A little game of keep-away never hurt anyone, but I'd love to see the expression on his face when he finds you two missing. Meanwhile, I'm placing you two away from home territory to avoid any further trouble. I'm pretty much aware what the plans are surrounding you two, but McMahon thinks too narrow-mindedly, but I will not."

_**Yes, as I have stated prior first encounter. I am an articual lifeform virtually created by your subconscious state while possessing the SCX chip. You may call me-**_

"Off country?" Leven had an idea. "I think I know where you're going with this."

"They say you're quite smart, but I want to hear it from you, kid," General Flip urged.

"You want to put us to good use, most people would."

"Heh," the elder man chuckled. "That's quite perceptive, you'd be right to believe that. Welcome, young ones, to the X-Elites."

_**-LinKAPACITY, the A.I. molded partially after you and the entire mainframe of the worldwide web. **_

* * *

**August 3rd, 2030**

Linka and Leven, escorted by the old man of a general, walked into a tent at a base way far from home, definitely one near the war zone never-ending. Daylight was here, a bright afternoon with too much sun that made it too hot for either clone. "I could use water."

"Hush, Linka," Leven silenced.

Inside the tent, sitting right on the table were none other than Lemuel Porter, Caroline Pingrey, Roberto Santiago and last but not least, Lynnette Laude, all waiting impatiently for the man in charge. Caroline lost it when she saw the clones again, shifting her hands into the shape of a hammer's head for both of them. "What are they doing here?!"

"Sit down, Pingrey, these are candidates!"

"That boy is working for them!" Caroline accused drastically. "I'm not gonna work with them!"

"No, not anymore," Leven attempted to diffuse. "I'm not one of them!"

"Lies!"

Linka studied Lynnette. "Why does that one look like Lynn?"

"Oh-" Leven noticed the resemblance as well- Lynnette turned away to hide her face, whistling as if she didn't hear the pair. "Huh, interesting."

Lemuel had his feet on the table, then lifting his hand, shaping it into a gun. "Sit down, blondie. Whatever your beef with these two white-haired kids are-" Lemy then squinted his eyes at Leven, then fell back from his chair. "HOLY SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Hmm?" Leven scratched his head.

"YOU ARE LINCOLN LOUD'S SON, AREN'T YOU?!" Lemy rolled up right to Leven's face- for that, he had to tiptoe to compensate for the clear difference in height. "Your fucking old man made me an orphan!"

"Hold on," Roberto scratched at his ears. "You know Lincoln Loud...? A name I haven't heard in years." And then, turning to Lynnette, things grew less hazy. Lynnette. Lynn. "You two- No, wait, you three, you're all Loud kids!"

Lemuel gasped, turning from Linka and Leven, to Lynnette. "You too?!"

_Not even two weeks here and I'm already compromised by the military... _Lynnette felt like slapping herself. _Lyra won't believe this crapfest. ...Wait a second, that girl..._

"Kids?" Caroline shook her head. "These two are no children of Lincoln Loud, they are-"

Flip drew out a handgun and fired in the air. "If all of you Chatty Cathys stopped horsing around..."

Caroline eased up and sat down, as did Lemy, both of them having been shut down.

"Great..." Flip motioned the clones to sit. "Now we can start with your work."

* * *

**AN: The match is ending, the secrets will start coming out. Everyone has now entered the free-for-all; anyone can be a friend or an enemy at this point. Tonight, LinKAPACITY is born. Sharpest Line has prepared you for this. **


	37. Chapter 37

**August 3rd, 2030 - Afghanistan**

"I roll out the special red carpet just for you bunch, this over serving time. Bobby here was extradited from Mexico for a little errand that required the assassination of a certain mayor of a Texas town. It wasn't that you accepted it that made me loom his way, it was that he managed to do it from across the border! You can't be taught that so simply." General Flip had his special team of the shadow-dark X-Elites sitting around him, listening in.

"Make me look good, hombre," Bobby grinned proudly. "Make me look good."

"Hey, I can shoot, too!" Lemy whined. "Where's my spotlight?"

"When wannabe vigilantes learn to not get so caught easily-" Flip broke into a laugh, joined by Bobby and Caroline. "That's amusing, hands down."

"Well, you're one to laugh, you caught me but not my partner!" Lemy defensively yelled. "What kind of general are you?!"

"The one who's always a step ahead," Flip scoffed back, smile still intact. In front of him, he had only three yellow folders, one of which was passed to Lemy. "This is for you, but be wary of the contents inside. You wondered why I only brought you and not the Taggart girl, here's why."

"H-how do you know about-?" Lemy ended up taking the folder, opening it. Lynnette and Caroline looked over both shoulders as he did so. Photographs of both Peter McMahon and Allie were shuffled in a tiny pile. "What am I looking at?"

Leven and Linka followed Lemy's eyes. "Hey, that's-"

"The girl is his niece, Porter," Flip dropped with no hesitation. "He has her playing his errands, and to both of them, you are just a puppet, going around and shooting up potential enemies of their scattered connections."

"...You're lying!" Lemy accused. Leven tugged the first few photos, revealing the next few ones to be of crime scenes, of bodies in grotesque shape and bloody remains. "What-"

"Cross-retrieved identification. You have been played for a while, but it stops now. I have just broken you free with this... Revelation. Naive boy, now you owe me one."

"I smell bullshit!" Lemy forced a laugh. "This is false! It has to be! I know Allie, she'd never-"

"Earlier reports indicated you fought the one and only Lincoln Loud," Flip continued. "How you managed to walk away from such a person unscathed is beyond me, and for that, I say you've really lucked out, but you're still sloppy, not all the way there to being a perfect patriot. One, more thing..."

Lemuel had withdrawn to the silence, studying the photographs of Allie and Peter McMahon, wondering, just wondering if it might have been true. These claims, these... These accusations where Allie was actually playing him.

"You are to address me as sir from this point on."

"Y-you said scattered connections," Lemuel singled out. "Enemies...?"

Flip turned his attention to Leven and Linka, looking to them to explain it from there. Leven gave a simple nod before giving Lemuel the rundown. "Peter McMahon has invested his money into buying out Kapacity Korp."

"That name, that's the guy who was friends with that Shepherd dude, right? The one who did all of that fucked up shit in kidnapping and killing countless people?"

"That's..." Leven scanned his eyes around in a clockwise position. "That's the version the powers are trying to put out for the media, but all of that is just a cover to hide the real brain behind it."

"What do you mean, real brain?" Lemuel pondered.

Lynnette herself had drawn in confusion, mainly from her not bothering to learn what was going on around this era's time. Then again, she could not out herself as a full-on stranger to it, lest she'd have them all raise questions about her- and would you look at that, Leven and Linka had noticed the clear resemblance she had to Lynn. And then, there was the matter of Linka herself- a girl of white hair, a face that was briefly familiar to her... "Someone fill us in," she tossed it carefully.

"It's simple," Leven zeroed down, "Shepherd was only a puppet, and behind him, the true mastermind of all of that was someone that the government goons seemed to be reluctant to drop to the press, the public. It makes sense for the ones who know about it, they would not want to have their authority be questioned when any single citizen would cover up the fact that..." Leven eyed Flip, getting a pass to drop the bombshell from the general. "...a girl not even in her twenties created, facilitated, and orchestrated the kidnapping and murder of... Well, who can say the exact number? It's high as it is, and the dead... There's more of them than the ones who'd been transformed into phenos, rescued or run amok into the world."

"...What?" Lynnette blinked away rapidly.

"A young girl d-did all that?!" Lemuel repeated, dumbfounded. "That's not possible."

Bobby stayed silent as of yet, but his brown eyes only narrowed away.

"But it is," Leven ventured on. "Regarding this girl, she has been killed, but her work, everything she's ever done, it remains-"

"The leaks..." Lemuel dropped to himself and the others. "Then-"

"We did that," Linka cut in. "We're the ones who leveled the playing field to make sure the senator has just as much trouble as we did."

"We...?" Lemy raised a finger at Linka and Leven. "Y-you two are involved? And... You're behind that?"

Caroline voiced her opinion. "I was also there, but I don't think that was a good idea, putting it all out there. You two may be literal clones, but you have shown me that you have sustained brain damage to some degree."

Leven zipped up, glaring blankly, but Linka stuck her tongue out at her. Meanwhile, Flip himself wanted to see these kids act like big boys and girls, getting down to the issues and seeing how they could resolve it... Right before he'd go and tell them why they were here, and it wasn't to mainly inform them all of what was going on back home.

"The fact that you're silent tells me that you know you messed up," Caroline grinned, "that's good, I'm glad you understand what you've done wrong."

"I'm not following..." Lynnette hiccuped.

"Vial Corporation, the Network and that little agency that had us doing their errands- all three of them suffered blows as massive as imaginable. For Vial, you already know the state of what that cesspit is in, no recovering from that, but their database surely contained sensitive information, catastrophic levels, I might add, and so did the Network."

Leven dripped sweat from his forehead, going noticed by her.

"Everything that has happened since then, in relation to all of that digital downpour is on you two," Caroline coldly blamed, "you've given the wrong people ammo, showed them blueprints on weapons unlike that of a simple military firearm. Chemicals, pheno serums- for all you know, there could be a but out there eager to replicate what they find of value."

Leven closed his eyes, facing down at his lap. Linka turned her head at him, suddenly hurt that there was that little spark of guilt detected from this motion. "Leven?"

"All of that, so that you could spare yourselves- and in the end, you make the rest of world pay for that by letting its psychopaths have the DIYs on becoming whatever pheno they want to be, and that's to say they don't get killed in the process. And let's not forget Lisa Loud's dream in creating the perfect human-"

"What?!" Lynnette let slip.

"L-Loud...!" Lemy burped. _A Loud family member...! UNBELIEVABLE FAMILY OF...-_

"Que carajo?"

Linka jumped onto the table, swinging her right foot right at Caroline's face. "HOW YOU DARE TO BLAME HIM!"

The older blonde received a hefty kick to the head, forcing her out of the table and right down on her back. "You're a clone who knows only violence-" Caroline covered her face up, feeling the nice tough bruise followed by the blood. "Violent and completely idiotic."

"WHAT YOU SAY IS UNFAIR TO US!" Linka raged. "WE CERTAINLY HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DO THIS TO GET THEM OFF OF US!"

"I don't buy that," Caroline disagreed, getting back up from the dirt, facing up an angry Linka standing on the table. "There could have been a better way, but you ensured more conflict and death, that's what you're good at."

"And what about you?" Leven challenged. "You used those arms to slice up people, in case you have forgotten."

Caroline looked for words. "What I do does not fare in comparison with what you guys have done."

"I'll kill you, and I'll molest your corpse!" Linka vowed. "The dildo will be a knife instead!"

"Control your animal," Caroline addressed to Leven. "No leash, no control."

"Linka, attack," Leven allowed.

Lynnette forced herself from place, suddenly zooming in to defend Caroline. "No fighting in the war room, kiddies."

Linka gasped, looking back at Leven. "She's a..."

Finally, Leven made his move, getting up and walking towards Lynnette and Caroline. "No way, another zoomer..."

It didn't hit Lynnette until he said that, which had her berating herself mentally. "Shit, not again..."

"What the fuck is going on here?" Lemy exhaled out.

Caroline had forgotten her own argument, trading it in for the astonishment the girl in the green and black suit brought. "Begs the question... Who are we and why are we here for?"

"Hang on, I have questions for you." Leven was right in front of Lynnette, close enough to not only see her but smell her. The freckles were there just as Lynn's key features were, but the color scheme was different. Eyes gray, pupils and iris were bright red, and her hair, a sunshine-yellow- this girl was as if someone took Lynn and changed her up, but other than that, it was still Lynn, even with the additional bangs on the girl. "Who are you?"

"A girl," Lynnette sassed, trying to reel away from them snooping. "A zoomer girl."

"Yeah but..." Leven studied the twinkle in her eyes. He detected it; Lynnette was trying to keep some secrets under wrap, and Leven could not find himself to try and pry out the essentials out of her, and not when she was an actual zoomer. "Actually, it might just be a coincidence, sorry, you remind me of someone."

Linka looked over Leven's side and gave Caroline the finger. "Take those words and shove them up your vagina!"

"Uhh..." Bobby went, while Lemy wheezed, laughing a bit.

"Two phenos, two gunners, and two clones of Lincoln Loud-" Flip coughed.

Lemy stopped, choking on his own tongue. "Buhhh- What the fuck, clones?!"

Bobby gave a nod, laughing slightly. "Science mumbo jumbo here isn't my cup of tea, big boy."

"Give it a rest, accept what you hear," Caroline hissed at Lemy. "Say, how old are you even? Why's a kid throwing in with us? General said you're a vigilante-"

Lemy tapped his fingers against the table. "Ugh."

"Vigilante of diapers, I'll bet."

"You've got a little blood on your neck-" Lemy tapped on his to show Caroline, adding insult to injury.

"Hey, so how wait-" Lemy had been cut off by the fussing before he got answers. "McMahon and Allie, how do they...?"

Leven eyed the photographs, placing a finger on the one with McMahon. "He was working with Lisa and Shepherd behind the scenes, never meddling close enough to be spotted around any Vial facilities. This girl, Allie Taggart, was it?"

Lemy nodded.

"Yeah, I don't know her," Leven shook, "but it's obvious that she's being utilized in the same fashion like McMahon, working in the shadows away from the main grounds."

"And there's also the fact that she had you, boy, offing the potential enemies of the furthering Black Network and what remains of their contacts. You wouldn't notice closely because she simplified it, made them just bad guys who want to take advantage of the chaos ensuing, meaning all those encrypted files."

"I..." Lemy exhaled through his nostrils. "It can't be-"

"But it is, boy," Flip reprimanded. "You're being played by McMahon's own niece- It must run in the family, that."

Lemy closed his eyes, entering an aura of emotikn, too dramatic for Caroline's taste. "I can't believe this."

"Gimme a break," Caroline rolled her eyes, moaning. "Sad little boy faces puppy drama, boo fucking hoo."

"Hey, he clearly didn't know," Leven defended. "Hey, if that girl can lead us to McMahon, we can finally end this!"

Linka clapped. "Yeah, yeah!"

"What- You want me to lead you two to-?" Lemy shook his head and angrily expressed his anger, throwing his fists onto the table. "No! Fuck you!"

"Porter, you are now involved just as much as these two clones here are," Flip reminded. "You are free to do as you please, but I do not suggest going back. You cannot pretend otherwise, McMahon and Taggart are affiliated with Lisa Loud and the dream-"

"Maybe he just doesn't know what's truly at stake," Leven believed. "Kid, don't you know what they're planning?!"

"Fuck you, that's not my concern!" Lemy growled back, hurt. "This is your problems, you fix it!"

"Damn it!"

Linka held her arms out. "I'll pull him by the fucking ears, Leven!"

"What's your name?"

"FUCK YOU!" Lemy roared.

Leven raised his voice. "TELL US WHERE WE CAN FIND ALLIE TAGGART OR YOU WILL BE KILLED AND REPLACED BY A CLONE!"

"...What?"

"R-replaced by a clone...?" Lynnette circled it around.

"What do you mean?" Lemy had decreased his rage, letting it subside while the rest was replaced with fear and eagerness to get more info.

"The final play that he and his friends and followers planned was to acquire me, study me and understand my cellular structure. I am the prototype of the ideal perfect human in all angles, achieved by Lisa herself, and what she had planned from the start was to clone the entire world with the special tune-ups that could beat infection and disease, know no bodily cancers and deterioration in the later years. Clone everyone, kill everyone in what can only be described as global genocide, and live in her image."

Lynnette jerked her head, and Lemy and Bobby expressed their emotion by merely spreading their lips apart. "Genocide...?"

"Clone the entire world-" Lemy was at a loss for words. "That's... That's insane..."

"As horrible as it is, it has not happened yet," Flip cut in, "and will not as long as Leven here stays away from all Kapacity Korp facilities. As it is, running away to another country will prove futile- McMahon is already attempting to expand further. A facility in every city of every country to speed things up. The Korp will extend to medical servicing, a mere ploy to gain access to medical backgrounds of those they'll clone."

"Jesus fucking Christ-" Lemy's breath was faintly shaking. "All of that... That's-?"

"Under your nose while you've been shoved to do his bidding, yes."

"Why are you telling me all this? With Allie, I can understand, but... D-do you really believe I can be of use?"

"All of you here, you come from different worlds, but what's that mean when it's the same beat in the long run?"

Linka's eyelids closed in a bit. She could still picture Carly in those last moments, right before she had lost her head, finishing move courtesy of McMahon. What could she have been thinking right before the slicing? What was the teenager's final thought like? Did she hope-? Linka closed her eyes. Final moment. _Why can't I hear you?_

Leven sought to it that he comfort Linka around this time, having known that she possibly grieved for the late Asian girl who turned her back to her masters for life. For them. _You poor girl..._

"You've all had loved ones taken from you, with the exception of Caroline here- And there might be people you love and care about that you might not want this to happen to. Lemuel Porter's got extended family, Roberto Santiago here has a younger sister, you two clones would not like the members of the Loud clan to die, Caroline Pingrey's old folks-"

Caroline scoffed at the mention of her parents.

"-and you-" Flip turned his attention to Lynnette. "Nothing comes up for you, you're basically a ghost. But nothing about you screams off-grid runner, so..."

They focused their attention on Lynnette, the looks of which had her feeling like she'd been thrown under the bus. _Damn it, fuck._

"I can't afford to give any care today, you're a zoomer, and you have potential- I mean, it's not every day you see someone trying to stop a convoy that contains one such dangerous man whose whereabouts are still... "Unknown" to the Feds."

"Hmmm?" Leven raised an eyebrow.

Lynnette suddenly blurted out, "I'm a huge Lynn Loud fan...!"

Leven and Linka exchanged odd looks at one another.

Lynnette was close to committing suicide at this point. "Agh... Please don't..."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me..." Caroline scorned.

"If that's the story you wanna go with, that's fine," Flip brushed away, jazzing his hands. "What matters to me is your speed, I tend to put it to good use."

"Regarding that," Leven pointed his finger at Flip. "I can only imagine we're here for a mission, and we're already past the debrief. Linka, Caroline and I know what's at stake, this boy, vigilante or whatever, has a connection to be exploited, and Lynn fangirl is useful, but..." Leven had his eyes on Bobby. "What's with him? Bringing an outsider into the war-"

"No..." Linka made the connection. "That's not an outsider... That's... That's Bobby Boo-Boo Bear."

"Ay por Dios..." And he remembered that nickname. "Right... That was Lori's nickname for me."

_Lori...? _Lynnette noticed.

"Did... How many Louds are there?" Lemy gagged.

"I get it now..." Leven flashed his thumb at Flip, complimenting him. "You found us a guy you knew we'd be able to trust."

"Hey!" Lemy cried out.

"I am so terribly offended right now," Caroline shared.

"Now tell us about what you want us to do for you," Leven cut to the chase. "Something that requires four superhumans, which I know has gotta be big."

"You were never here, nor did we meet, that's official," Flip threw onto them. "I'll need all your heads to stay in the game, should you back out..."

"We won't," Leven accepted, representing the group. "Debrief us."

"Very well." The elderly general Charles Flip cleared his throat, rubbing away at his mouth. "The war here with these insurgents turned against us. I sent three of my squads out to investigate and locate a lieutenant codename "Black Dog", a real nasty piece of work worth interrogating to get further into the network. In the midst of that mission, Intel was off, he had more firepower covering his turban ass, and that's when those three squads went radio silent. They're dead, that's the official report- But I have some doubts."

"You believe they're alive?" Bobby asked.

"Concrete proof?"

"Message came through, we leave and they'd be free, but we know better to believe that crap," Flip croaked.

"Then why bother...?" Lemy poked.

"Because..." Flip started.

"Because the old man's got family who was in one of the squads," Leven pieced together. "He wants us to verify for him. The general isn't asking us, but rather a worried father."

"That brain of yours is truly something to behold, sir," Flip vaguely complimented. "I'll deploy you to the outskirts of the town where they've gone missing. Find the squads, and if you can, find any clue on the Black Dog. Body cams could point you the way to him."

"Fair enough," Leven agreed. "I guess that just about covers it."

"I'll dismiss myself to give you lot time to talk." On that note, Flip left in silence and slow movements. "No fighting. And fix your nose, Pingrey."

"Ugh..." Caroline gave Linka the death glare, sending daggers at her. "Like I said, violent and bloodthirsty."

"I'd like to see you do better than us if you're so certain you are," Linka rebutted. "Eat my ass."

Lemy stayed staring at the photographs. "Damn it, Allison."

Lynnette sat herself back against the table, back leaning against the table. "You and your drama, I don't want it."

"Who does?" Bobby rhetorically asked. "Who could ever say they want it?"

"Right?" Lynnette laughed back.

Caroline wiped away at her bloody nose. "I have no part to play here, this isn't my fucking fight."

"Yes it is," Leven countered. "Lisa made you what you are today, and you accepted throwing in with us back there in the Patriot Division."

"Yeah, but the difference is that I ran with the initial assumption that we were going to be some unstoppable force not to be reckoned with, but those guys proved that even phenos can be killed easily. I'm not going to endanger myself around that, I'd rather-"

"Cowardice!" Linka accused. "You really are a pussy, pussy!"

Caroline seethed, teeth gritting. "You can get yourselves killed fighting whoever dares try and push for a new world order, but its easier to run and hide."

"Well, when the world becomes clone-infested," Leven added, "make sure to not depend on anyone else. I hope you've seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That's exactly the crisis you'll face if McMahon and company gets their way."

She groaned only.

"We're fighting it," Linka addressed. "Fuck running, everything's at risk! And I can tell you all right now, they won't hesitate to kill anyone they don't think they need!"

The Pingrey woman crossed her arms. "And how do you know?"

Linka then hesitated to answer that, her little head dropping down to crotch level. "Oh..."

"McMahon murdered a teenage girl in front of us," Leven dropped. "If he could do that..."

"W-wait, seriously...?" Caroline began to backtrack. "H-holy shit, I..."

Lynnette, Lemy and Bobby shared their moments of silence, noting that by Linka's expression and body language that they were close to this girl.

"I didn't know..." Caroline's voice had gone to an apologetic tone. "Shit..."

"We're far in too deep for us to avoid it," Leven believed. "We need everyone on board for the fight against the senator, I am not certain how many serve him other than the employees, escapees from Vial and the Network. Even still..." Leven turned his attention to the two other folders left where Flip had sat down. The clone's curiosity compelled him to take a look at them, but what contents awaited him? "Linka," he called out to his sister.

"Alzheimer's, hehehehe..." Linka joked. "Too soon? Sorry, not sorry."

Leven opened the left one first, finding it was a compilation of files of Bobby, Lemy, Caroline, and some photographs of Linka, Leven and the other Louds, followed by what could only be described as a crime scene, and a captured Lynnette resting up inside a hospital. "They've done their homework."

Next one presented a storm of a new issue coming their way; Dylan Blood's broadcasted message and the execution of twins Lana and Lola, divided in fourteen images. The man in the iron-skull mask, and then revealing his face- and the bodies of the two zoomers Linka and Leven instantly recognized. "No... Fucking... Way..."

"What the-? When did this shit happen?!"

"Don't tell me McMahon's already made a move..."

Lemy peeked over their shoulders. "What's with the surprise? You guys didn't see that go on air?"

"G-go on air? ...Like on television?" Leven shook his head profusely. "How can that be? These two are zoomers-"

Linka allowed her anger to suddenly flare up. _They'll all pay for this._

Lynnette glanced over the trio, taking a look at the photo of the twins' corpses. _Aunt Lana and Lola? But... Th-they're-?_

"That's bullshit, we left them to handle their own issues and we're down two zoomers," Linka lashed. "We're all fucking up to idiotic lengths, getting ourselves kidnapped and them being murdered on live television. Where the fuck is Lincoln when you need him?"

"Hmph, Lincoln," Lemy snorted.

Leven looked at the crime scene photo of the bloodbath caused by Lynnette. "Alright, which one of you shooters caused this?"

"Not me, man," Lemy excused.

"Seconded," Bobby shut down.

"That's on me, the convoy thing the old man mentioned," Lynnette confirmed.

"A Lynn fangirl who does what she won't?" Leven found the irony to be poetic. "That's a good joke."

"Get out."

"So how about it?" Leven extended a hand out to her. "We could use someone like you to give us a hand in this battle. Lynn's own life is at stake, and if you care about her...-"

Lynnette slapped his hand away, remembering the rule to not interfere or intervene with past events and affairs. "Can't be fucked to bother, it's not my fight, never was..." Still, she had her eyes set on the twins' bodies, wondering how it was possible... _They're supposed to be alive...! _

"Final answer?" Leven asked again.

"Come on, the world's at risk of a human overwrite on a global scale!" Linka shrieked. "Free food at the end of the journey! Rewards are to be reaped!"

_It is a beautiful place here... Looking past the chaos these folks have just presented... _Lynnette moved her face from Leven, having already made up her mind. "Sorry, but I'm only here for one thing."

"Very well... Carol?"

Caroline let out a defeated sigh. "I'd like to have a choice, but it seems life won't be doing me any favors, will it?"

"Sadly, no," Leven agreed. "We're all trapped by the same web, and until we win, we can't escape it. I'm the one they want, and that's only because Linka here littered the files on us, but Project Superior is world news, it'll only be so long before they find out I already exist."

"And you're not going to volunteer to commit suicide, right?" Caroline was cold at that, but she wasn't wrong.

"NO, THIS MAN IS MY BIG BROTHER! WE CLONES HAVE EARNED A RIGHT TO LIVE! ...Even thought I may or may not have tried to murder Lupa, giggity."

"And what of you two?"

Lemy hated what it fell into, but the situation could only turn in their favor if he brought them right to Allie's doorstep. "I'll help you, I'll take you to Allie, but that's it."

"That's all we would need to get to McMahon, thank you," Leven graciously expressed.

_Clones of Lincoln Loud... The audacity! _Lemy went away, leaving the tent. Lynnette and Caroline left after him, taking what they felt was risk.

"Hey, Leven?" Linka took a deep breath. "When Caroline said that you were quiet after she mentioned the leaks- Like, did you really- No... Do you really feel guilty for doing that?"

Leven centered his eyes on Linka, trying to establish a look that said otherwise, that lied to her- But Linka had pushed past it and saw that it was like what Caroline said in the beginning. She'd never asked of him if what he did was wrong. There was that one time where she had tried to stop him from dropping the entire database online- and it was so that he'd ensure their survival. But she didn't ask, she didn't wonder when he did that. She didn't know it, and when he went and did do it... He did it for her. "Big brother..." She hugged and caressed him lovingly. "I'm glad you're here to protect me."

Leven patted his hand on her head. "I've got you, Linka. You know I do."

"I love you, big brother," Linka warmly shared. "Always."

And Bobby eyed the affection, relating it to his and Ronnie Anne's relationship.

**Later - Near Sallaheem**

A military Chinook had dropped them off in the cover of night, leaving them two miles away from the town of Sallaheem, a sizable town where the three units had gone missing or killed- whichever one was the truth. The place outside of it was dark, but the lights in town lit the way for them to go.

Out of the six so-called X-Elites, the name Flip had thrown around vaguely and seemingly randomly, Linka, Leven, Bobby and Lemy were armed with M13 rifles, supplied with a good optic scope and three magazines. Caroline denied herself one of those, turning it down for her pheno power. Lynnette herself was allowed as she was, no weapon but only the headset given to her.

"Check comms," Leven guided, testing out his own. "Mayday, mayday, clean swipe-"

"Hear ya."

"Got it."

"Si."

"BIG BROTHER STATIC!"

"A little more louder, will you?!" Lynnette yanked off her headset, putting it on her neck. "Actually, hold on a second."

"What, what are you-?" Leven was helpless to stop Lynnette moving in front of them.

"Scout run," Lynnette informed. "I'll speed things up by doing the runs. Should be able to pick up signs real fast-" She sniffed the air, detecting any faint smell of blood. _Bingo!_

"Take one of us with you, at least-" Leven suggested.

"No," the zoomer denied, running off into the town.

"Wait- Argh!" Leven revved. "Team effort is treated like a cancer!"

"Well, try and keep up with her," Caroline insisted, not stopping for any reason. "Best she can do is make this easier for us all."

"True words," Lemy thought. "Gets us back in one piece."

"Begs the question, should I be sitting this one out?"

"If you want to." Bobby and Lemy didn't stop either. "Wusses."

"I'll see myself as overwatch," Bobby told them, sprinting solely to the first building in the heart center of the entry, climbing up the ladder.

"I'll stick with you," Lemy opted. "If we get overrun, I'll shoot one of you to save my own ass."

Linka swung her rifle right onto Lemy's balls, injuring his kids. "Take that, Patanu."

"Linka!"

"AGH, MY BALLS!" Lemy dropped the rifle, utilizing both hands over his crotch. "WHY-"

"What? He's being a selfless cuck again..." Linka ran a finger down her hair. "Oh wait, did he already start?"

"Did you mean selfish?"

Linka backtracked, humming. "Oh, silly me! What did I say?"

"Enough of your childish antics," Caroline policed, picking Lemy up. "You're okay... Talkative brat."

"Securing yourself to be spared from a leg shot!" Linka yelled. "Why, I oughta-"

Leven cupped a hand over her mouth. "That's enough. Go grab his rifle."

"Mmmmmfff..." Linka rubbed sexually on his arms, kissing his palm gently, driving Leven away. "Just like mother's love... Do it again!"

Lynnette came running back, nothing short of out breath. "I've found something!"

She led them further into the town, escorting them right into a tall building somewhere in the heart of Sallaheem. No sign of any straggling insurgents as of yet, but the entire place graduated a bloody aura of death, something that crawled right into the back of their necks. Linka covered them as they entered, dual-wielding both M13 rifles, going in last. "It's on the third floor, there are some bodies," Lynnette shared, suddenly cupping her nose and mouth. "Prepare yourself for nastiness."

Caroline and Lemy showed some form of hesitation, slowing down long enough to be overpassed by Linka and Leven. "What should we be expecting?"

"War," Lynnette dropped like nothing. "It looks like war."

"I think it should be essential to note that the town is empty..." Caroline voiced. "No sign of anyone despite there having been- What, a tactical raid? It feels off is what I'm trying to save."

"The Black Dog and his men might have left-"

The gang walked right into the third floor of the building, finding two bodies of fallen Marines roughed up around the corridors. Lynnette stopped and turned to them. "Thered a lot of dead people around here, go take a look around the rooms."

Leven and Linka split up from Caroline and Lemy, all four of them going around. The blonde fangirl was right; bodies of both Marine and insurgent scattered from left to right laid out here and there. Blood stains, heads blown off, and the amount of bullet casings definitely told of a prolonged firefight. Leven and Linka were eyeing the walls, which were devastated by stray bullets. "Desperation to hit anything?"

"I don't know..." Leven began checking the bodies. "Find any dog tags from the boys back home! If there aren't any, learn the names."

"Right!" Linka started going around, looking at the corpses. For one such body that was leaning against the wall at the end of the room, she noticed its hands were gripping around what loomed like paper. She got curious and opened the hands- finding a crumpled up picture of two kids, and inscribed in the back were the words, **My Emily and Michael, I keep you in heart, mind and soul**

_Oh... _Linka looked up to the fallen soldier, the nametag on him reading Fairchild. The dead Marine's head looked diagonally left, eyes still open. Linka returned the photograph and closed the dead father's eyelids. "I'm sorry, mister."

"Linka..." Leven had already collected two dog tags, holding them firmly in his hand.

"He had two kids, Leven," Linka dripped out with sadness in her tone. "They'll grow up without a father. Tell me..."

Leven went down to his knees.

"Does that sound familiar, big brother?"

Leven planted his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, it does. It does, and I understand how hurtful it can be, how much this can remind you..." Leven only wished he had more words to tell her, to ease her that it could be okay, but that would be but a lie he'd tell her. Nothing was okay, it could not be... But they had to keep onward. "This can't hurt us, Linka."

Linka shoved her fist right into his chest. "No..."

Lynnette entered at an inconvenient time.

"No, you... You don't try and do that to me. Of course-" Linka's voice broke ever so slowly. "Of course it's gonna hurt me... I can't- I cant escape it-"

"What- What's the issue-?"

Linka huffed near into hyperventilating mode. "I can't hold it in for long... I feel like I'm- He- B-burden- Can't talk- D-don't you know?!"

"Linka..." Leven pulled back from her. "You... Want it to hurt?"

The words had hit upon the young clone as if she had received some shocking new development revolving the hell they were in. She took it into account, guiding herself away from Leven in such a dramatic fashion. She stayed silent, physique going mopey like some suicidal girl. "I... I want to feel something, s-so..."

Lynnette tiptoed in, moving to Leven's side.

"I'd like to feel this- This sadness-"

At that second, Lemy and Caroline entered, with Lynnette turning to shush them by applying a finger to her own lips.

"He forgot what it was like to feel- To be reminded what it means to be hurt..." Linka burst into tears. "I feel trapped by everything, I can't- I couldn't explain it-"

No one dared let out even a peep.

"It won't even end, Leven!" Linka had a fit, uncontrollably clenching her hands. "It never ends! We wanted out of the Freights, but the world-"

**Far From Now**

"I know about the chip, clone," Dylan Blood calmly revealed to Linka, staring Linka down the hall within the Black Network. "And I want it."

Linka kept her handgun aimed high at him, finger set on the trigger. "You'd have to kill me for the interface, buddy."

The adversary held out a gray, circular object out for Linka to see. "Know what this is? They had these in the memories, under the name Cryogenic Frags. Pull the pin and watch the liquid nitrogen literally freeze up to five feet of whatever it makes contact with. I think it's cool."

"You're cornered," Linka rationalized. "We've got you backed into a wall, there's no escape."

"You're arrogant to believe that. Yes, the odds are not in my favor when you compare it by numbers. Louds aplenty, but I'm only just one, and a regular person at that."

"Regular..." Linka laughed at the joke. "A madman calling himself that- You've got some seriously warped ideas, you bastard."

"Are you that good a shot to take me down? I bet if I throw this, you'll miss and hit me. Wanna play that game?"

Linka narrowed her eyes. "Games with you-"

Dylan Blood threw it like a baseball, sending the gray grenade down Linka's way. "Think fast!"

Linka quickly directed the sight to the grenade and fired one shot, and not only hit it well with a bullseye, but had let out the contents of it- and the liquid came out touching her face.

**Now**

"Everything is just so unfair, and I hate how it works!" Linka unloaded from her artificial heart. "It's just so dark and messed up, why are we even...?" She ran her hands all over her face, distraught. "I didn't ask to be born, but Lisa could have just taken that out of me, all of that- All that makes me the clone, the monster who knows only what hell he's lived through!"

Leven sighed with emotion.

"I want to go home, and there isn't a home I can go to. Like-" Linka shook her head, in denial. "I want for everyone I've come to know to stay alive. Lana, Lola, and Carly- And then, there will be more, there's gonna be more people we'll lose, won't we?"

"D-don't say that-" Leven attempted to soothe. "We didn't lose altogether-"

"SUPPOSE WE WIN, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BEAT MCMAHON IF NOT ALL OF US MADE IT TO THE END?!" Linka had finally snapped, long overdue. "THEY WON'T GET TO CELEBRATE, THEY'LL BE MOURNED, THEY'LL BE FORGOTTEN! JUST- JUST LIKE-"

Leven nodded.

"M-mom and dad... Lucy... And the others who died before..." Linka's blue eyes went red, vision blurring up for her. "I hate everything, Leven, it's all unjust and fucked up. We didn't do anything- I was born into this shit, just like you- Just like the other three!"

"Yes, we were..." Leven took daring steps towards Linka. "And we can get out of it if we're smart and strong by staying together. We've come this far."

"Leven, I'm-" Linka dug in from under the surface of her being to reveal her own personal feelings. "Scared of it, all of it. If I die, it will have been for nothing, and all I did was- I added only more horror and madness to the world instead of helping, j-just like the way Lincoln did in his time with the Freights. We were both wrong, we were only thinking-"

"No."

"Selfishly..."

"We weren't- At least I don't think so..."

"I just hate everything... I'm reminded of that shit again..."

"Mmmm..." Leven simply moaned, giving her pity. "What do you suggest we do?"

"What do you...?" Linka wanted to know.

"We remain alive, Linka!" Leven thought. "We've got his memories, and we can carry it on for the others, too! I don't plan on dying, that's fact- We can keep certain memories of the dead alive, you know."

"True..."

"Don't ever give me that implication where- Where you think that the only way out was-"

"Suicide?" Linka was amazed at the man's brain. Then again, it might have been obvious, even when she had tossed in her fear of dying which could have thrown anyone else off. "Damn it... IQ is too high for me."

"Linka, we'll avenge our fallen," Leven promised. "The twins and Carly will be avenged, I swear it."

"If you two are done with this special touchy-feely sibling moment-" Lemy started.

"Hang on!" Lynnette rushed to the window, looking leftward. "I hear something."

"I don't...?"

Caroline scoffed, having enough of this. "We should just turn it around, head back and tell the general we've found them all dead."

"But how do we know that's the case?" Bobby asked.

"We don't!" Caroline rebuked. "We lie and head back to the States."

"What about the others?" Leven reminded the cold blonde.

"We don't even know how many more are missing. How many guys make up three squads?"

"Shove that shit elsewhere, Flip helped us escape McMahon when we needed it, I cannot dishonor a favor that needs to be returned."

"Then that's on you-" Caroline noticed Linka getting angry. "Both of you."

"I'm with the cute woman," Lemy sided, moving to Caroline's side. "This is as far as I want to go. Not going to die for his son."

"What of you?" Caroline asked Bobby.

"Eh, I'll stay around," Bobby decided.

"Thought you were covering our ass?" Lemy recalled.

"Barren place."

Lynnette stepped out of the room, blowing up a nice breeze that sent their hair waving about. Seconds later, she came back with urgent news. "Heads up, we've got a convoy of pickup trucks coming from the far end."

"Is it them?"

"Weapons up," Leven commanded, running to the roof. "Zoomer girl, kill all the lights inside and topside."

"Read ya!"

"We can easily get out of this alive by having fangirl here extract us out of here."

"And run from a fight?!" Linka wiped the last of her tears. "I don't think so!"

"I won't hold you two to this," Leven told Caroline and Lemy. "You are free to run but I would not suggest it. We four are staying to fight, regardless of our lives being at stake."

Linka and Bobby ran to the rooftop. "Hey, how's Ronnie Anne?"

"She's alive, could be better. Say, Lori still around?"

"Somewhere I don't know, but I'll make sure to give her your best."

"Thanks, kiddo."

Lynnette had already wrapped up and pointed the direction of the convoy to Linka and Bobby. "There!"

Six truckloads of insurgents made their way through the barren town, reason which wasn't clear to the group of six. Lynnette stood onto the ledge on all fours in a weird position, sniffing out the air and detecting... Blood? The scent of it was might tasty for her, adding to her carnivorous lust, the same as Lizard Luna's own. It worked to change her quite a bit, bringing out the sacred, animalistic claws and talons on her arms and feet- and Linka and Leven went white as ghosts when the squirmy, green and monstrous tail popped out, growing right out of nowhere. This furthered the mystery as to who Lynn fangirl really was and why she seemed to possess the same abilities as not only Lynn's but also Luna's. "Rghhhhhh..."

"There's something you don't see everyday." Bobby focused his rifle at Lynnette, feeling concerned for his own life.

Lemy and Caroline had decided to stay, but seeing Lynnette's new form was almost enough for them to wish they chose the other option. "Jesus fuck-"

Lynnette jumped down, her mouth watering for some carnage. She ran on all fours like some mindless beast, galloping towards the convoy to attack and devour. The firefight broke out when she'd been spotted, the vehicles immediately screeching to a halt. Bobby began firing from where he was, being the only one while the clones raced back down to provide cover in the close quarters way. "Hurry!"

"What the hell kind of pheno is that girl?!"

"We'll figure it out, Linka!" Leven assured. "Just protect her!"

Lynnette had taken to clawing and biting any human she could grab, taking bites from then or slashing at their limbs and bodies, leaving them in a mess of gore. The bullets that were unloaded from their AKs didn't do the trick- Lynnette only brushed them away with ease, zooming around and wagging her large tail to knock anyone down before she slaughtered them.

"Does she really need backup?"

Leven burst out of the building, doing his best to catch up with thefreakish pheno girl. "Do you wanna risk her safety?!"

Bobby fired away bursts, location being given away. A couple of the opposition directed their guns at him, suppressing him while Lynnette ravagaed and lashed away around, devouring flesh at the same time. _"I'm down to two mags!"_

"Set!" Leven and Linka took cover at opposite sides of the streets, rifles sticking out of the corner, lead flying out.

"Firing!" Linka aligned the sights to any visible enemy around, trying her best to ignore Lynnette's bloodthirsty rampage. "We need to move closer! Cover!"

_"I've got you!" _Bobby stuck his head out, unloading his entire mag as Linka and Leven rushed closer to the convoy. _"Down to my last!"_

Lemy ran to the roof and dropped off one of his own mags to Bobby. "Here! Double the firepower!"

"Where's the other blonde?!"

"She stayed, I think!" Lemy fired away at the vehicles. "Agh, machine gun!"

Leven and Linka quickly took cover behind buildings, boty closer to the convoy. Poor Lynnette didn't see the 50 Cal machine gun either, feasting upon a face when it shredded right through her body, mostly piercing through her chest. Blood and pieces of flesh came erupting out the opposite end along with the bullet fragments. Lynnette went down on her side, squirming around in dreaded agony. She vomited blood, shutting her eyes shut- but it didn't end there for her. The last of the insurgents, faces concealed save for their eyes.

"Roof squad, draw out the gunner!" Leven roared through the headset.

_"We're doing our best!"_

Linka rushed ahead, finally reaching the first truck of the convoy, spotting a gang of terrorists strike at the downed Lynnette, kicking and shooting at her, distracted. Linka fired a full mag at the group, uncaring if she also damaged the carnivorous zoomer in addition to her wounds. Leven was quick to join her, moving adjacent to her position, adding to the firing. They dropped but only a few, leaving five or so left, plus the machine gunner.

"He's not down!"

_"You try shooting him from this angle!"_

"Damn it!" Leven stayed in cover. "Linka, we can't move in until-"

The gunner had centered to Linka, giving her all of their attention instead. She wasn't fast enough to hide from them, so it was a nice surprise when three lucky bullets hit their mark, digging right into Linka's cheek, chest and leg. She toppled over behind the truck, sticking her tongue out. "Bullet- Bullet in my mouth."

"Shit!" Leven saw no out. "The zoomer's likely dead... Shit!"

_"We're almost empty! You'll have to improvise!"_

"You are all incompetent shooters!" Linka insulted at the pair. "Get out of this fucking fanfiction if you're gonna be fucking useless!"

"Linka, calm down-"

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCKETY FUCK!"

_"If you all are finished running your mouths like rank amateurs, I'd like to make one thing clear-" _Caroline had turned out to have been flanking around via the buildings, going undetected to both parties, coming right up behind the gunner, inserting both of her sword-shaped arms right into them. _"Was that so hard? Close the herd already!"_

Leven grabbed Linka's rifle and tossed it out to lure the remainder of the convoy. "FINISH IT!"

"NO, LEAVE ONE ALIVE!" Linka screamed back. "WE NEED INFORMATION ON THE MISSING MARINES!"

The boys complied, letting the trigger fingers do their thing right up to the last guy being downed, shot at their legs. And then, the firefight had ended. Leven helped Linka out, helping her up and supplying himself as crutch support. As for Lynnette- "Holy shit."

Caroline had regrouped with the clones, dragging their only lead right across from the town-up zoomer. "Good job, you guys could have ensured her life remained intact, now she's dead."

"N-not out fault, you accusing sack of shit!" Linka wanted to drop-kick the strict blonde. "She jumped out and attacked on her own accord!"

Leven kicked at Lynnette's corpse, unsure if the girl was really dead. Lynnette had not been moving, so maybe there was that chance that she had some real bad luck. He went on his knees and pressed his head against her blood-stained mouth. "She's breathing! Jesus, she survived that!"

"Not for long..." Caroline believed, but she was wrong; Lynnette's body fought back against the bullets, pushing the fragments lodged in her right out, wounds closing in a slow manner, but in the rate that shown them she was truly beyond a regular human. "Oh."

"Who the hell is this girl?!" Leven out his foot down. "Linka, we're gonna have to interrogate her-"

"Find us a dampener and then we'll get anything out of her..." Linka looked to the final insurgent left alive. "In the meantime..."

Lemy and Bobby returned to ground level, jogging back to the four.

"We know what to do, right?" Linka aimed her gun at their new hostage, not feeling too merciful. "We'll get them boys back, and we'll get out of this place."

Leven nodded in agreement. "We'll get closer."

The only thought he had circling in his mind was the identity of that fake McMahon he had brought back on the day he, Linka and the three other phenos were deployed to capture him. Who was that, some shapeshifter? A man in the perfect disguise to fool them? He knew he'd have to bring it up with the man in due time, but when that time came...

"We'll find the boys and the Black Dog! Count on it!"

**August 5th, 2030**

Lemy had the genuine liberty of taking the pair of albino Lincoln clones back to the hideout Allie had a hand in setting up. He'd find her there, resting comfortably on one of the mattresses, either expecting Lemy to arrive on this day or not at all. Either way, he'd see her reaction but only before he had brought his special guests to collect on their prize today. Allison Taggart, the niece of well-known senator Peter McMahon, perched up and doing jack shit would be in there for the taking. "After this, that's all you're gonna get, alright?"

Leven was pleased to have the help. "Its appreciated, I thank you for your help."

"Just take her and do whatever you need to, don't bother me again."

"Spoil sport," Linka sassed, shaking her hips.

"Tell me about her?"

"Uhhh, she's a little feisty to say the least, and eager to fight whenever it proves to be beneficial-"

"Like right now, you mean-" The trio had stopped before the entered the building, Allie revealing herself right behind the corner of the doorway, armed with only a syringe in her left hand. "Sorry, Lemy, but you've done goofed bringing them to my doorstep."

"...You-" Leven and Linka recognized her by voice.

"Good to see you again, freaks!" Allie stuck the syringe into her arm, letting the liquid it contained flow right into her bloodstream. "Now let's see how you can fare against the indisputable super-drug known as Medi-Sin!"

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter IV: X-Elites**


	38. Chapter 38

**August 5th, 2030**

"The first thing we do when we get back..." Linka inhaled more than enough, and then- "IS TO GET THE DROP ON US?!"

Allie had somehow been on high alert considering she had been prepped with a special concoction, name sounding familiar to Leven after it left her lips. Next, the girl with the greenish-mustard hair dropped the syringe and took out a handgun, having no reluctance to bring it out like this. "For shame, Lemy, for shame-"

"Allie, put down the gun!" Lemy had a piece tucked behind him, but he wished for the situation to be diffused before it could possibly escalate.

"Sorry, Lembone, but I can't do such a thing..." Allie locked and loaded the sliding chamber back, clearly intending to fire. "You dare bring them to my doorstep, of course I'm gonna fight-"

"So..." Lemy kept his hand frozen, not moving it in any said direction. "It's true, isn't it? You're-"

"No fucking shit, Lemuel!" Allie confirmed her status as the true servant in league with the conspirators planning global genocide. "Uncle's going to spare me as long as I've proven myself to be just as strong as these super-powered phenos! And let me tell you-" The serum she had taken worked its magic; the veins around her face became viable, turning into a nasty, dark shade. Secondly, the color around her eyes darkened, as if she had activated an eyeliner feature out of nowhere. Her face had morphed into something hideous and ugly, and the further they stared, the more noticable Allie's skin was, going from its light orange to a decomposing version of green, a rotting color that put Leven on edge the most. And to top it all off, the pupils of her eyes disappeared, leaving nothing but pure, milk-white eyes that kept the trio on guard. "You've given me no choice but to level the playing field!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Lemy shouted back, voice waving over Allie's.

In the midst of the confusion, Linka dashed right towards the now-mutated niece of the senator- and Allie fired off her gun, still having kept aim at Lemy. Linka might have been a ballsy clone, but she lacked the ability of a zoomer, and as such, she didn't stop Allie from firing and landing the only hit right at Lemy's head. Linka elbowed the weapon away from Allie's grip and grabbed her by her clothes to throw her backwards right into the building she had come out of. "GOTCHA!"

Leven had stopped Lemy from falling, but the poor, used boy had the bullet lodged upside the head, bleeding away while the older clone tried to stop the bleeding. "LINKA!"

"What-?" Linka didn't realize Allie had hit a bullseye until she had turned around to see Lemy dropped, damaged heavily. "Shit! Stay with the fucked, I'm not letting her escape!"

"Linka-" Leven was opposed to this, but this was the only window where they could gain the perfect advantage that could turn the tide of this long-running war. "Linka, you stay alive, you hear me?! YOU STAY ALIVE!" Leaving her on her own to fend for herself with no such back-up... Leven hated to even think about it. Hopefully, the little girl could manage it without a Leven to watch over her like a guardian angel. _Don't let her beat you..._

Allie's power-up boosted her strength and speed, enabling her to become the ideal goal of a soldier's dream. She had ran inside, running towards the back. And where she went, Linka followed, giving chase. Two augmented humans running right into the streets of the city, Allie pushing past hordes of people without a care in the world, and the younger, shorter Linka doing her best to keep up. Whatever it was that she injected in her body, Linka found trouble in, a challenge to know that it truly put Allie at an advantage. But only at physical levels.

They were half a block away from one another, give or take a few steps in between. Linka had to think outside the box for this, and lo and behold, she tapped on the outside parameters and called upon the very artificial intelligence she had not meant to create back in- _THAT LINKAPACITY CHAPTER, MY DEAR READERS! _

Next, Linka's body shut down on her, brain disconnecting from physical control to wander into the deep virtual sea.

_**Hello?! Hello, I need your help now! If you can pinpoint my location and stop the runner I'm after-**_

She sent it out to every phone within fifty miles, ringtones and vibrations going off in the pockets of pants and sweaters of the nearby civilians plowed down by Allie. Only a few had gone to tend to Linka's aid, shaking her to see if she was conscious or not. Surveillance cameras around the blocks suddenly swayed from side to side, the mastermind attempting to locate the person's of interest.

**Found you, Linka. Continue on foot, I will provide my assistance.**

The clone opened her eyes, confirming the back-up. She pushed away the good Samaritans, continuing after Allie. "FUCKIN' A! LET'S GET US SOME VALE OC!"

Allie raced through the crosswalk, running through red lights and avoiding any car that could knock her down. The special drug she has taken, she was told that it surpassed the effectiveness of steroids, but had the ability to permanently cause the side effects that came along with it. It was the last resort she'd been hesitating to use, but the pros of Medi-Sin balanced it out.

Wait, why was Allie running? She had the power to end Linka and Leven if she tried enough, and Allie was no runner. Tactical retreat was what Uncle Petey called it, in order to avoid capture and being used by the enemy. Yeah, that was smart of him to propose it, but Allie was not a coward who ran, but rather a fighter eager to jump into any and all fights that came her way. Two super clones versus one upgraded human, who could possibly be the winner of that bitch?

She came slowing down, shifting direction towards a tiny alleyway, waiting for alvino duo to corner her for the fight. What she got instead was entirely something else out of the unexpected; three cars and a truck came revving right into the narrow alleyway, scraping against the sides of the buildings in a haze. "Oh, shit-" She had to act fast, or otherwise get crushed or run over by the mobile scrap metal.

Linka had caught up as the AI christening itself LinKAPACITY helped her corner their only lead to McMahon. "Get that bitch!"

Allie timed it, rushing forward and making a jump right onto the first car, a green Sedan of last year's model, rapidly and carefully moving as if she walked on a tightrope. This car stopped dead, only for the second one to collide right into it, the force being strong enough to propel Allie off her balance, sending her rolling down right in between both cars. The virtual controller gassed the first car forward to let Allie fall right in between thwm, activating the perfect trap for her. She had time to get up, but the trick was through it, and before anyone knew it, Allie had been pinned by both cars, crying out in anger and of the pain she had received. If not for the dose of Medi-Sin, she figured she would have died by now. Had LinKAPACITY known that Allie could withstand it? Or had it tried to deal as less pain as possible? Either way- "Wh-what the fuck?! I'll get you all for this!"

Linka made her entrance, dancing about upom the roof of the cars. "That's how you tango with the LK!"

Allie was the deer caught in Linka's headlights mow, when she believed she was the one hunter superior. "No! No, I should be stronger than this!"

Linka made a landing to the side and smashed in one of the windows, grabbing two shards of glass for the upcoming torture sequence. "Doesn't look like you are to me," Linka struck back, gripping the glass fragments like knives. "For the consolation prize, I don't expect you to be an easy talker, so I'll make you bleed for it all."

"Try if you dare, clone!" Allie's arrogance spoke. "Cut me up, slice me bloody- I won't talk, I won't spill my guts out to you!"

"THAT'S THE SEXIEST IDEA ALL NIGHT!" Linka smiled maliciously. "I'm gonna cut you open at the stomach."

Allie suddenly froze, gulping as the sadistic Linka more closer, swinging away the glass at her. That was the play. "Fooled you, didn't I?"

Linka's content state was then replaced by surprise; Allie had feigned herself being trapped, pushing the first car away with both arms and quickly acting to jump right onto Linka. "Shit-"

"MEDI-SIN, BABY!" Allie pressed her hands around the clone's neck, choking the life out of her. "NOW YOU GET THE HONOR OF DYING TONIGHT, YOU DUMB BITCH!"

Linka rammed the shards right into Allie's waist repeatedly, but that didn't seem to slow her down. Next, she started to lose consciousness, arms slumping down lifelessly.

**_RUN US OVER! HURRY!_**

LinKAPACITY backed its first hijacked car right into Allie and Linka, stopping the murderous Taggart girl from finishing off Linka. "NICE SAVE...!"

"Thank you!" Linka choked out, catching her breath while coughing roughly. "F-fuck!"

_That girl and her ability to utilize automated vehicles... I won't be able to win like this! _Allie sought out the only opening she could see, there was no winning against the clones, even when it appeared to have been Linka alone. She looked down to her sides and removed the glass shards, only pumping her blood out further. "Eurgh... I promise you'll-"

Linka came running at her, throwing the hardest punch she could perform tonight. "PROMISE THIS!"

It did the trick, knocking Allie right down to the concrete ground. From there, she emitted a faint groan, but didn't bother getting up. It looked like another trick, but Linka didn't have time to verify it. She closed in on Allie and kicked the side of her head. "Stay down this time, will you?"

**Next course of action?**

Linka let the nosebleed run while she stood in place.

**_Find Leven and take us to him, please. _**

Linka dragged Allie by her legs, entering the truck, a Tundra, as fast as she could.

**Elsewhere**

On Leven's end of the issue, the paramedics were called over, and Lemy had already been wheeled away to the hospital, where things would hopefully be better for him there, but the way it surely looked for him, and with a bullet lodged into his head... It left Leven feeling hopeless, even when they had not declared him dead on the scene. More death, just like before. Always someone to die along the way, on the very path they'd walk on.

Days ago, he was on a rooftop, helping them take out some mean, old insurgents on another country, not a single bullet had hit him. Here, a person he had trusted turned and pointed her gun at him, and with the first round in the clip, Lemy went down. Leven gained an itch by thinking about it, the unbearable one he could not simply scratch at to relieve it. Enemies proving to be closer than he thought, it was a scary concept to grasp, but not at all a strange one.

First the boy, now who else was destined to fall further down the line? Could it be anyone from the main group? Lola and Lana had fallen at a time when he and Linka were out doing their mission. Where was Lincoln? Where did the remainder of the Louds go? How close were they all to the final round orchestrated and played by McMahon? Even when or if they'd beat him, it could not be over. Not when the world had taken a massive blow, a new addition to society reforming old rules and establishing new rules.

Linka, riding shotgun in the Tundra, and with Allie's ass knocked out cold in the back, crashed the scene, window opened all the way down. "GET IN LOSER, WE'RE GOING SHOPPING!"

"Linka!" Leven couldn't be more happy to see her. In he went, entering the driver's seat of the truck. "You got the-? Oh, you did!" Leven felt proud to know Linka could hold her own out there. "Good job, little sister."

"Hehe, thanks, big brother!" Linka grinned. "Where's the boy?"

"On his way to the hospital," Leven replied, manning the wheel. "They'll know what to do, I hope he doesn't die if anything."

"What, cause he's a youngling?" Linka sensed softness. "Aw, look at you being concerned-"

"He's a mere boy who got roped into this- I realize that we don't know how yet, but the bottom line is that he's just as much a puppet as we were before we switched over."

"Oh, ehhhhhh..." Linka nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's true, poor sucker must surely feel-

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter... Uh, V? Betrayal! This chapter is called Betrayal!**

**-Linka**

* * *

"-that right there, right atop in the broken title sequence."

"What?"

Linka leaned back, relaxing in her seat. "Just a joke, big brother. Anyways..."

Leven scanned his eyes at the front mirror, eyeing Allie. "We need to suck every bit of information out of her."

Linka nodded in agreement. "True that, I was planning to torture her myself but she was more stronger that I expected."

"Here-" Leven pulled out the handgun Allie had dropped over to Linka. "That thing she took, that... What, medicine, did it make her-?"

"She still bled, Leven," Linka shared. "All that blood on her isn't mine, it's hers. I stabbed the bitch! Hey, that Medi-Sin concoction does not give you indestructible skin! That means-" Linka waved the gun around. "Bang bang, kablooey!"

"Alright, so an interrogation will not prove futile for us," Leven decided. While on the subject, he had more questions than just the whereabouts and locations McMahon could very well be at, but the other thing that he'd never let go of was the mysterious identity of the fake McMahon they've captured. "Shapeshifter pheno, Linka. McMahon'a got one employed on the payroll, or some guy who he had put on a mask of his face..."

"I missed that, right? Linka recalled only being shot up by an MP5 by Allie. "Right, I figured it would be too easy. I missed out more than I thought... Shit."

"This isn't getting any easier, but with Allie here-"

"Find an isolated place," Linka snapped. "Gotta speed this up before we have more problems, and that's before adding that the creep in the iron skull mask. You know, the killer of the twins."

"That's concerning," Leven thought. "Radical people are stepping up to bat against phenos, good Lord." He shook his head profusely. "Civil war, Linka, like I've stated before. It's already begun, there's no stopping it now."

**Elsewhere**

Dylan Blood came quietly, entering the limousine without even a rustle or a peep. The vehicle was parked along the side of a barren road, and one could not help but wonder if it had broken down. It wasn't, the chauffeur had remained outside, standing firm guard while a special meeting took place. A small, quick get-together between client and worker. Dylan Blood had been moving about the pieces, but it wasn't just to his gain or agenda. In truth, the funding and resources he had at his disposal came from a special board of elites with the agenda to maintain the high class of society in the world where phenos had the chance to become the dominant human species.

The league of elites had surely loved Blood's performance on national television, hoping that it would put out the message they wanted. Right now, Cornelius Dietrich, an entrepreneur of old age, and long-time councilman of a town upstate, called upon the young man to update and deliver the next set of special instructions on the campaign against phenokind. "You've exceeded past expectations, my good man," Dietrich proudly bellowed. "I had my doubts, but not only did you shake the entire country, but you took out the damned goody two-shoes heroines Momentum and Velocity, and that's by far the best thing you've achieved!"

"I aim to please," Blood quietly exhaled. "How many more of these monsters will you have me take down next? Surely a lot, and let me tell you, Mr. Dietrich, public opinion can be swayed against them, that's what I believe."

"Oh? By all means, let me hear what you propose, Blood."

Dylan raised a finger, wagging it. "More crimes committed by phenos is the key to having the fine citizens turn against them. They were victims in all Vial Corporation facilities, but that stopped the minute just one particular beast took the initiative and showed them all to fight back, a dangerous sliver of hope that could become something else no one wants."

"The Superbeast of Dadetown-"

"Is a symbol, the beacon of hope to them whether they realize it or not. The freaks in Dadetown will forever know it, but the others..." He put his hand down. "Not so much, not yet anyway."

"So..." Dietrich believed he understood. "You're suggesting-?"

"Luna Loud is the next pheno to die, yes," the madman confirmed. "The face of pheno revolution started with her and she didn't even bother to see the mantle was there, even if she'd been told by someone. While I locate her whereabouts, you mind telling me about that St. Claire girl?"

Dietrich froze, surprised to find that Dylan had been going the extra mile for more credit. "Interesting, I didn't ever think you'd... Come across it."

"I find it interesting to learn the circumstances around her death, and especially when the papers tell of it being a bloody murder of some sort. Killed while on her bed, what was that, some angry boyfriend killing her? Or perhaps hiring a set of hands? I'd like to know, to hear it from you-"

"What in the devil are you implying, son?"

Dylan grew angry but only blinked casually. "Old man, don't you dare bullshit me- I can practically feel this is connected to the agenda. Also, she's one of you, I know that for sure."

"Was..." Dietrich suddenly spilled. "That girl was the granddaughter of-"

"I don't care about the relations, I want to know what she was doing prior to this, that's all..."

"Well..." The old man tugged the collar of his fancy million-dollar suit. "She had a pheno in hand, using her via blackmail-"

Dylan's eyes widened briefly, then went shut, followed by him laughing freakishly. "You old farts let someone that young run her own area? What, did this pheno in particular have friends that could take care of this blackmail problem? Because that's what clicks for me. Lacey St. Claire fucked with the wrong person and died for it. You've given me some useful hints as to who this pheno is and the fact that you guys utilize blackmail to get them to do your bidding."

"Dare you suggest we are scoundrels-"

"You are fools to believe they can be used that way," Dylan berated, shaking his head. "Frankly, that's disgusting. Phenos are all worthy of extermination, you've preached that, and you and your friends have laid it out on the table from start to finish. Got me in with the right money, the proper resources for me to move about where you can't afford to, but you just confirmed that you'll take phenos and push them towards one another?"

"I don't understand the issue here, nor do I like your tone-"

"You're gonna like it a lot less, you wrinkly bastard!"

"I beg your-?" Dietrich went quiet when Dylan yanked out a silver object. "Dear God!"

"And I'd be more than happy to freeze your legs, maybe your chauffeur out there. I am genuinely tempted..."

"Now hold on-" Dietrich implored, only for Blood to emerge back out, pull the pin on the grenade and push the unsuspected chauffeur down. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

"Hot potato!" Dylan tossed it after a delay, letting it fall onto the downed chauffeur's chest. It blew up right over him, emitting a pure white liquid that sprayed over him, suddenly encasing him in a layer of frozen ice. In seconds, the top half of the driver had now frozen to become a partial human icicle, and Dylan ensured death by cracking the head from the neck with a medium tug from both arms. "I dare because I can, Dietrich. I sure hope you weren't close to this-"

"Walter, y-you sick fuck!"

"Don't get angry with me, old man, we wouldn't want you to lose your head!" The decapitated frozen head was thrown like a basketball right into the limo, shattering away at Dietrich's feet, causing him to scream in a panic. "Hang on, I'm not finished with the questions."

"What more do you want?!"

"Lord Reginald Tetherby was killed some time ago by a shooter, never found the shooter, but all of that property passed down to next of kin. Two daughters and a son, split. Now, a man with a family, what gain could have been there that required him to be killed?"

"I- I don't understand- We brought you in after his death-"

Dylan smiled. "I was playing you, and here you are, affirming my initial suspicions that he was part of it. So then, McMahon..." He didn't need to say anymore than he had. "McMahon and Tetherby signed on to buy Kapacity Korp, then Tetherby dies- Come on, this is a conspiracy as clear as daylight, anyone should be able to see that."

"M-McMahon-" Dietrich stuttered.

"Tell me..."

Dietrich had gotten nervously spooked by the IQ the young man of pale skin had possessed. "We wanted Kapacity Korp, and so did he, but for different gains it appears. All- All of this talk about what he plans, these little deadly whispers that go around, feeding us what could be-"

"What you want is not what he wants..." Dylan began to conclude. "Because...?"

"If you're so smart, you Goddamn millennial-"

"I know what he wants now," Dylan cut off. "World genocide, recreate all targeted humans as genetically altered clones, meanwhile, you see that people higher than him are trying their best to distract everyone from that. I don't want that, that's why I threw McMahon under the bus on air."

"Y-you what?!"

"Sorry, I assumed you saw the footage..." He forced out a disappointed sigh. "Reading it in the papers does not suffice."

"You dare antagonize Peter McMahon, boy?!"

"I do it all to stop the dream of his if I'm to be honest," Dylan answered, not dealing out his hidden, suppressed fury. "Gotta wonder how deep this runs, its scary when all the opponents are lying in the shadows, waiting for the pawns to move in closer... Then, you're out."

"No, your job is to scare all phenos into silence!"

"And that's also what I'm doing, Dietrich, sir," Dylan assured, pulling out the same revolver used on the twins out. "You've given me everything I need to instigate war on both fronts."

"Both...?"

"It all comes down to the pro-phenos and the anti-phenos, not just one specific side. You're an anti, part of a league of antis prepared to correct what you deem as endangering to your life. It's selfish and disgusting at most, and right before I accepted, I just knew you all had selfish gains out of this, and here we are now, dancing that promised dance I hoped to have with the board."

"Dear Lord, y-you played us-"

"No..." Dylan pulled the trigger, shooting Dietrich point blank in the face. "I'm playing everyone, and you are the message."

Dietrich slumped back, tipping to the side and leaving behind a smear of a trail of his blood on the seats, and the mess to be made beyond that. Not the madman's problem, he didn't care, he didn't bother to clean up. The board of elites would see to it that he made them just mwre targets on the sight of this revolver, for all that they were worth. Greedy pigs intending to remain in the high table, paying for tiny wars from where they sat. Why was that familiar?

_The St. Claire girl, the senior Tetherby... Two members of this little club of wretches acting from the comfort of their homes having acted since before the leaks came to light. Then that means that their intentions to use Kapacity Korp had to be as some special prison to hold them. The only reason McMahon wasn't killed by them is because he sweet-talked his way into the circle and fooled them into thinking he was onboard with him. A politician piece of shit among them, or another one if the elites made some serious friends-_

Dylan had returned to the vehicle he left parked, concealed out of the roads, revolver at hand. The vehicle, a stolen DHL delivery van, was still there, undiscovered- and the three special guests in the back hadn't seemed to find a way to escape. He knocked a few times before he opened both back doors. "Hello, ladies-"

Leia, Gwen and Marsha were gagged and tied up, all of them conscious but bloodied up around their heads from his brutal knockout methods. He was interested in Gwen, the one who had so little will that made her the quickest to open her mouth. "Gwendolyn Harris, it is time to earn your life back-"

"EEEK!" Gwen screeched, fearfully alarmed at the gun that pressed against her cheek. "Y-you wouldn't kill a little girl, w-would you?"

"Let's play a game," Dylan switched, a wide grin forming right into his cold face. "Which girl of these two do you care for the most, Gwen? Marsha... Or little Leia?"

"What- I like them both!" Gwen replied without thinking. "They're my best friends!"

Dylan had only become unsatisfied with the answer, which drove him mad enough to pull Marsha right out by her feet. Gwen and Leia shook themselves to try and roll out of the van, sensing Marsha had just been placed in mortal danger. Seconds later, and while the coldness of the stiff breeze worked its way to their skin, Leia and Gwen were helpless to see the pale lunatic stomping right on the ground where Marsha was, and the sound of flesh being pounded on filled their ears, followed by the very faint moans the muffled Marsha cried out. He continued to beat the young black teenager to death before the two. Leia burst into soft tears and shut her eyes, unable to accept this madness. "NO! NO, DON'T HURT MARSHA!"

"Did I get the wrong one?" Dylan let his feet rest up, but he bent down and picked Marsha by her hair, showing Gwen the full force of his deviant might. "Look here! The concept of a bloody, broken face will be so horrendously scarred beyond recognition. You'll be ever so sorry you ran from home, you uneducated shit."

"M-Marsha-" Gwen shakily emitted. "Marsha?"

"For your life, do you solemnly swear that all you've told me is true? That the shooter behind Tetherby's death has their grip on you?"

"Had!" Gwen yelled out tearfully. "They framed us as the girls behind it! We don't know who but we know it had to do with that one guy, that senator with the glasses and funny moustache-"

"Peter McMahon!"

"WE TOLD YOU WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW!"

Dylan sighed, dropping his head. "And it's never gold enough for me-" He made his decision, redirecting his gun right down at Marsha's head, and then two more right for Gwen and Leia. Gwen, the only one who went with a scream, and then nothing- She went to heaven missing an eyes, or if if would be repaired as a ghost, then she was pretty much good, walking into the holy gates of the unknown heavens with the other two. He didn't treat their bodies in mint condition, however, proving to not care by tossing the corpses of the two girls out of the uellow van.

_Stupid to use pawns like this, McMahon. Just plain stupid... I'm going to get you, and I'm going to get Lincoln Loud, and I'm going to make bloody examples out of you. I'll take down the worldbreakers before anyone can achieve devastating dominance. _

The news reports told of Lincoln Loud working his way through members of Kapacity Korp, that meant that he'd be busy trying to reach McMahon's front door, but Dylan wanted to beat the Loud man to the punch, to take McMahon from under him and reel him in with the senator. Him and the remaining Louds, that is. Multiple birds, one stone. One more piece to finalize this chess game. _See you soon, kids._

**Back To Linka, M'dudes**

Dead of night had nothing on the clones. They could be on a tropical island with bad weather, and they'd still go through with their plans. Allie was placed against a tree but hadn't been conscious yet until Linka slapped her hard across the face. "Oh, it worked! Girl's awake!"

"Uh...?" Allie moaned. "Wha- Lemy?"

"Peekaboo," Linka joked, waving casually.

Allie jumped up, freaking out and swiftly moving forward to attack, but only to have some weak legs that made her fall back down. Looking at them, she knew why; Linka had already cut them up in bad shape, and she hadn't felt it happen while knocked out. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Linka had the gun in her hands kiss upon Allie's head. "You're so gonna die, sexy mama."

"Don't think you've gotten me beaten!" Allie grunted. "However it was that you've escaped my uncle, we'll make sure it won't happen again, you hear me?! It won't happen again!"

"Because we won't be caught, hehehe," Linka egged on. "Same can't be said about you, now-"

Leven moved in, grabbed the transformed Allie and slammed her right back into the tree. "Where can we find your dear old uncle?"

"B-bite me-"

Leven repeated the process, harder this time. Instead of asking again, he dug his hands into the wounds of Allie's legs, scratching all over hard enough to make her scream in displeasure.

"Why don't we just put one in all of her limbs?!" Linka opted.

Leven ignored the clone, still persisting to get the truth right out of Allie. "The longer you'll make us wait, the more likely you'll die here in the cold."

"I'll beg to differ-" Allie suddenly coughed violently, dripping out blood from her mouth and nostrils. Another closer look at it showed Leven and Linka that it wasn't red blood, but a dark green ooze. "M-my fucking lungs-"

"Shit..."

"What the fuck- Is she bleeding vomit?!" Linka cupped her mouth. "Ew!"

Allie ran her fingers across her face, taking a sample of her blood in between her fingers and gasped when she saw the color was not red. "Oh, no..."

"Side effect of that serum?" Leven guessed.

Allie's heart elevated past its hundreds, beating out rapidly again. "My buh- My body, it's being rejected- You..."

"Rejected?"

"Y-you made me incompatible!" Allie reached out to grab Leven, only for Linka to fire off a shot right at her chest. Allie slumped right back, gurgling out more blood than before. She wheezed, taking slow but painful breaths. "No-Not now- Not now..."

"Linka!" Leven took away the albino girl's toy away. "Sit in the corner."

"We're doing a shit job as it is, it almost akin to lazy writing!"

"Allie, is it?" Leven snapped his fingers at her when it looked like she had frozen up. "Hey, look at me-"

The Taggart girl exhaled slowly, her cold breath all but visible. "Its gonna k-kill me..." The darkened veins on her skin began popping, and the darkened blood flowing through oozed out, dropping all over her face. The white pearls of her eyes degraded its pure form, being joined by red, waving lines that implied a heavy state of decay. "No, no, no, no- You have to help me- Antidote- The antidote is Calantine X-" Again, she vomited intensely, this time hoarding out a red chunk of flesh. "Hurggghhhhhh-"

"You won't make it like this," Leven addressed, not sugarcoating her declining lifespan. "Tell me where- Tell us and we'll be sure to-"

"What- What can you possibly do?" Her breathing rate had declined by then, which could have only signified her heart was dying out. "Oh, G-God- Antidote- Antidote too far away..."

"This isn't what you wanted, is it?" Leven figuratively offered a hand to her. "He made you do this, he gave you that drug- And now you're going to die for the cause that he didn't start. Why would you bother giving your life? Did you even know you'd be dying?"

"Oh, f-fuck off-" Allie spewed more blood from her mouth, gasping away. "Fuck everything- He- He promised me-" She broke like a pregnant woman's water, bursting into tears but tightening her face. "Oh, that piece of shit granted me immunity- A- A free fucking pass if I gave it my all-"

Leven moved closer and leaned against the tree next to her, sitting down right beside her. "Tell me, is it betrayal that you feel?"

"Betrayal-" Allie snickered amidst the pain. "Stabbed in the back, tossed under the bus- You can call it whatever you want, but I served my p-purpose-"

"So, what, you think yourself as trash?" Leven unearthed. "A nobody that will go down without-?"

"D-don't you dare judge me, fah-faggot!" Allie lost her strength and feeling in her arms and legs. "Right down to my own death, I- I've learned the hard way that everyone is a traitorous maggot-"

"Everyone, huh?" Leven reached a hand over to Allie, setting it on her shoulder. "Or is it that you've hung with the wrong crowd all this time?"

"Wrong crowd?" Allie shook her head. "All crowds, all insects and I'm not an exception."

"You could have, Allie," Leven lamented. "You could have stepped out of the field, lived a life, married a nice man-"

"O-or woman-" Allie added in.

"Yeah, or woman-"

Linka wandered away from the pair, moving around and further into the dark woods on her own in utter silence.

"Not for me, I can't be allowed t-to have that-" Allie turned her head to him. "Uncle Peter gave me a home, gave me a purpose, helped me redirect my anger for his cause-"

"I don't get your message, you're angry at him but you're-"

"He isn't going to save me, now I can finally die-" Allie smiled. "I didn't want to, not now. Not today, and I feel like a fool, accepting all of his own ideas and life lessons, all p-pointless-"

"You wanted to make it to the end, to see the world fall," Leven realized.

"For all my suffering..." Allie whispered out. "My mother, that damn whore of a woman made it clear I was an unwanted brat- Could you ever bear the thought of knowing you were a mistake? Unplanned p-pregnancy-"

"Dude..." Leven pulled Allie close to him, then laying her right onto his lap. "That's so unfair, Allie. That really is-"

She continued to cry right under him, and he helped wipe her tears away. "The- The moment I shot him, I felt... I felt like her, in the- The sense that I just pushed him down, broke his heart-"

Leven lend her his undivided attention. "Yeah?"

"The dude- Lemy- Lemy had feelings for me, I know it's not the same type of love that was shattered- B-but I hate myself for it-"

"You did it anyway-"

"Oh- Oh, yeah, I did-" Allie hiccuped. "I killed him... No way I wanted him to live with-" Then, it made sense to her. "Oh, God, I don't want to disappoint those who t-trust- I deserve this..."

"Hey, no you don't," Leven protested. "You've just realized your mistakes, and you're human, you have the right to live just as we clones do- And by God, you reject it because you've been made an undesirable by the person, maybe more, who were meant to love you. I get it, I do, but that does not make everyone the same type of individual."

"Y-you're the first-" Allie wept. "You're the only one...!"

"Had I met you before all of this..." Leven then leaned in and kissed the dying girl's forehead. "Maybe it could have been different."

"Don't- Don't you dare lie to me-"

"You won't die alone, Allison," Leven promised. "I'll hold onto you-"

"Y-you fucking asshole..." Allie had then a change of heart. "My hands- My hands are c-cold..."

Leven honored her request and held both her hands.

"Mansion-" Allie finally talked. "North Carolina private estate he runs off to."

"North Carolina?"

"L-listen, he's- He's going to level the playing field. Th-they're coming, they're coming to combat the pheno threat directly-"

"What- Who?" Leven's eyes widened with concern. "What's going on?"

"Uncle P-Peter and his friends within the government are going to sanction th-the-" Then, she trailed off, finally succumbing to the nasty side effects of this toxin Medi-Sin. Allison Taggart was no more in this world, and as such, Leven had the honors of closing her eyelids. And then he closed his own eyes to mourn her in a moment of disheartening silence for the person she was underneath all of that shell, and the person she could have been.

He kept her body warm, and, not being a cold type of person, he took her body with them, covering up her face with his sweater only, and Linka didn't say a word to question it. "Did she talk?"

Not only did he not, but his answer was, "She did more than that, Linka. She got to express her true self right before she fell into the abyss. I just hope that God bestows His mercy on her soul."

"Hmph..." Linka maintained silence instead of being silly and full of jokes. "What now?"

"Girl said something," Leven informed, getting back on the wheel. "She said that McMahon was trying to sanction something, I don't know what it is. She... Passed before she told me, and I didn't get to ask about the decoy McMahon... Damn it all, we got nowhere."

"Hey, so... I saw that video of that dude, that Dylan Blood creep and the twins-"

"What, why?!" Leven was outraged. "Not even I-"

"Not to see them die, dagnabit-" Linka puckered her lips. "Got me feeling like grandma Linka! Anyways, I had to see it for myself for analyzing purposes, and you know what I've found?"

"No, what'd you find?"

Linka snapped her fingers and pointed right at his face. "Black Network, ladies and gentlemen! The background room matched one of them, my memory isn't a shit unlike Salvo's! Now, that's where the fuck we have to go!"

"Two stops left into this little road trip..." Leven nodded. "Yes, it's settled then!"

"We need to find the others," Linka suggested. "Luna and that Sam girl. God knows where Caroline, the Lynnfag zoomer and Bobby are! Lyle and Lindsey can't be too hard to find! Hmm, the other three clones are scattered in the wind..." Linka really tried to pinpoint allies.

"Where would Lincoln be, sis? Any ideas?"

"He could be anywhere, spilling blood, obviously," Linka believed. "But I can guess is that he knows. I feel that he knows about the twins, about Blood, and if he saw what I saw, he'll be heading straight to the Black Network."

**Far Away**

Lincoln Loud and Darceline "Darcy" Holmandollar sat across from each other, digging into special platters at a diner. The albino man used the utensils to pick up the scrambled eggs on his plate, ingesting it away. Meanwhile, Darcy had only held onto her fork and knife but did not make a move. "You're joking, you've gotta be!"

"Dead serious," Lincoln confirmed, only wishing he were playing her. "I'm right in the middle of it, and I'm stripped away of any likely allies to cover my six."

"Well..." Darcy processed his speech-sized explanation. "As much as I'd hate to get involved into something that runs deeper than a garbage chute, you scratched my back and I owe you for that, so you've got yourself an ally."

"That's appreciated," Lincoln thanked. "Had I more of them-"

"Yeah, yeah, a badass team of unstoppable, indestructible warriors or something. I oughta kill you and claim the money-" She joked, laughing hoarsely. "Not gonna lie, it's more than I figured I could chew. I have a hard time believing it but I know you can't be lying, you're no bullshitter. Hey, if you make it out alive, write up a novel about this, or, get into the comic book industry."

"Man, I loved comics..."

"Who doesn't?" Darcy finally jammed her fork onto one of the sausages on her plate. "Hey, you said your sisters- Two of them, twins- They're really the speed queens with those generic superhero names?"

"Basically, yeah, why?"

Darcy studied him, trying so hard to pinpoint the faint glimmer of knowledge. She saw the special, explicit broadcast not suitable for kids. "Lincoln, you don't know?"

"Hmmm?" He chewed on his second bite, swallowing it down. "What are you on about?"

"Jesus, Linc, you're still the same, purposely ignorant about the world's current dealings..." Darcy took out her phone and searched for that very special video. "Days ago, some dude hacked his way into the television networks, and I mean all of the channels- It sounded like a declaration of war- Whatever, here, watch this."

The white-haired pheno took her phone, flipping it sideways to see the full screen of this video. And he saw it, he saw the young man of pale skin and spiky hair. The political message, the stone-cold double headshot execution. And it happened some days ago. Not an hour, not a day, but more than that. And it happened while he wasn't around them, when they were- He let go of the fork, sulking to a ravenous rage. They were vulnerable without him, guards down and defenseless without the gunner Lincoln. He knew it, and he felt he had all the reason to force it down Luna's throat. "And they had the balls to reject me and my other sister," he mocked. "They'll surely need me now, they have to."

"So they are-?"

"Yeah, they're my sister's- Or... Were my sisters..."

"Small world, Linc, small world indeed... So, what's the next move? Where will you lead us?"

On the next table over, Lori Loud, dressed in a dark blue sweater and khakis, had an idea. "Rememeber what we used to to? Scope it out, take a look at the surroundings. This is the digital age, we can find out where this was filmed, you know?"

"That'd be impossible," Lincoln brushed away. "What good would that be? Bastard has probably left there by now."

"Again, you're not seeing what I see," Lori lectured. "There's always more than what you see at first glance. That's the Black Network, Lincoln. I've been there long enough to recognize it."

"What...?" Lincoln rewinded the footage. "This is-"

"The guy killed Lana and Lola, but he's also telling us where to find him, you get me?" Lori turned, directing her words in his earshot. "Good to see you again, Darcy. How've you been?"

"Still up to your C4 crap?" Darcy challenged.

"Keeping tabs on me, Lori?" Lincoln chuckled.

"The minute I found about that vile person taking the life of my sisters, I've been trailing you all. Just know that I can trace you by your scents- Luna and the blonde girl are by themselves now, don't know what happened to everyone else. Now I can ask you the whereabouts to Lynn-"

"She's been captured, there's a base in Los Angeles, that's all I know," Lincoln shared. "That means we're stripped of all zoomers."

"So we are," Lori sighed out. "So we are."

Lincoln raised his eyes upwards, suddenly remember the zoomer in green and black- The Lynn fangirl- Was still around, an actual thing in existence. "No, no we're not, there is another zoomer I've come across, busted me out out of containment. Quite possibly..."

"I need a scent to track her, but a zoomer-" Lori shook her head. "Won't be easy or fast..."

"I'd say we need to reunite you scattered phenos, whoever can help, no?" Darcy tossed in. "That's... Who, Luna, this Lynn girl- Sorry, too many L names, uh, Lani?"

"Lincoln, what about the clones?"

"Sheesh!"

Lincoln rubbed his chin. "The ones called Link-A and Link-N have added themselves into Luna's group, last I've seen. Why, you didn't see them?"

"No, it was just Luna and that blonde girl I don't know. Wait, what about the other three clones?"

Lincoln shook his head. "Way too far out of reach."

"What- What the hell happened while I went into hiding?"

Lincoln blinked once, then- "Everything."

"Only you, little brother, only you..."

"Its settled, we find Luna first, get them both onboard before we go knocking on the Black Network. McMahon can wait as long as he doesn't have the clones- Which I'm in the dark about."

"I'm with you," Darcy agreed.

"Third."

"That Dylan Blood won't know what hit him, you can be damn sure of it."

* * *

**AN: The Kapacity Korp saga conclusion ends in this act, but another will start. Everyone's totally in for the big surprises coming down, the aftermath of which will leave your beloved protagonists in shambles. Next in the storyline, Blood Hunt, followed by Blood War! **


	39. Chapter 39

**Year Unknown: Chapter 3 has prepared you for this.**

* * *

**December, 1887 - Boston, Massachusetts**

"Helena- Helena Andrea White, how dare you allow the pet mouse of a man to deflower you like this!" It was the curly-haired young woman's own mother to give her the unholy scolding from start to finish, and no such punches were being pulled. Helena White had eloped with a man in a majestic illusion, dare I say delusion, of grand love and seismic sexual lust in between her and her partner, the grand, handsome and suave Sir George Armstrong who hailed from a family of travelers. They had that amazing sex under the roof of what he called a house- A little shack in the outskirts of town, quiet and lonely for her taste- and just right for her and for the handsome man.

Helena was a girl born of an interracial couple, being a medium tan-skinned girl with a curly hairstyle of dark ruby-red, and of course, she was a little plump as well, and George loved ger anyway. Well, he did so, said so until Helena had come out with the pregnancy news. You'd quickly piece together how the story went. He ran off, she was left in the pool of her own tears, and Momma White had all the reason to berate her only daughter to engage in the sinful dance, and it was premarital sex, the most hate thing Momma had to accept from here on out. Soiled the name of White did Helena, disgrace it, muddy it up to astonishing, destructive ways thought unimaginable.

"I can't begin to comprehend the magnitude..." Victoria White, the strict, vulgar woman of a mother, did not accept this, but to disown her daughter and future granddaughter- Well, how would that make her look? Even when she wanted to keep her, there would be judgment galloping around from all neighbors, right down to the townsfolk. No, not unless drastic measures were taken. "I can't have you outside while it shows, you hear me?"

Helena interpreted it correctly, understanding that her mother would implement house arrest the second she looked like she was pregnant. It had just started, so maybe in the timespan of two or three months from now, freedom would be revoked. And revoked to try and preserve as much of the image of the White family to the outside world. But now- No, since that day she laid nude underneath her man, Helena cursed the bloodline. Helena cursed it, through the eyes of the superstitious Victoria, and damned be that baby when it came out to become a part of the old society. "Yes, mother."

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter VI: The Story Of Heather White**

* * *

**September, 1888**

She had to give birth on her own bed, and it wasn't pretty to begin with. The good doctor Victoria White had brought in to help in the birthing process had been paid double to keep silence about the kid, had to be done. Young Helena had now been able to rest, to relax her body after she strained and put all her energy in pumping the baby out. The baby, a healthy girl held in the arms of grandmother Victoris. "Mother? Mother, is my baby-?"

"It's a girl," Victoria smiled. "She's beautiful."

"My baby! Can I see my baby?"

Victoria, however, had a different idea. Rather than fulfilling her daughter's wish, she brushed it away. "Honey, why don't you get some sleep? You just gave birth after all."

Helena considered it, but truthfully had slight concern for mother's plans with the child that she very well knew she didn't want around this time. Even so, no way was Victoria White some sort of baby-killing maniac. "Okay... Please watch her, mother. Please watch my daughter."

"Yes, dear, just please-" Victoria carried away the child from the room. "Nap, dear."

"Yes, mother..." Helena shut her eyes, drifting away to a good sleep after Victoria shut the door with her feet, footsteps fading out. "Goodnight, mother... Goodnight... Magdela White."

**October, 1895**

Six-year-old Magdela White, who usually went by Maggie, took more after her father than Helena, and it showed- And to be frank, it surely enraged and humiliated Victoria in the long run. That elder woman, a blonde, aging hag with the bad traits and qualities of a person, hated what young Maggie resembled, reminded her of. That one bastard who had his way with her passed down his notable, physical traits. For instance, Maggie had his pale skin, and long, dark hair not like Helena's. It was as if she was born to be a reminder that Helena was no longer a pure goddess, a spawn of Satan, damned to be a White. And it was just like Victoria had believed initially; the White bloodline was tainted with this child, this hellspawn with a common girl's name, in the form of a little girl. Not a little girl through grandma's eyes. Just a curse.

Just a curse.

Maggie, whether or not a true devil, didn't act like one. She was in the living room of the small residence of the White abode, playing around with a soft doll with button eyes and a smile sewn into the face. One of those redhead dollies as soft as a pillow, but lifeless at that. She loved and treasured it like any other little girl, content around it. Her mother had been out fetching the groceries, leaving little Maggie alone with grandma Vicky, the secretly resentful woman who wished a tragedy upon this plaque.

She did nothing but keep an eye on her, formulating some sort of how-awful, maniacal idea on how to lure Maggie to harm that looked like it was of her own carelessness, not on the mother's lap. Poisoning, maybe loose flooboards, maybe something so unbelievably horrendous, some natural event. Victoria could see it now, the house catching fire, and little Maggie, the pale hellspawn dying in there while she played an act to the witnesses. Helena should have never opened her legs, that sinner.

All these tolerating her- just how could she end up like in the later years? Those juvenile years of impulse, curiosity and lustful wonder? That Maggie would likely have big breasts, an immoral taste for all men, and maybe something even worse that what Helena had become in her eyes. It truly disgusted her, ruining the sanctity of the family tree.

Maggie herself was oblivious to it all, mother was the loving brand she waa glad to have, but the vibes from grandma were of a different variety, more darker for her taste, and she did not want it. She didn't want to associate too much with grandma Vicky for that, but even still, the witch was family. She was meant to love grandma- and yet she just didn't.

Then, there were times where she wondered where daddy was, and why he never showed up. That was a bridge that Helena didn't want to cross with Maggie right away, but the day would come when she'd understand. Until then, Helena played both roles... Aa much as she could.

Victoria had been reading a book, laying on the couch when Maggie had gotten up and strutted towards the kitchen, thirsty for water. Her eyes followed the child, peeling away from the book. Maggie had her back turned to her the whole way, making it easier for Victoria to get away with it. _Disgusting creature, wearing the skin of the baatard who dares take my sunflower's virginity. _

"Ahhh..." Maggie set down the cup into the sink, running back to play with the doll, and naturally, she felt over before exiting the kitchen, knees and elbows smacking right against the hardwood floor. For a second, she stayed silent, and then the pain kicked in, spiking up right on all four of her joints. She cried out, sobbing out for her grandma when she got up, and ran over to her to have the boo-boos get the remedy from the properties of Victoria's kisses. Only-

"You'll be fine, just-" Vicky didn't know where the bandages were. "Dang it, child, don't run in the house!"

Maggie only kept crying, now showing Victoria a gaping scrape wound on her right elbow. "I-it hurts!"

"It's just a rough cut, my dear girl!" Victoria scolded. "Go use some napkins or towels to patch yourself up!" She helped Maggie up, directing her to the bathroom. "Up you go."

Maggie had to do it herself while the eyes of the only adult around were stuck on her, fixated and judging her all the same. "Grandma-"

"You'll be okay, Magdela." She was sure of it, doing her best to soothe Maggie from her pain, because, well, her girly cries were too much and enough for her to lose her temper then and there, any second and that bubble would burst open. "Please-"

"When's mom coming?" Maggie placed a tiny cloth to her scraped wound, hissing with pain when it connected.

"She won't be long, child," Victoria hissed, seeing that Maggie seemed to be handling it well, then leaving to get away from her.

And Maggie only looked on, feeling the sudden vibes from her, of which she sensed a sort of hate and disgust of the wee granddaughter for some reason. She didn't know if it was some sort of true antagonism or just a misinterpretation of things- Not like Maggie had done something to set her off once. Not yet at least. Maybe she was wrong, if anything. Maybe grandma Vicky just had that tell to her, always had.

**Later**

Not long after the sun retreated to the other side of the world, grandma Vicky took her leave and went into her room for the night. The second she locked her door, she was dug, buried into her room like it were a deep ravine. The tiny house was quiet at the time, the three female inhabitants having already eaten their nightly supper for the night. Maggie was full with one bowl of vegetable soup and a serving of hot cocoa, sitting on her mother's lap, being read some picture books.

"And then, the young boy plucked some nice flowers before he went to see the girl, his friend-"

Maggie let out girlish giggles, mentally making a joke that the fictional boy fancied the girl in the story.

"And he knocked right on the door." Helena continued, stroking a hand through little Maggie's black hair. "And do you know what he saw?"

Maggie turned the next page, again laughing when she laid her tiny eyes on it. The drawing underneath the text depicted a girl of long, black hair in a black dress and a red scarf around her neck. "Sweet Heather Eleanor Hudson awaits her best friend Carlyle!" Maggie read with great enthusiasm. "They're just so cute, mommy. They look happy."

"Which makes this a pleasantly wholesome read, my love," Helena warmly formed out, kissing Maggie's cheek. "In there and out here, Maggie. Guess what?"

"What, mother?" Maggie looked up at Helena, face expression depicting a healthy, childish wonder. Her mouth had gone agape, in the form of an 'O'.

"It's time to sleep, my love," Helena smothered away, moving the book out of her lap, followed by the young girl. "Come on, up you go."

"Aww-" Maggie squealed. "Can't I please solemnly have-?"

"I'm sorry, Maggie, but rules are rules-" Helena linked her hands with Maggie's, raising them up to control her daughter like a ventriloquist puppet, then leading them both into the room. "A good night's sleep means a healthy day when the dawn arrives, honey."

"Yes, mother-" Maggie then jerked to a stop and turned back to the living room. "My dolly!"

Helena followed Maggie's eyes and let go of her hands to fetch the soft doll of red hair. "Yes, of course, dear."

"Oh, how I love my friend!" Maggie cheered, hugging the doll tightly, rushing rapidly to her bed. "Tuck us in, mother! I love it when you do!"

Helena nodded, advancing over girl and doll. She arranged the covers well over Maggie, ensuring they were perfect for her added comfort. Then, she planted a kiss on Maggie's forehead and blew out the candle on her nightstand. "Okay, sweetheart, you have a goodnight now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, mommy," Maggie wearily said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, my little Magdela." Helena grinned with pride once more as she shut the door to the young girl's room before she took for the night. The White abode had gotten more silent now, more isolated and deadened.

"That thing asleep now?" Victoria had peeked her straining face right out through the door. "She's a cancer to us all, least you could do-"

"What- Mother, you speak nothing but immoral blasphemy!" Helena scolded. "My daughter is just a little girl with her whole life ahead of her-"

"A girl with no father makes for troubled youth!" Victoria wasn't afraid to be blunt with her daughter. "I can see why you think this is okay! It's you who lacked a father figure and in that, the right punishment, the right lessons-"

"Mother-" Helena began to stutter. "I didn't let it happen again-"

"And it should not have happened to begin with!" Victoria opened the door and went right up into Helena's face. "If he hadn't died on the both of us, child-" She pointed to Maggie's room. "To hell with you and that devious creature you call your daughter! That monster does not take after me, nor does it take after your father! No, not even you! How can you dare raise the child of the man who impregnated and abandoned the both of you?!"

"Mother..." Helena developed bloodshot eyes from the emotional scars Victoria re-opened. "I'm- I've been trying-"

"No, you have not!" Victoria's rancid breath entered deep past Helena's nostrils. "You failed us all that one miserable night, and I will be holding you to that until one of us dies."

"I..." Helena was left rather breathless, feeling ashamed as she was the night she broke the news out. "I did everything to atone it, mother-"

"And yet, the curse-" Victoria stepped back. "The curse is permanent."

"Not a curse-" Helena refused to think so little of her daughter, rejected the idea of degrading her. "No, no, she is my baby, my one and only child, and I love her just the same! If you can't accept that-"

"Then what? Hmmm?" Victoria re-entered her room, moving backwards. "Marry into a good man's family soon, you hear me?! That insect cannot be raised properly if she lacks both parental figures..."

And the next words that came out of Victoria's mouth broke the camel's back of Helena.

"Just look at how you turned out..." Victoria slammed the door in between her and the curly-haired daughter, this being the final talk before the night had begun. And Helena, letting tears fall to the floor with an hurtful, unpleasantly empty feeling in her

_Just... Look at how I turned out...? _Next thing she knew, Helena stayed in the bathroom after minutes have passed. She started at herself, the soul, the figure looking back at her in the mirror. This was the face of the sinful creature whom Victoria White dared blame for the birth of that child when she could not just blame the man who planted his seed. And maybe she was right to do so, for this life was hard, and Helena had already been helping her mother out throughout the years, now they had the third live-in to worry about. Was it that Victoria had deemed Maggie am undesirable simply because of the attention that was so obviously divided? Was there any sense in that? Or was it like Victoria had always been telling Helena? The same beat and rhythm that Maggie, the product of premarital sex, had started a cycle of bad luck, the true curse she sang out constantly?

But whatever one reason it was, whatever the reason of her anger was, Helena could come to agree with herself that it wouldn't stop. It hasn't, it didn't, and it would have never stopped-

She had her hands around a pair of scissors, extending them and hovering both blades over her right wrist. Simple as that, she'd jam them in and run them down her arm, and then to the other one. It'd be painful, it'd make her squirm and hiss in horrid agony, and even worse, it would leave Magdela alone with that brute bitch Victoria. Maggie could be vulnerable to attack, was there really a limit to the grandma's pettiness? What the hell- _Oh, my God, I- I can't- B-but I want it to stop- I want it to stop. M__y Maggie-_

She pulled the scissors away.

_No, I can't do that- I can't do that to my Maggie- My sweet angelface. _

In this moment of broken weakness, Helena accepted that she was shattered from within, hurt and in anger from the heartless words so spoken by her mother, the cruelest woman ever to have the audacity to let alone breathe. And she had not only failed herself but that sweet girl of white skin, you know, the one who had no idea about the lives before her, nothing at all. Who he was, why grandma had that semi-subtle hate-boner for her, and that strange atmosphere around them. Also... Maggie rarely left the house, and when she did, it had only been at times when Victoria was hitting the hay.

_Magdela- Mag, I'm so sorry, I can't believe it's this bad for me- _Helena put down the scissors back onto the sink, trying to steady her heartbeat. _I failed you... I failed you for considering it alone- Damn it... Cursed... I feel-_

**November, 1895**

One late night, during mid-November, a thirsty Maggie wandered out of her room, barefoot. She moved into the kitchen for a fresh glass of cool water. She sipped into three gulps, and went on her merry way- but the detour of grandma's room had driven her to take a peek inside when it was ajar see a candle's light emitting from within. It wasn't what she saw inside, but the very thing that she heard that added to more mystery. The sound of flesh being smacked on by some object- No. Not smacked on, but in reality, being stabbed.

It was Helena Andrea White, mind mentally deteriorated by the end of the era of Victoria's darkness, jamming a kitchen knife in and out with a beastly lust in her eyes, the animalistic gleaming of insanity. Helena, murdering her mother in such a vicious way possible, it could not have been any other, a sight set and dated to traumatize and scar little Magdela White enough to become a vegetable. "M-mom- Grandma!"

And it was a big mistake on Helen's part when she saw the innocent Maggie laying witness to the death of one Victoria White. And just like that, just like Victoria had so claimed like a paranoid, irrational person, the bloodline had been paved a way to generations of damnation. "Hon- Dear Lord Almighty-" Helena was caught with her pants down, and no idea on how to fix it. There wasn't any way to, and the perfect image of herself through her next of kin- Well, that was ruined forever. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry..."

Maggie went ominously silent, turning into the corner, sitting down in the crisscross position, arms wrapped around her knees, humming like nothing had happened.

A curse. Just a curse.

_Maggie... Maggie...! MAGDELA!_

**June, 1906 - San Francisco, California **

"Magdela?" Norman Harrison was on one side of the queen-sized bed, closer to the doorway while Magdela White had purposely chosen, as there was a fire escape just outside to get her out fast when just two months ago, a disastrous earthquake ravaged the peaceful streets of San Francisco, causing an unprecedented and significant amount of property damage and loss of life. Magdela had come in after it had occurred and gotten a house with a property value that had dominated, ergo a good deal. For the most part. A two-floor house in the hills, six streets up from ground level, but as long as the market locations were down there, close by, no harm done, really.

Maggie had it easy, mostly, except when she looked back and kept envisioning that strip of life she shared with those two others, the key figures she'd come to know as mother and grandma. Mother, the murderer of her own mother, and it happened all those years ago, but the grisly images still lingered on. Helena White, a damaged soul had brought upon the very reason Maggie was who she was, and how she was today. That kitchen knife that changed her life- No.

Their lives.

Right now, the young Maggie had endured yet another nightmare of the same vibe and tone, sweating and crying in her sleep, stricken and dismayed by the memories that dared to haunt and trigger her right into the corner. Grandmother gone, mother institutionalized under order of the court, and a childhood of foster parenting from then on. Just that, just stripped away from the happiness she'd see in those damn kid's books- and believed them to have been a lie when she remembered them. They were that, and they weren't just that. Only, Maggie wished it wasn't how it happened. Not the stomach-churning sickening, not the explicit, bloody images of Helena committing the atrocious of sins, or hell, not even throwing her life away like that, like she did that one calm night. "Curses..."

"Magsy, did you have another one?" Norman Harrison had a heart when it counted, at least that's what she saw, wanted to believe. He was as tall as her, just one year older, but no one could tell the difference per se. He had three jobs in total; paperboy by morning, store employee at the afternoon, and for half of the rest of the evening, he had gone to help the local orphanage, Rennis Orphanage, take care of those young children who were made orphans from the earthquake. No shortage of volunteers could ever be enough. He was kind like that, a selfless trait that she found attractive in him, which was how they had ended up together.

Not that Maggie realized it, but she grew up to be an easier woman than she knew herself to be around Norman. She laid there under two covers, but then tugged them off of her lower body, turning away from the windows. "Norm, did I wake you?"

"I've been up for a bit," Norman lied rather calmly, body leaning closer to his sweet Magsy. "Don't you worry a thing, I'll be awake for you if you can't-"

"Oh, no, darling," Maggie shook, "go back to sleep, you've got work in the morning."

"Magsy-" But his girlfriend would not have it, thinking more of him than of herself, pressing a finger to his lips.

"No buts, Norm, if you can get more shut-eye, do so-" Maggie embraced herself right on her lover's welcoming arms. "I'll try to get some, too... It helps when you're here, Norm. It really does."

"I'm glad, my Magsy," Norman smirked, rubbing his hands on her back. "Good night."

"Nighty night, sweetie."

**Morning**

Norman had dressed up, tidied himself well and kissed his lover goodbye before he took off again to have a workaholic day just like yesterday and the day before that. It left Maggie alone to tend to the house. Clean, sweep and do all the chores to make it spotless for when he came back. Normally, she'd go out with her friends in the afternoon, but today she wasn't feeling it whatsoever. She chose to close herself off to the world, to watch it go on without her just this once, right through the comfort of her home and through its clear windows. "What's this evening's special?"

"Stew, my darling," Maggie let him know as he went on his merry way. And that was it, that was another day of the repetitive cycle. He'd be gone and come back to her open, welcoming arms. Strangely enough, Maggie wanted more in their relationship- If there was anything else worth leeching out of the connection they shared, then...

Maggie remained in bed, lying naked and staring at the ceiling. That feeling of morbid emptiness was too sharply painful, and this- The way she lived, it was mentally slowing her down. What did she want? How could she add to it?

Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander out from the chains of reality, going anywhere, really. First stop was her kid self, being tucked in by her curly-haired mother. There was that smile on Helena's face that depicted pleasant happiness, a ray of sunshine illuminating onto Maggie. Her kiss, the warm, motherly embrace of her heartfelt love, and that one book she used to read to her. Actually, it was a book series centering on a young girl in a black dress and a red scarf. What was her name, what title was the book series?

For the life of her, Maggie could never recall it, meanwhile every other insignificant detail was there. She only thought of the damn book and then wondered if there was more meaning behind trying to gain recollection on it. You see, the way it worked for her is that she had no closure of all the past madness that had up and left as fast as it came- Maggie lived only within its large scars left behind, and maybe the right closure was through one of these books. One of these books, so that she could finally accept it and close that specific chapter of her life. It made sense, did it not? Only problem was, to find a book she did not remember, in a big city, well, that was an impossible feat in itself, what chance did she have to find one?

Silly of her to think of all this now. Silly and just plain...

Real.

What had she been doing, what was her goal? To settle down and marry for it to be the end? In all families, there were one or two kids, maybw up to three or more. Maybe Maggie could see herself settling down, and maybe she'd have a happy and peaceful life (not really) with he whom she would devote her life to. Kids... Were they out of the question? Would Norman want to stay with Maggie long enough to tie the knot, or could Maggie somehow entrap him into marriage after she ensured he get pregnant by his hand? That one, that one would be awful, she knew well to say that.

On the other hand, suppose Maggie became pregnant; what then? What was the life post-pregnancy looking to be like? She knew no such advice in such matters other than what was tossed around secondhand from the friends and neighbors- you know, the ones who already had kids, the experienced bunch who raised them.

A kid of her own wouldn't have been the worst thing, so why was she wondering about it now? Actually, how did she get here from the book? How did...

Were they those of things that she wanted?

Probably.

Maggie brushed the hair out of her face, finally having the energy to sit upright.

_My own baby, and the books I could read it. Those same ones- _Pause. She sighed, eyes centering down in the floor beneath her bare feet. _I won't live forever... _

And there it was, a silly decision that should have already been before. The fact that she hadn't before, what did it mean for her? The only thing to be concerned of right now was what Norman had thought of it. All of it.

**Evening**

He ate, swallowing spoonful after spoonful of the special stew Maggie had made for them, but the handsome devil that was Norman was the only one eating, while Maggie had not even touched her spoon, filled by fear and nervousness altogether right in front of him. He didn't notice, or he didn't care, Maggie didn't know which one it could have been, but Norman was being painfully oblivious to her lack of consumption. She took a deep enough breath and laid it all out on the table to get it over with. "I want a baby!"

It totally took his eyes off the china bowl, if anything, making him let go of the spoon and freeze in place, the hot stew still trapped in his mouth. She expected it to be bad, but what was a possibility did not come to. Instead, Maggie went to town.

She got naked, lying down on her bed as he followed along, coming up to bat. He mounted her, taking his manhood into her womanhood to initiate the baby-making process. It wasn't how she expected it to go but she'd soon have what she figured she wanted. Child, raising a family, and with Norman. Her guess now was that they were set to marry, sometime this year or, well, as soon as possible. She'd have to meet his family but keep hers away from their knowledge. Norman knowing about what she had shared, that was enough, and she was okay with opening up to him. End of story.

She let him have his way with her, kissing her neck, touching her sacred breasts, and thrusting his pelvis into her at a firm rate. She embraced him, running her hands up and down his back while their loving happened, and it marked the perfect end of a gooddamn good night. Maggie was finally happy.

**July, 1906**

"Oh, Magdela, no wine for you!" The round table was only good four up to four people at one single time, but Maggie had well over four measly girl friends, but she kept the group small to make it count, and the ones who'd then be talking with their other mutual friends, getting the word out per Maggie's request. Mandee, Jackie, Mollie and Amanda poured each other glasses, then holding them up high to propose a toast for the young woman of great news; she was with child. "Bad for the baby!"

"Cheers to new life, and a brave step further into the book of your life," Mollie, a light brunette of wavy hair, praised.

"Salute!"

"Cheers!"

"To Maggie!"

"I appreciate your thoughts, ladies," Maggie laughed, "thanks, but to wait long for my child to come out, that's going to feel exhausting-" She rubbed her hands on her belly, taking it in.

"How do you feel, Mag?" Amanda, the blonde one of the group, and shortest one at that, had asked. "I can't imagine what it feels like."

"Well, it's... Certainly scary in a way," she confessed. "I've got much to learn about the miracles of raising a child."

"In any case, we're here for you if you ever need help," Mandee nodded. "Anyways, I thought that this would be the very news Jackie and I expected so..."

For some reason, Mandee and Jackie had seemingly come from shopping, bringing in four bags of items with them, left in the corner. Maggie hadn't thought much of it until now, when they both were now bringing it up. "We've gotten you some stuff for the baby! All gender neutral of course-"

"You... Presents for my-?" Maggie believed she misheard.

"Blankets, toys, children's books, too!" Mandee squealed with content. "It's gonna love every bit of all of this!"

Maggie couldn't have asked for better friends. "Aw, thank you kindly! You don't know what this means to me!" Naturally, Maggie had invested herself in taking am interested look at what the two had come- and Mollie had been one-upped yet again by the pair, silently kicking herself for not having an idea on what Maggie's last-minute get together entailed.

It was just like they've said, all cute and cuddly stuff fit for a baby- and then, when she pulled out a book from the assortment of them, fate arranged the coincidence, the connection that linked back to old ages. Maggie gasped, stuttered to see it again; one of those Heather Eleanor Hudson picture books! The happy girl in a black dress, and that signature scarf- there was no doubt about it. "Oh... It's her again."

"Hmm? What was that, Mags?"

Maggie held the book out to their sights. "My mom- My mom used to read thesw exact books to me..." It left the three friends on the table rather awkwardly speecheless briefly, but Maggie was there to shove that aura away. "I don't know if I'd ever see them again, but..."

Answers to most of her questions would never be revealed to her, but did it matter in the end? Here, when Maggie had stepped into her mother's own shoes. Then... What was it that made Helena White snap? Was it that particular feeling, the exact spot Maggie felt being cornered by? Did she break because it had overwhelmed her to that murderous state? And then, when Maggie had delved right into the heart of her own mind, paranoia's cold grip crawling up behind her. It made her know fear again. Fear and pain of falling right on that spot where Helena had ended up in. "I'll read them to my child, every night before it goes to sleep, and when it grows up..."

"Have you decided on a name?" Mollie asked.

"Actually..." Maggie rubbed her flat belly. "Junior for a boy, and..." With the book in her right hand, and right up in her face again, she decided on the girl's name. "This, this feels right, ladies. Heather if it's a girl. Heather... Heather Eleanor White."

**March, 1912 **

Less than a curse.

"Mommy!" Heather Eleanor White was the full name she'd been given just as Magdela, more commonly known as Maggie, had told her friends some long years ago. The adorable angel of cream-white skin just as her own was a girl with a big heart and everlasting happiness- at least, that's what Maggie and Norman hoped for in the following years that followed. Their daughter, a girl with no gloom-ish bone in her body whatsoever, waking up both her parents by jumping on the bed and landing in between them. "Daddy! Good morning!"

"Ahhh!" Maggie gave her daughter a loving hug. "My, aren't you up and about, little one?"

"I'd like some pancakes, please!"

Norman turned from his side to greet his child. "Don't you worry a thing, champ, your mother and I will tend to you in a heartbeat."

"Swell!" The content of her personality was strong enough, unrivaled and unparalleled that it could create another sun if there was any scientific attempt to do just that. "I love pancakes."

"I know you do, sweetheart," Maggie patted. "We all do."

"They're yummy in my tummy!"

"They sure are, my sweet princess!" Norman tugged in little Heather, having her fall right in between them. He then proceeded to tickle her tiny stomach, bringing out of her those giggles that were music to both parents' ears, a delightful rhythm, a jolly symphony of Heather's love and affection they could cherish, one of the many memories they could make as the family they were, the perfect family. "The tickle monster prevails again!"

"No fair, daddy, you snuck up on me!" Heather placed herself around his neck, hugging and holding onto her dear father with wholesome warmth. "I love you, daddy."

"I love you, too, my sweet princess," Norman replied back, pressing his lips on her forehead.

"What about me, Heather?" Maggie playfully accused. "You don't love me anymore, is that it?"

"Noooooo," Heather shook. "Mommy, you too! I love you both-" She took her arms from around daddy's neck and stretched them out and raised them high. "-This much!"

"You're adorable, honey," Maggie consoled, getting up and putting on her soft fur slippers. "I'll get your platter started, also..." Her eyes shot at Norman briefly before returning to Heather. "We have some news we have to tell you."

"News?" Heather pressed her hands on the side of her cheeks. "Oh, what is it?"

_Not a curse..._

**Days Later**

Heather peered out through the window, watching the rain fall hard on the outside world, focusing in on the sounds of stampeding thunder. It was scary just as it was loud, especially when the lightning came about in the distance from where she was. Neither mother of father were here, but elsewhere. Far away due to a trip. A trip where they chose not to take her for some reason, and... Well, if she'd tell them, at any point in her life that it didn't hurt her at all, then that was the lie.

However long they'd take to come home, it wouldn't be fast enough for her. Not to get her wrong, there wasn't anything wrong with Mollie Gerhart, the hired nanny for this undisclosed amount of time, but it just didn't feel like home to her, not without them. Not with these games Mollie tried to play, nor with the strolls around the city's parks or parlors. Heather was just... Feeling something that was not in sync with her child state of being. Someone else. Someone before her time.

Maggie.

Helena.

Maybe even Victoria.

_What's wrong, Heather? Missing mommy and daddy already? Tell you where they went, you ready? Here is what you didn't know._

The rain only kept falling harder, drops striking all over the window, making it hard to see outside.

_They fucked off to Southampton, England to catch the Titanic. They'll be off sailing in pure joy and you, on the other hand, you're stuck here for what you believe will be days, weeks, maybe even months._

_But you don't know._

_You don't know the half of it, and I'm sorry to say-_

Thunder erupted from the heavens, right after a flash of white lightning shone on the skies, actually making her jump. And she felt a curtain of dreadful unease sweep over her head. Something felt wrong...

_Fate has been written the very second grandmother Helena spread her legs and gave her virginity like candy... And come to think of it, so did your mother. You are an abomination. _

Heather blinked.

**1923 - New York City**

"Hey, miss..." The soul inside Heather grew dark if anything, dark and lonesome for the path that life had forcibly paved for her. She didn't need to know the outcome of her parents, but their fates were clear when the newspapers, way back when the public had expressed their sorrow and shared a collective grief for the tragedy of the fallen. And around the friends of her parents, Heather was pitied and looked down upon like an orphan child- No, yes she was, but there was hesitation on who had the honors of taking her in. For some silly, petty reason, no one stepped up to bat.

That was when Amelia Clemmons, the founder of a small orphanage she had a hand in creating singlehandedly since the earthquake in 1906, had taken her in for the rest of the decade, until she had scampered off and left the place. That was just a few months ago, and Heather, a firm teenager with no home or anything attached to her name other than the curse she didn't know about, wandered eastbound on herself. Tears, sadness, and an endless supply of emptiness- that had never kept out, no matter how hard she tried.

What was wrong with her? Why wasn't anything sufficient for her? Or... Fair... Why wasn't it fair?

"Excuse me, miss?"

Heather looked over the pier, starting at the far, reddish-orange horizon. Somewhere in this ocean, far from this spot, it happened. It happened to the parents White and so many others she didn't know. A large boat had sunk with many aboard... The thought of that had made her queasy and has given her heartache. She stared... And stared... And stared...

"Miss!" He who had been trying to get her attention had been there nearly as long as her, taking the endless view of the ocean. This man was a handsome devil with light facial hair that marked him as an adult if anyone doubted, but he looked young enough to be around his twenties, and early twenties by the looks of it. This man, Ray Robertson, had now been compelled to talk to Heather after seeing her gaze upon what was a dull scene, but more than that. Maybe something had troubled her mind, had her distracted. Injured. Cursed.

Heather felt his hand connect to her shoulder, and in that second, she snapped away from her mind and returned to reality. "Oh, excuse me-" Heather didn't know what the calm man wanted. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Miss, are you alright?" Ray had locked his eyes right into her beautiful blue pair, already noticing empty cries from deep within. Meanwhile, Heather herself moved her eyes about, failing to try and not return that stare he gave. "You look... Full of gloom."

_Gloom... Gloom?_

"What, gloomy?" Heather repeated. "You dare speak nonsense- I'm sorry, who are you and what does it matter to you?"

Ray chuckled, a chuckle calm as a tamed lion and as soft as a bird flapping its elegant, natural wings. "Let's not get all defensive, I'm just being rather observant. So, I take it that you are troubled, little one?"

"I- I am not little!" Her face, her height and that unnatural black dress she had on said otherwise, but she didn't care. "How dare you-"

"And you sound real young, too..." Ray pressed his hands along the railing on the pier, joining Heather. "It sure is amazing out here, is it not?"

Heather opened her mouth as wide as she could, but no sound had come out of it. "Uh- Well- Yeah, alright, I'll give you the satisfaction of humoring you."

"As if I made you give me a choice," the handsome man smiled widely, his perfect rows of teeth- the shine of which went duly noticed by Heather. "I'd like to know, what is it you see when looking over the sea."

"What I see?" Heather focused back on the watery canvas. "An ocean, long and deep, of course."

"Sun's setting, I guess you wanted to see it before nightfall hit, am I correct?"

"Well..." Heather ran her hand on the side of her face, running it down once she touched herself. "It does look gorgeous, but..." She wanted to describe the entirety of the sea as a place of loneliness, a place where one could go and sail in, to run away. To run from anything, everything, perhaps even nothing at all. To run the same way she did from Rennis Orphanage. A sea incompletely explored, and lacking of people. Suppose the beaches either here or on another coastline were packed with some folks, but those people would soon be leaving before the dark came to cover the day. They'd leave to make it empty... Empty. Happiness...

_Heather, your parents drowned at sea. The place is a dead place! Sea full of sharks of all sorts! Come aboard a boat and see how lonely you really are!_

_Oh, you should already know what the state of your own, young life is by now! You are alone- whether or not you actually think about going to sea. But... You already knew that, didn't you? You already know that you are that runner, that runner who finished the race..._

_...Because you were the only one to make it to the end. The final White of the cursed family tree. And yet, you're already falling into the pit just as they did. I'll laugh at you for the next hundred years. _

"I don't know what I'm expecting to see," Heather revealed. "It's just a long bathtub, and dirty at that..."

"Interesting words..." Ray pointed to the evacuating sun. "There's more to it than that, I believe. The sea is a beautiful part of the world, so full of fish and other types of underwater animals. Seahorses, crabs, rays..." He turned to her. "Speaking of rays-" And held out a hand to greet her. "I'm sorry, I lost my manners, my name is Ray. Ray Robertson. And you are...?"

Heather was reluctant to shake his hand but accepted his notion. "Heather White, mister."

At the time, she was a minor, but she wasn't. Victoria had kept wailing over a curse, rambles that made no sense to Helena. From wherever the vicious woman was, she was right, proving that there might just have been one all along, and said curse involved being possessed by immoral, lustful sirens who desired to sleep with men, any and all that they could get to through their vessels. It started with Helena first, so influenced by the soft murmurs and whispers of one, and maybe that one had possessed Maggie in the later years. For all anyone knew, maybe Maggie and Heather were truly possessed by siren ghouls without them knowing, their forces compelling them to act and give in to their primitive, dirty, sexual nature.

Heather, just like the women of the previous two generations, had spread her legs for Ray, wanting what he offered- Here was the funny part; Ray was not some pig, a man slavishly drooling over her body, most importantly her over-developed breasts, a pair that were just out there, the forbidden fruits ripe and perfect. Heather liked him, and maybe he did, too, a concept that formed right after Heather had been invited to his place, where they sucked face for a brief amount of time.

"Hold on-" Ray pushed her away, which confused her heavily right as she was in the midst of taking off her dress, her private parts exposed to him. "Let's not rush this."

"What- what's wrong?" Heather wanted it, primarily due to her actually liking the sensation of it. His touch, his kisses, his affection was worth her own, giving it right back and all that she could physically offer. "Did I do something?"

"No, it's not you," Ray tried to handle. "I just don't wanna-"

A very special guest, uninvited, had appeared from the back of the house, advancing to the living room where the two were. Heather felt terribly embarrassed, making an effort to cover herself up. The second figure, a cloaked man in a black, uneven robe and hood, ominously stared down at them, his face being near identical to Ray's, but more of a hostile and menacing look, and no facial hair at all, but it did not mean he was younger than Ray. "Good evening, dear brother. Sorry to intrude on your personal time-"

Ray got up and tried to push this man away from Heather's presence. "What are you doing, man?"

"Excuse me-"

"You are not welcome here, brother," Ray enforced. "Please leave."

"Listen, little brother," the cloaked man winced, cackling a smile. "I found it, I've found the book of the Coven. There is so much-"

"No, enough of this black magic craziness!" Ray increased his grip, now actually escorting the disturbed older brother through the front. "No more of this hunt for voodoo magic, or whatever it is!"

"Immortality! The secret power of the underworld can be ours!"

"Get out! Get out or I will make sure the proper authorities will collect you, brother! If I have to report you, I will do so!"

Heather only looked on, nervous and slightly afraid of this little altercation, one-sized at that. "Uh, Ray-"

Ray evicted the cloaked, deranged man out of his abode, and shut the door in between them with no hesitation. "Curses- Ah, Heather, my many apologies... That was not how I wished to introduce my older brother."

"You two...?" Heather did the math. "You're different from each other!"

"I am vastly aware, it eludes me as well, but alas, that man is my brother, no matter what levels pf lunacy he reaches." Ray stood there standing for a minute before returning to the couch with Heather. "Listen, I've just met you-"

"Ray, we were practically all over each other moments ago," Heather throttled back. "What hails you? Please, tell me, at least..."

She didn't know much about him, but after tonight, after he'd open up to her, Heather would truly feel like she knew him. And vice versa. "Listen, it... I meant it when I said it wasn't you, it just... It rather feels dull. I can't accept it if it's just invalid and meaningless."

"Meaningless...? My... My affection is-?" It attacked her on a personal level. "What- You-?"

"With all due respect, is this all that we're going to be?" Ray pondered. "Heather, I like being around you, I enjoy your company, but we'd ruin the connection if we engaged in... Well, what you want to dive in-"

"Are- Are you accusing me of-?!"

"No, good Lord, heavens no!" Ray denied. "I mean to say that I'd love a real relationship with someone that isn't primarily founded by sex, by something so easily obtainable. Heather, I don't want to feel bored with you if this is all we're gonna do."

And for a second, she was mad, widely infuriated, yet she felt that he made the most sense when he put it like that. To found a relationship via sex and deep kisses wasn't a real one, and yet she knew she'd enjoy it, to be laid down and go to town. She'd love to have a man come over and visit the home of her young, steamy-hot body. But he was right.

"I..." Ray gently placed his hand on Heather's face, right on her cheek. "I want to fall in love with someone the right way, that's all."

Her heart rate elevated at his gentle touch, and the sound of his voice, it was real and deep on an emotional level. It couldn't have been faked- and if it was, he was an expert con man. And that didn't make much sense as it was, she had wanted to give him her body at the start. What could he have hoped to gain if it was a real ruse? But- No, in his eyes, Heather sensed him being true to her and to himself; this was a man who wanted a real relationship with someone who shared his interests and ideas. Someone just like him...

The perfect type of man Maggie would have definitely approved of if she were still around.

"Y-you're- You're really sweet..." Heather formed a curvy, yet awkward smile. "I had no idea-"

"Forgive me, I do not mewn to suggest that you aren't- Well, capable of such a commitment, I believe you do, but there's a lot of room for you to grow. You're young, you're free and you've got parents who I'm sure love you-"

Heather shoved his hand away and stood up, nerve struck. "No!"

Ray only looked on, confused as to what had set her off. "I'm sorry?"

But he didn't know, so there wasn't a true reason for her to rage out on him. "No, I don't- I don't have-" This wasn't how she imagined the night to go either. Not deep or painful, yet here it was. "I lost them, Ray. I have no one."

"You..." He shook his head, still trying to unravel. "Sorry, you'll have to explain-"

"I lost them at sea, to that ship- You know-"

"Ship- Shi-" Ray understood what she meant. "What- They were on it...?"

Silence.

"My sincere condolences, Heather," Ray let out, voice soft as ever. "I see now."

"I have tried to picture them when I've looked upon the waters," Heather went on. "The reflection of the sea, but it's always my face. It's just myself that I find every time, reminding me that I made it here... Here, without them, alone-"

Ray bounced to his feet, moving to console her. Heather radiated some serious emotional pain that could only go undetected by the most dense of people. "I can't imagine what you're going through."

"Ray..." When he hugged her, she wrapped her arms around him and dug her head onto his chest. "Make me feel something- I really liked what we were up to-"

"H-Heather-" The last thing he wanted to do was to take advantage of this poor girl, but deep past that, Heather was really a girl with minor experience on living affection of any sort. Ray here had been able to offer what she wanted; a mere distraction, a sort of medicine to heal some of the scars. The partial decline of her pain, alleviation to return to a healthy state if it ever existed. "I don't know."

"Please- Ray, I want you- I want to have you-" Heather leaned up and kissed his cheek softly. Either it was the real Heather or the siren at true work, either way, it was desired in her. "I want to make you love me."

He fulfilled, still harboring some reluctance to make a move with this girl, still a stranger, but alas, one that had come damaged from a broken heart and a length of loneliness. He brushed the hair off her face with such ease, a graceful swipe from his hand, and, hand in cheek connecting, he grabbed her beautiful face and leaned in to kiss her when she made it clear she wasn't going to stop throwing her affection at him in bits and pieces. They kissed, pulled back, and kissed again like explorers afraid to go into the uncharted lands that were likely to be hostile. They were slow and cautious for some reason, but maybe it was the felt sympathy that ensured they didn't rush in like lovers of today's world.

And just like that, in near the same way as grandma Helena and her mother Magdela, Heather stripped free of her clothes at long last, with no interruptions, no strings attached. She laid in his bed, the perfect form of her bodily state out there in view. Her breasts of pointed nipples, her clit, her cream-white skin- and it had only begun when Ray took his clothes off from top to bottom. The body language was positive, acceptable and romantic between them. He kissed her lips gently, tasting the flavor of her lips. From there, he went down to her neck, chest and flat stomach, delightfully making her moan right before he inserted his woohoo into her yeehaw, giving her tehe. And he gave slow, steadied thrusts, pushing right deep into her and then back out. Heather got wet, loving the sensation of the special guest going in and out like nobody's business. She moaned, then placing her delicate hands on the side of his hips, pulling his lower body deeper when he thrusted to get it as deep as they were able to. Heather opened her mouth, emitting sexually-oriented exhaled, one major sign that she was enjoying the sex.

When his energy had diminished, given out after eight long minutes of pounding on Heather, she had the honor of rotating positions with him, taking over where he had finished. She rode him fast and hard, her moist skin making fleshy slap sounds every time she came down. Her breasts bobbed up and down, bouncing about wildly and freely. Had you been there to see her jugs jiggle about, you'd have a genuine boner- and Link-A would totally be wet if she ever saw the majestic scene happen. "Ohhhh! Ohhhh, yes!"

No, Heather's period hadn't started again, so this was safe sex. Unprotected, but safe to engage in. She didn't know as much as her generation predecessors, so pregnancy was highly likely with her should she keep riding him until he came and filled his load into her. Either way might've just been okay by her standards. _I'll make you fall in love with me, Ray. I'll make you do so, and I promise-_

He did just that, he came inside her and filled her womb of his seed, and Heather loved the feeling of that warm liquid fill her.

_I could fall for you, too. I could know what love is if you let me... If you let me, with you._

She rode him at a fast rate, going as fast as she could, sweat forming at the temples. She tilted her head back high, moaning longer, in her high-pitch womanly squeal. Oh how she loved the sinful company of a man and his pet mouse, and at this age, too. Whatever anyone would dare say, she gaveth no such fuck.

_I could fall in love with you... I could even marry you..._

In the following four minutes of fucking him, Heather Eleanor White had given out, falling onto his chest and given a romantic pampering by him, who wrapped his arms around her, kissed her forehead and stroked her long, black hair. Neither one was cleaning up for sex just yet, but Heather wanted to remain here in this spot forever. Forever meaning until the next morning.

And neither being made it to the end before the sun came up.

**Hours Later **

Maybe there was a curse, and it had gone well past a simple curse of an endless cycle now. Heather was still bare naked, but now lying on the cold, hard ground, placed right over a satanic pentagram made of black powder. Her hands and legs, spread out and tied to an individual stake just outside of the circle. An upside down cross marked on hwr forehead in blood, possibly her own. Then, there was that insane, heavy screaming near her, voice of the source loud to startle her out of her sleep. "Mmmmm...?"

"HEATHER!" Ray's voice, hoarding out the screams to shake her bones. "HEATHER, TRY TO GET UP-!"

She saw Ray, battered and bleeding severely from a lot of places, most notably from his head. He was immobile, huffing among the wall he leaned on, a face of dreaded shock defining the moment Heather knew a great sense of fear. "RAY!"

And it was before she noticed the familiar cloaked figure again. The cruel older brother of this man she had just been in bed with a good few hours ago had hovered over her, and this time, he sported a white theatre mask, eyes and mouth painted a light red. "Hello, my sweets."

"H-Hey..." Heather went near dead quiet at the sight of him, breath shaking away. "What- What are you doing?"

In the cloaked man's hands was a blade of a rusty brown color not like any knife Heather had ever seen. Ancient, perhaps, from an era that long passed. "The coming of the Dark Lord arrives through a self-sacrifice and a trial..."

"ENOUGH OF THIS MADNESS!" Ray wailed. "YOU ARE ILL-WORTHY-"

"The trial must be this ordinary human, haaaaaa!" The demented Ryan Robertson bent down and picked at Heather's left hand with the weird blade. "Your wrists will be sliced as I summon the presence of the Dark Lord to lay witness to... Madness."

And he sliced open her wrist while speaking in what could only be a Latin language, some demonic incantation that called upon an unnatural dark force. Heather screamed with great pain, her arm bleeding out on the floor. The candles around them suddenly died out all at once, the feeling in the back of Ray's neck giving him bad vibes. "NO, BROTHER!"

"Now for the other one," Ryan giggled menacingly, moving the blade to Heather's other arm. "Only the Dark Lord wills what your fate will be."

"DON'T DO IT!" Ray beckoned with all of his might. "DON'T KILL THAT INNOCENT GIRL!"

"It is a necessary endeavor," Ryan assured, cutting up Heather's other wrist from hand to joint. Again, the poor nude girl of pale skin emitted an injured cry again. "Scream for him!"

"All this nonsense!" Ray gasped out. "And for what?!"

"The coming of the Dark Ages is upon us! I will be reborn by his hand to become a ruler of the Tiramakkuri, the Shadow Demons, and the Gouelgarrie! I live to serve-" The cloaked man placed himself in the middle of the pentagram, sitting right over Heather, arms extended outward and the knife pointed at him as Heather died underneath him. "In his name, I hereby give my life to the cause!"

"YOU CRAZY FOOL!" Ray watched helplessly as Ryan stabbed himself right in the abdomen to intitate the final step of the conjuring. A few moments passed after he toppled over Heather's naked body, his blood dripping onto her and the floor. "WHY HER?!"

"For the good... Of the Dark Lord," Ryan weakly grumbled out, dying right over the naked girl. Heather would then go on to bleed out right underneath, frail and powerless to even budge. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but her other features had slowed down. Mouth perfectly still as time itself, hands and feet no longer squirmy, neither was she trying to cry for help in these last moments of life.

Heather was dying. Dying young, a key factor in the endless curse's cycle, and younger as the generations stacked up. Ray was helpless to give critical aid to the dying Heather, and as such-

She closed her eyes, not opening them again.

_I see you and the burdens of your past mothers... Your soul is but a dirty one I dare not take. To relieve you of the curse would be too lenient, too merciful of me, and I will not allow this. I will return your soul to your vessel, but keep in mind-_

The opened slits in Heather's arms closed slowly, regenerating inexplicably and unnaturally.

_-Your corpse is no longer alive. Your heart- Your entire system has been shut down, but I will grant you life beyond the living, the essence of a darker life force to be one with you, my dear. Only then will you suffer forever, only then will you walk among the living, to watch them live and die while you do not._

Heather averted her eyes again, which had then upgraded to a darker red color.

_You will have an insatiable hunger for human flesh, and you will devour the innocent. You will become one under me, a true monstrosity. A carnivore._

She pushed away Ryan's body, then smelled the blood his body leaked out.

_You are a vampire. _

And she liked it, instincts not of her own compelling her to lay it flat and then dig her hands right into the body, taking a handful of the innards. She devoured the meat, drank the blood, scene too graphic and gritty for Ray's eyes. And she was pleased by it, the taste, the bloodthirst of it. The new and improved Heather White, reborn as a vampire.

* * *

**AN: I've told people this was happening, I just never said where it was to be incorporated in. There you have it, the White family tree takes place long before the present, and it's been long since I've come up with this. Magdela White, AKA Maggie, a victim lost in the Titanic tragedy, proving that historical events have, and will happen in this fic. And as for Heather, yeah that's the girl who will become Gloom. You know, the Gloom you're familiar with, just altered tenfold. **

**And make no mistake, Gloom is currently roaming within the shadows in the present. Her time will come. **

**Also glad to have a more added to my OC Ray Robertson/Mister Mystic, seen before helping Lucy and Carly. There's more for both brothers in the future, I can assure you of that. I love expanding the world of Dawn. **


	40. Chapter 40

_**Cops! Ah, the police! Well, that's not an area that's black and white per se, but you get the idea. For me... The concept of an authority that says it serves the public but will nitpick the minorities from the whites, picking the wheat from the chaff. You've probably seen an insane amount of videos of police brutality at work. They don't serve us in actuality, they just try to jail everyone they can, it's almost some bigger conspiracy at work. And let's talk about the fact that they park in hidden spots among the roads and freeways while we're at it? Can someone explain why that fucking fat Blue Scout is put on anti-speeder overwatch instead of their deputies, their sheriffs assigning them to some serious issues? Best bet here is that they just want to ticket you to take away the money you worked so hard for. That's their funding when tax dollars aren't doing it justice anymore. The police forces are incompetent and a modern failure, a joke, if not crooked pieces of shit who turn a blind eye for sweet, sweet blood money. I'm telling you now, I'm voicing it now, this is not the law enforcement we need in the world of today. **_

_**My brothers and sisters, go up in arms and stand together to make this world right again. America was founded on freedom, so take that freedom and shove it right back your government's wrinkly, fat, pasty white fucking ass. Depictions of them on social media lets us see that they are biased and racist, picking out the minorities over the common white male and female. I understand that people of color have more of a probability to be some... Well, you know, a bad guy, but it's automatically preset to that default. Of course not every single person of color is some thug or gangster. Hard-working citizens are not limited to the pure Americans, if anything. And yet, these cops are cuffing people for even eating breakfast at a fucking BART station. Where is the justice in that? These are not the people fit to serve, nor are these the type of training I'd feel safe in knowing, and it should not be well with you! This is Dylan Blood concluding statement. Long live.**_

* * *

**August 6th, 2030**

_What an irrational message... _Lincoln had fished out any linking information on this interesting character who'd given his name and face out in a ballsy move. It was real cocky of the guy, or just plain stupid. Either way, Lincoln had gotten an idea that this new opponent, the killer of the twins, was as arrogant as he was deadly, at no doubt feeling high and mighty enough to have told the world who he was exactly. Him and these interesting articles- the rants and raves of some free-thinker who believed too much in what he might have just seen in those fictional movies. Maybe the man was just too childish as well, who could really say? But it was that danger and willingness to cause harm that the albino decided he'd be just another target to cut down to size. Another dead body that fell out of sights of whatever Lincoln would use on him. This for his young twin sisters, the fallen heroine zoomer duo who've had their identities revealed to the world. His guess was that it was through the leaks that got him close enough to harm then. Not that he knew, but when he came up to meet Blood in the battlefield, Lincoln vowed to get the info out.

Right now, he, his sister Lori, whom he had an estranged relationship at the moment, only reached a mutual get-together to try and save the others, and Darceline "Darcy" Holmandollar, the youngest ex-member of the cynical "anarchist" group the Freights, also one of the first pair of phenos who roamed free with a superhuman set of upgrades. Well, these three young folk just happened to be phenos, but if things played put differently, if Lincoln just might've trusted Lori a whole lot more, they'd have the same abilities and Darcy wouldn't have been here.

Funny how things worked out, and even now, when every road they've walked since they've separated had led them astray, and towards new, unconventional paths. Here they were, back again, an alliance that had to be made in the meantime. That didn't close out the obvious hatred Lincoln and Lori shared for another, and the idea of Lori having to throw in with them both while Lincoln was out of the Patriots, which he could have very well blamed Luna, and knowing him, he was bound to. Who made her and Lynn the top dogs of the gang, anyway?

"Luna first?"

Lincoln took his eyes from the screen, tending to both girls standing at either side. "That's a given, we need to round ourselves up a team and charge the Black Network. Right now, I can be certain that Lynn is safe in the hole she's in, unless McMahon has some plans for an execution. I'd like to get ahold of Link-A right now, she's the one who can acquire the coordinates."

"Right, the SCX device, that's what they were calling it," Lori shared. "Maybe she could pick up a trail-"

Miraculously, the sentient intelligence christening itself LinKAPACITY forced entry onto the computer Lincoln was on. The screen glitched out for a second, going black before it cleared, followed by a pure white screen. And then, the black text formed;

**Linka and Leven are currently out of harm's way, but they are heading to the Black Network to finish Dylan Blood before anymore damage can be dealt unto the Louds. **

"L-Link-A?!" Lincoln re-read the text. _They already know...?!_

"What the hell-? Who's hacking?" Darcy asked, shaking and looking around.

Lincoln pressed on the keyboard buttons, seeing that he could write a response, and he did so; **_Sorry, who are you?_**

**I am LinKAPACITY, an artificial intelligence constructed during the rem sleep of the one you know as Link-A. She subconsciously uploaded a virtual mainframe version of her brain, so I am her minus the insanity, which derives from having the SCX chip's residue infect her cerebral infrastructure until she can no longer fuction effectively.**

_She can... No longer function- _Lincoln responded again;

_**What do you mean by that?**_

**Link-A's lifespan is of a short expectancy. The chip will shut down her brain and she will die within a few weeks, I estimate. The signs have already been showing, it is only just a matter of time until she dies.**

Lincoln processed it, the words of this thing. Lori and Darcy also studied it, with Lori lightly gasping at the news. She, in turn, took over the keyboard and thought to toss in her own question;

_**Tell us, is there any way to save her?**_

Lincoln raised an eyebrow to Lori. "Save her? What, did you lose your own brain? I've seen you both go at it as if it were you and I-"

"It was like that, yes, but..." Lori exhaled, closing her eyes. "We don't have to be hating each other, or trying to kill each other. Plus, she's not- Well, those clones aren't with McMahon, so I know that they're allies-"

"No," Lincoln denied. "They've fucked up and made their choice the second they decided to give the world special instructions on world destruction. To hell with them both, I know how I'm going to save them."

Lori scoffed at his bloody implication. "Always the monster, huh, little brother?"

"Says you, you hairball piece of-"

**Do not be fighting in my presence! Not only can I see you three, but I can hear through the phones of the people around you. This is no time for dinner family turmoil, get your act together and race to the Black Network! Do not worry about Lynn Loud Jr, she is imprisoned but has received no harm at of yet, held in Site Prime in San Francisco, California. **

"Site Prime..." Lincoln read.

**Luna Loud and Samantha Sharp are roaming close around the New York area. Link up with them and back the clones up before they end up dead. **

"I don't need advice from-" Lincoln was silenced when the white screen went away, reverting back to the page he'd been on before it glitched out. "Hey- Fuck."

"That clone is..." Lori shivered. "Dying?"

"No sympathy," Lincoln berated, getting up after closing the tab. "No mourning either, not until this shitfest is over. God, the twins... My sisters-"

"Ours, Lincoln," Lori corrected, following him out the door. "They were our sisters, don't you forget that I've got just as much to lose as you do!"

"Oh, so suddenly you're about family now, huh?" The albino man stopped, turned and glared hard at Lori, sending daggers flying at her. "The very thing you turned your back on, me included-"

"That was different, damn it!" Lori excused. "It was different and you know it!"

"Do I, really?" Lincoln shook his head to disagree with her statement. "Don't act like they've forgiven you, Lori. With how things are, I'm sure they'll look past that when you side with them just this once. Luna, Lynn, Luan. It's down to the five of us now, but will they consider you part of the circle?"

"I'm a Loud-!"

"You stopped being a Loud when you ran off!"

"Yeah?! Well, so did you!" Lori spun back. "Don't you dare anger me, Linc. You are being immature and hypocritical-"

"It goes both ways, don't you think?"

Darcy got in between them when Lincoln closed the distance, repelling them back away from one another. "We don't need the damn attention! That virus thing told us to get to New York! I'm sure that- Whatever it was- Will give the others instructions just as it did us! Maybe it'll help the others!"

"Yeah, I guess that's true..." Lori pulled away from Darcy's reach, crossing her arms. "Fine, I'm not gonna start being a bitch right now."

"We'd better get going, then," Lincoln surmised. "And try to keep your mouth shut, Lori."

"Tsk..."

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter VII: Blood Hunt**

* * *

**Elsewhere**

Linka and Leven rode cross country in the stolen pick-up truck Linka had accessed with the SCX chip implant, racing away to the Black Network as quickly as possible. "You know what?"

"Hmmm?" Leven had assumed Linka was still sleeping at these are hours of the morning. "That sleep is a good thing?"

"No..." Linka opened the window to rid herself of her morning breath that overwhelmed her nose. "Dawn's going to end after this act for us, and anything can happen. The thinking is going to stop after chapter ten."

"The what- Dawn is..." Leven was just as confused as the next person. "You're out of it, please try to get some rest."

The plan here was to get to Blood fast before anyone else did, and with Linka's special chip installed in her as if she was a program, they had a grand advantage. McMahon could wait, he would have never suspected they'd have known, but the window was closing considering Allie's body would be bagged and tagged, reported on the news. Covered up, perhaps. "I don't feel like it."

"Why's that, you've got stuff on your mind?"

"Well, sure buddy," Linka admitted. "You know, there is some guilt going around with the leaks, and maybe..." She focused her eyes outside of her window. "For all we know, we were the ones who enabled Blood by giving him what we tossed into the wild. And... Maybe- Maybe I do feel guilty just as much as you've let it be known."

"Linka..."

"Don't be mopey now," Linka hissed. "I just wanted to get that out there. Besides, I think it was time I gave it out before... Anything bad happened."

"Nothing's gonna happen, sister," Leven vowed blindly. "Nothing bad at least, we'll be safe."

"Safe..." Linka would have loved to believe such a credulous thing. "Friendly reminder that Lincoln is going to try and kill us, you know? Even when we're on the same side-"

"Then we won't let him, Linka. We won't let him."

"I'm not going to be running forever, big brother," Linka shared. "I can't, I haven't the drive-"

"Haven't the drive?" Leven wondered if this was the actual albino clone he'd been roaming around the earth with. "You don't sound like my Linka."

Linka had noticed the meaning in those words, and was somehow spooked visibly. "Nyahhhh... I is! I is your sweet babu sister- Yes, babu, not baby- Of white hair! I'm cute and cuddly and I'll stab you to death! Erm, just like I will that bastard McMahon for her, for Carly..."

"That girl didn't deserve that, no," Leven threw in. "Anything else you wanna get off your chest?"

"No-" She hesitated but did so too fast, too soon that it never bypassed Leven's radars. He knew. And also, Linka could read these sentences, a perk to 4th wall breaking. "You fuckin' with me, D?"

"Calling me D now?" Leven asked. "Crazy girl-"

Linka sighed out and then nodded. "I do, I've got something I've gotta get off, and I'll start it off by saying..." When she blinked, she saw the corpse of the mutated girl leaning against the tree. That girl that had resorted to the extreme by subjecting herself to that special chemical Medi-Sin, properties of which they were unaware of as of yet. It was the fact that it proved to have given hwr a boost- yet had helped kill her in such a disturbing way. And to Linka, it showed her that death was possible to even then, the clones with superhuman tendencies who were still able to bleed as proven countless times prior.

It scared Linka. "She turned into a pheno, Lev. She turned and got herself killed..."

"So I've seen," Leven stated. "Just cause she was on our level and got killed doesn't mean anything."

Linka still didn't listen.

"Hey, look at it this way- That girl was only real young, that means little to no experience under her belt, less in comparison to Lincoln, and we know all that he knows, that means memories, too. We're more wired for combat, have been. That makes us more stronger than Allie-"

"Yeah, but..." Linka lowered the window all the way down and punched thw side mirror to obtain a shard, and brought it close to her left arm which she held out, proceeding to inflict a deep cut. "Look! I can bleed! I've been shot! That automagixlaly means we can die! We can regenerate but we can't grow back lost limbs-"

Leven was caught by surprise, braking the truck hard to a screech. "We... What? How do you know...?"

Linka had done an oopsie and put herself in front of the cameras. No way out of this, no way out of weaseling her way out of admitting the hidden secrets she kept from Leven. "I- Oh, geez..."

"L-Linka..." Leven pulled over to the side. The tone in his voice had changed drastically against her. "Did- Did you lie to me...?" How silly of him, it hadn't ever once occurred to him that Linka was being sneaky around some crucial facts. "You hid-"

"S-so I might've!" Linka blabbed. "What's the big deal? It's nothing- I swear it on Treyarch!"

The truck's engine flipped off, leaving them in cold-blooded silence. Leven gave her all of his undivided attention, grimly staring down on her for the right answers. "That's not something small that you just don't keep away from me, Linka! What else don't I know?"

"Leven-" Linka closed her eyes and dumped her head underneath his chin. "I love you, big boy Linclone."

"Damn it-" He grabbed her by her shoulders and separated her from him, her face depicting some fear when their eyes connected. "I need to know everything about the both of us if you have critical information."

Linka jerked herself free. "That fact applies for all of us, Leven. I'll humor you by confirming that-" She looked away and dropped the mirror shard, seeing her cut already healed. "Secondly, i learned something about myself, something I was going to wait a little longer to tell you, so don't even try to say I had to right away."

"About yourself...?" Leven opened his mouth a bit. "Well, go on."

"Okay... Leven... I'm dying."

**June 4th, 2030**

"Good... What is it, afternoon?" Linka greeted. "Link-N, huh? No... How about... Leven?" She released them all without anyone's permission, and that landed her in hot water with Shepherd and Lisa. Lori and the furball freaks were around to lay witness to the new artificial generarion, which started with the bloodthirsty, maniacal and crazy clone Link-A. Linka Loud, the one who first offered her hand out to the only male clone of the five.

She then blinked idly and began bleeding from her nose, freezing in place as Leven came forward, interested in the guards behind Linka.

**Clone No. 1 is the opposite gender as the original subject, just as the outcome predicted. SCX chip implanted in clone's head has confirmed for success, but the clone has taken cranium damage post-discovery, furthermore, the trial simulations have confirmed that there is a 78% chance that the SCX chip will likely disconnect or deteriorate Link-A's brain once it emerges from stasis. As of yet, there is a wide search to find the counter to prevent this outcome. **

**Regeneration capabilities are a success, sim runs suggesting that she can rapidly curate a bullet wound even, but the con is that the clone cannot regrow missing limbs. Extension to the next four clones in Project Link will replicate procedures to add upon these abilities as upgrades are found.**

_I'm... I'm going to...? _Linka snapped out of it, blinking back to life. _Die?_

Then, she recognized the humor in that, falling to her knees, placing both hands on her head and spurging out in uncontrollable, sickening laughter. Crazy world, crazy outcomes. Always.

**Now**

"Y-you found out when-" Leven pieced together. "L-Linka-"

"Even before that, I just didn't want to accept it before, but..." She stared out thw window. "I'm starting to, especially when death is lying in every corner. The twins, that girl,, Carly, and maybe even that Lemy boy, too. It's gonna be me soon, Lev. I'm going to be dead, and I won't even make the obituary!"

"Hey, stop it!" Leven repelled her back to his arms. "We'll fix you, Linka! We can take that chip out of you-"

"Not yet!" Linka hoped to finish the job before this was to be considered. "Not until we get Blood and McMahon!"

"This is serious-"

"AND THIS ISN'T?! YES, MY LIFE IS ON THE LINE, AND YES, I HEAVILY FEAR DEATH BUT WE HAVE TO PUSH FORWARD TO THE END! I'M NOT A VEGETABLE YET, LEVEN!"

He gulped, shifting his head as if he had no idea on what to do. That's cause he didn't this time. Options were running out. "Jeez, Linka, I can't believe this..."

"You best believe it, man!" Linka rested herself back on the seat. "I need this thing inside me when we do our rescue mission, then we'll find some surgeon to remove it! That should be able to spare me from death before it's too late. I mean, it has to, right?"

"We don't know for sure, but if we don't try..." This was him taking a risk in it, accepting that brain surgery to remove the device had to be done. "We'll do it, Linka, right after we dismantle the incoming genocide and this new guy."

"We will, big brother!" Linka triumphed. "Black Network here we come!"

Leven hugged his younger clone sister when she wasn't expecting it, patting and rubbing her back with his warm, loving affection. When they had nothing else, and no other Loud, they had each other, but only had each other for so long, the calm before the storm. "We'll save you, Linka! I promise it on my heart! I promise!"

_"I promise..."_

**Elsewhere**

The house stirred as it usually did, the live-in patrons, the family of three, seated where they usually sat, breakfast platters still to be finished. This was the home or the Henderson family, consisting of the balding man of forty-two years, the ginger wife, taller and more meaner than him, of thirty-Six, and their young child, the twelve-year-old boy due one more year of grade school before moving onto high school. And their special guest, the fourth person seated right next to Jim Henderson, with the silver revolver pointed onto the side of his head, was none other than Dylan Blood. To the outside world, this was an ordinary family with great financial stance and support from the lord of this manor. But Dylan pulled the rug out from underneath, already having connected the aging Jim to some questionable moves played in his time in one of the Kapacity Korp facilities.

This paticular person was he who had been snuck into the workplace right out of Vial Corporation with a clean slate just like the many countless others who bypassed the law and hid well. Actually, not so well, and not safe from the punk-looking madman. "I've been lucky to have found one of you, and that scared look on your face..."

The young man of messy, spiky hair could almost relish the savory taste of the Henderson man's fear, but without having this ego to show, without getting drunk on this feeling of perfect triumph, he focused in on the current objective of the long-running campaign to remove the predators from the field. The lord of the beasts, the ravenous creatures of all sorts, moving in all directions.

For instance, he labeled the crooked elites who banded together to police and kill off the phenos out of fear of some revolution, an uprising that would leave them at the bottom of the adapting food chain, and then there were the illegitimate politicians, that meant Peter McMahon and his friends, whoever they were, the entire criminal faction under the Vial Corp banner, a majority of them still in the wild, and under McMahon's command within the innocent employees of the corporation prior to the madness, and then there were the final persons of interest; the mutated beings dubbed phenos, the victims here with the real, scary potential to form a society if they so wanted to and decide whether or not those who seemed them as hostiles, the bad guys, were worth going to war with. It was ugly, and it was naturally beautiful at the same time, and then neither way. These were all the threats, and the thread that held everything from falling apart in this entire web could only be cut so easily, with little to no effort when someone made the wrong move when there'd already been a series of first strikes in all fronts. Not that he helped keep it from happening.

Right now, the best targets to neutralize were the phenos and the McMahon board, mainly the man himself and the entire shutdown of Kapacity Korp entirely as well. Still...

...Superior Human. That concept idea still circled his head. All those poor souls, either killed or turned into phenos so that the key ingredients to keep humanity alive for more centriues- It hadn't gone away. There had been something missing, something that was not in any of the files he'd accessed and read. And even still, the five chambers of a golden make added to the mysteries yet to be uncovered. Five creations, five missing files, what was being hidden? What had been buried underneath that surface of thick ice?

"Have you ever stepped foot in the Black Network?" Dylan pressed the barrel down harder on Jim's head. "I need to know what was inside that group of chambers- That is to say you were roaming in there with an all-access pass, and frankly, I am unaware of how things operated among it."

"I- I don't know what this Black Network is-" Jim huffed.

"No?" The revolver pulled back from contact. "No! Of course you don't, but surely there were people who did- Or..." He got up and circled the shaking family members, gun pointed at them all. "You see, you're lying about something at the minimum. I didn't come here for lies, mister."

"H-hey, you leave my wife and son out of this!" Jim demanded, trying his hardest to keep it together. "You want me-"

"What I want is the answers I so desire!" Dylan struck Amelia Henderson with the butt of the revolver, sending her falling sideways onto the floor with a frantic yelp.

"Amelia!"

"Don't move!" Dylan warned, centering on Jim again. "You, or her... Which one gets it?!"

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Big man!" Dylan swung a roundhouse kick down Jim's way, kicking him right in the chest, making him tumble backwards with the chair. "You've had your shot, but such a slim one if anything-"

This time, Jim swung his burly, big arms at the punker's legs, only for the madman to throw back with kicks and stomps to the older man's arms and face. "Agh!"

"You're only wearing yourself out! Let me help you!"

Behind him, Amelia, bleeding from her head, had come back up and crouched behind him, moving like a predator stalking within the tall grass. She got close enough and placed her grip on the gun-toting psycho, arms around his neck, putting her effort to push him down. "JIM!"

Dylan lost control, heavily choked by the likes of this stranger of a woman. "Rgggh!" Gun still in his hand, he took aim right where he mentally calculated her foot would be, firing away as Jim rebounded and came lunging for punches. Amelia shrieked after the fourth round shot out, and the arms had loosened from Dylan's neck, but he fell when Jim struck a full swing effectively.

_Fucking hell-! _

"Come here, you bastard!" Jim angrily growled, moving fast.

As fast as he had lost control, Dylan reverted it back to his way, flipping himself on his back, taking aim and firing the last two rounds from his signature murder weapon, striking Jim in the chest and head, instantly killing him. When the corpse fell, Dylan broke its fall with his feet and directed it away from falling on him. "NO! NOO! NO, NOT THAT!"

"JIM!" Amelia was downed with a bullet right above her left foot, trying her hardest to crawl her way to him, ignoring the recovering Blood. The young son had excused himself from the chair and stood before both parents- slowly accepting the hard fact that his father had just been killed by this pale young adult. Dylan himself had been rather unhappy how things turned out, and when he went back to see the dead man's wife console the corpse and the boy just silently watch what death looked like, right close and personal, there was some sort of guilt to feel in that. "Hey, kid-"

"D-DON'T- DO NOT TOUCH MY VINCE!"

"Vince..." Dylan repeated, getting on one knee to Vince's level. "Your father was a criminal, I had to-"

"VINCE, VINCE- COME OVER TO ME!" Amelia violently pleaded, arms still connected to the body.

"Don't you dare venture down the path I walk on..." Dylan raised a finger and tapped it right above Vince's heart. "Not if there is hate in here, okay?"

If there was some sort of indicator of hate in Vince's own green eyes, which had gone roughly red, Dylan could not detect it whatsoever.

"Repeat after me..."

Vince blinked.

Dylan formed a wide, silly grin as if nothing had happened. "Long live my revolution, kid. I will save this burning nation from the conspirators."

**Years Ago**

"Get him!" Anthony Dermont, better known as Skidmark to his group friends, was it again with the bullying, commanding his friends to corner and deliver their common beating on Dylan Blood. His lackeys were mostly of the casual Caucasian type, one or two of them being skateboarder punks. It was Peter Peppers, Jordan Straum, Salvatore Ferranti, Eugene Jameson, Brandon Burton, and the only black member of the clan, Isaiah Johnson.

They kicked him down, held him the way he was, feeble and unable to move- and even worse-

_The monsters of all shapes and sizes start off wearing human disguises. They look like your friend, they look like your neighbors. They are everything and everyone, do you- No, wait... Could you ever think that you truly know someone underneath the surface? Do you know what they think? What they believe? How they really act?_

"Dylan!" Anthony took pleasure in the bullying, got off on it at no doubt. And it didn't end until the poor sucker Blood was living up to his name, bleeding in general places while they stripped him of whatever money he'd have, the certified bonus to prove that bullying paid off. "You scrawny, little shit-"

Back then, things were different. He was different. Back then... He was still human.

_This world does not save you._

Dylan could not fight back, and so it was that he forcibly allowed himself to submit to the violence. He was only young, short and defenseless, a perfect target for the unstable evil.

_This world is unfair to you, remember that- and don't even think about sugarcoating it. It's not, and I know this all too well. _

"Let's go!" Anthony and crew broke away from him and ran out of the alleyway. "Fuck that maggot!"

One of them laughed at his expense, sounded like Salvatore's- Either way, it was a done deal, and they were gone when he dared open his eyes.

**_Teen suicide rates have increased to 71% by the end of 2027, back when, at the end of the 10s decade, it had gone up to 56%, so what does that tell you? It's not rocket science to know why, these poor teens are the victims of bullying, it's sickening, it's nasty and despicable. Silenced, weakened, etc. I can only imagine their pain, and that's because, well, I was one such person to have been bullied back in my high school days. Nothing at all in grade school. Not a damn thing. Pretty sad if you ask me, pretty sad. It's painfully clear that less and less people are doing anything about it. Issue isn't their mental health, it's those vulgar runts who get away with it. I want to see the tables turned, the eyes to be averted, the rise of the underdog._**

**_I am the underdog._**

**Now**

Luna had been rather exhausted of walking, and jogging, and running- the days expanded longer this past week alone, and without anyone else other than Sam keeping her company, well, what could Luna do but be paranoid and worrisome about their fates? For starters, she and Sam had been made aware of the new player and his declaration of war against the phenos. And they were phenos, not to be sugarcoated.

She wandered randomly, with no clear destination, and it wasn't like Sam had a plan either. Not as it stood, anyway. They were silent, this coming from Luna's anger and pain that hadn't died off as of yet. The recent event had her back to square one, making her feel at all places that led away from home, away from perfect, peaceful sanctuary. The heart of hell that showed her just how powerless of a nobody she was, even with her unnatural pheno abilities. A mere special human incapable of saving her sisters. Incapable from stopping Luan, from not doing better to shut down Lincoln, and a hell lot more that could have been shifted her way.

Not at all.

"Lunes..." Sam had also been weary of this as well, moving around in her "special condition" aimlessly. "I can't keep this up."

They walked through a shallow neighborhood, an empty, suburban one that was currently dead- and they knew not where they were, the sad fact behind it.

"I can't carry you..." Luna had already been past the point where her feet gave her such grief, but had slowed down and moved to the curb, standing over it. "Okay... Okay..."

"I know this is necessary but it's-" Sam crossed her arms and sighed, giving in to defeat. "It's too much, and we're not doing anything. Those two albinos are gone, and your sisters-" She closed her eyes, stopping herself from striking a nerve in Luna. "We're just walking in circles, lost already-"

"We need to keep moving is what we're going to do, just like we've been," Luna reminded.

"Yes, I'm on board with that, but you're pushing for it faster than I can take it," Sam explained. "Luna, I'm getting tired and not just from walking."

"What-?" Luna sat down and took her words into account. "Sorry, you'll have to explain that to me-"

"Luna-"

"Because I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!"

"We didn't have to move-"

"Dude, we might've been compromised for all we know," Luna reasoned. "That evil man had to have tortured the twins-" Her breath became unsteady. "The twins..."

"Don't, Lunes, don't go there..." Sam dropped onto her knees and placed a soothing arm on her fair lover's shoulder. "I don't believe that they talked, Luna. They were stronger that that and to doubt them- I mean, you should know that they were."

"Maybe..." Luna attempted to believe, neutrally agreeing with her woman. "Just maybe, but I can't afford to take those chances, not with..." Lynn's betrayal hurt Luna more than she could ever say, if anything. The concept of a sister, deteriorating underneath the very ground she stepped on. Lynn the traitor, Luan the escapee, Lola and Lana, the prime examples of the phenos' fates as a whole. And then there was the devil brother. Lincoln Loud, the Ungodly Stormbringer. "Everything that's happened, Sam. I'm alone again, left behind by my own family."

"No, Luna, that isn't true," Sam fought. "They love you, I'm sure of it!"

"No... No, I don't," Luna believed. "How can I know for sure when...-?"

_Luna squirmed, fighting the grip from Lynn's hold as the latter girl dragged her back, her legs scraping against the ground, shouting and crying in that drunken state she was in again. This was the straw that broke the camel's back, the very thing that got her kicked out of the house, the perfect conformity of it. Aunt Rinn Reagan had more than enough incentive to boot Luna out, to cut one girl from the pack when the resources were scarce with one caretaker of a parent as it was. _

_The very reason Luna had set this off, pushed both Aunt Rinn and sister Lynn to this limit was because Luna took a beer bottle to Luan's head, and the comedienne's bodily reaction was clear and apparent; she toppled over onto her side right on the floor, bleeding from wherever exactly it struck and caused injury, with the bystander girls of the collective Loud reluctantly watching in pure horror. Lynn was sure as hellfire stronger than Luna, so taking her outside and throwing her right onto the grassy lawn wasn't too hard for her. Luna staggered about as her knees struck on Mother Nature's skin, followed by the rest of her body. "Yeow!"_

_And Lynn had taken out the trash, not looking back as she went back inside. But right before entering the doorway, right before she closed the doors to Luna, there was a pause, a freeze that made her think something, and Luna had taken glimpse of it when she tried to get up in her drunken state, legs still wobbly. She expected Lynn to say some words, a voice of hostility, but she offered no such advice fot the punk rocker, nothing at all. _

_It was too late to turn back, to retract her actions, and Luan paid for her sins._

"I can't ever stop feeling the way I did back then," Luna sobbed. "The way I do at this very second..." She blamed herself for the fractured relationship she had with Lynn and Luan, and that was before considering that maybe the twins might've had some secret fear of her that carried over in the long run. That, and anything else she had yet to find out. "Did I do this? Did I make Lynn side with him because... Because she hated me more?"

Sam tugged at her shoulders and wrapped hands around her. "No, stop trying to think it! You didn't make anyone do anything, they chose where they wanted to be, you didn't make anyone's call!"

"How can I know?"

"I refuse to believe that, and so should you..." Sam kissed her lover once on the cheek. "She had to have different reasons, but this isn't what I'll accept."

"I'm- I'm sorry, I'm slowing us down."

"Don't be, sweetheart," Sam lovingly assured. "You're hurt and I understand it. I'm sorry that you're going through this, I don't have the right words to soothe you, but..." And she locked hands with Luna. "I'm here, I'll be here when you need me and we'll face your issues together."

"I... I just wish I was a better sister, Sam," Luna revealed. "I wish I never messed up the way I did."

"And you will be, Lunes," Sam grinned with content in her voice, "You know your mistakes, that means you've learned what not to do! That makes you better and stronger than the person you were before!"

To this, the brunette nodded, finding the logical reasoning behind the words. "Yeah... Yeah, I guess you're right, I'm sorry-" She sniffed and wiped away at her eyes.

"Oh, Luna..." More and more had the blonde of freakishly red skin develop more romantic attraction for the musical Loud, seeing just how much of a person, and how torn apart her inner character was. "You're too pure for all of this."

"P-pure...?" Luna half closed her eyes. "I don't feel pure."

"You are, Lunes! You care about your family even after all of this, don't you? You want to make amends, that's good. You, you're a good person, you're pure and I've seen it ever since we've met. So-"

Luna had piped up to take in her blonde partner's words.

"You'll make up with Lynn and find Luan! I believe that, Luna, believe me- No matter what happened..."

_Luna slammed her frail hands against the door, begging for re-entry. Her voice, garbled gibberish so messily shifted by the alcohol that possessed her, took control of her actions. "Reeek- Puhleash, lot miiiieee eeeehnnnnnn!"_

_She would go on to do this for the next few minutes, moaning and crying while the inside of the residence had gone eerily quiet, no such sound playing in earshot. None of their voices, no angry, fast yells that sounded like orders being thrown around- and Luna could picture any single one of them trying to call an ambulance, or helping Luan up from the floor. Something, anything._

_Anything... _

"I want to..." Luna pressed a hand right above her heart. "I want them to know... I want us all to make up, why's that so impossible?"

"I can't tell you, Luna," Sam sighed. "I wish I could, but I don't have an answer for that. But that doesn't meant it's not fixable. We'll find a solution together."

"Together..."

"You will never suffer alone, that's a promise I'll make and keep until my dying breath," Sam proudly stated. "Never."

**Site Prime - San Francisco, California**

For the hundredth time, Lynn brought her fists against the steel white door, desperate to escape even with such little odds that were against her favor. She tried because she was a persistent woman who did not know the definition of defeat or surrender, not even in her vocabulary. And after that, her hands ached again, going red once more from the relentless strikes. Her cold, hard cell was just that uncomfortable, but not the primary reason to need to bust out of here. Lynn was stuck in the hellhole for days she began to lose count of, and worried had she been for the ones outside.

This place was a prison for captured phenos, operating just like any regular prison, except, and in the obvious state of it, this was a secret, off-the-books facility her captor McMahon had control of somehow. Her initial thoughts was that it wasn't originally a base to "incarcerate" phenos, but maybe it had been a prison before the world of today. Not that she truly cared to know, but it was a nice observation and hypothesis, just another thought to think so that the time could go faster. She was bored in her cell, suffering from the borders of her own mind.

If this was exactly how Luna and all the other captured phenos felt when they received the full Vial Corporation treatment, then Lynn understood Luna in that aspect. The horror. The insanity. The loneliness, lack of companionship behind these tough walls. If it were this easy to capture and contain Lynn, who was to say that Luna and the others...?

_No, damn it! Not like this! _Lynn outlived her usefulness, it seemed, and there was no greater discouragement that she felt other than this. All of that knowledge received from future, the special zoomer ability she was given by their future counterparts- that could not have been for nothing. No, not a damn way it was all just futile. _I told myself- I told myself I'd rescue Margo, Polly and Paula! I can save them! I know time travel is real, so there is a chance! A chance... Out of the impossible... Where are you? _

She didn't know what to expect by repeatedly smacking against the only way out, but the desperation was clear as daylight. With nothing else to do... _When I get out of here, I swear I will make you all hurt!_

**Black Network Base**

An endless supply of friends alluded to connections of the special variety, and that included paid mercenaries to come and give the defunct base- or what should have been abandoned- a nice thorough sweep from start to finish. It was a group of twelve of them, when McMahon could not make any such noise to bring in the authentic cavalry. Not Homeland, and certainly not even the boys in green, which of course was one of the better decisions if it were possible. Twelve, sporting tactical gear, various full-autos in the rifle of submachine classes, and different masks from one another. They moved separately through the woods, coming closer into the main entry point of the old base.

The only problem that neither client and employer saw coming was the layout had already been booby-trapped, courtesy of Dylan Blood. It started with a claymore concealed right underneath a pile of leaves- a sizeable hole that he dug up and placed the explosive into. Needless to say, it worked for the armed fellow, making him slip and fall, and then fly backwards when the claymore set off, blowing away his leg along with his life before the body even hit the ground.

The remaining eleven froze as one and took aim, checking from their ten to two, scouting ahead for any hostile foot mobiles, but no other living soul was around. "Flank around, flank around!"

Of course, landmines were dispersed around the entirety of the area, to the point that Dylan had only made one narrow way in and out of the Network in a careful set of maneuvering footsteps. He laid out the trespassers by having them activate the land mines, successfully cutting them down to half of the original number of them. Of course they'd get into the Black Network, but only a few of them, and the misfortunate ones at that.

In the end, after all of the rumbling, after all of the mines had gone off and taken the majority of the paid soldiers serving McMahon, it was down to five of them, cautiously advancing to the entrance of the Network. They found the hatch of the place and opened it, scurrying inside. The real fun began when Lyle Jefferson, once a gentle soul, was now a mindless beast under the control of Medi-Sin. Just like with Allie, Lyle's face was darkened, blue-greenish veins heavily visible, his eyes being white pearls, pupils gone. And he was ready to slaughter this time around.

**Near New York**

A Tesla had stopped onto the curb before Luna and Sam, blaring its horn to get their attention. The lack of driver had Luna spooked, but she and Sam approached it nonetheless. _"Good morning, ladies, I come with peaceful intentions, there is no cause for alarm."_

"Who's speaking?"

"Luna, be careful," Sam expressed. "This doesn't happen to you often, does it?"

"Hey-" Luna called out again.

_"Please board me immediately, this concerns you and the others. Link-A and Link-N are heading to the Black Network where the killer of the twins has burrowed himself into."_

"What?!" Luna thought she misheard. "That guy- That motherfucker is hiding in there?!"

"This feels like a trap," Sam voiced with concern. "I wouldn't trust-"

_"This is no deception, Sam. I am to transport you directly to the Black Netwrok, and you are to rendezvous with the two clones on their way to the base. Apart from them, Lincoln has gathered two allies to aid him in this battle, so it is advisable that you all meet up and go in together."_

"Lincoln- What, he's heading towards the plsce, too?"

_"Yes, they are all eager to resolve the issue before they can move further into McMahon's territory, which has now been uncovered already. I will add the final ally to the group before you get there. Now please..."_

**Site Prime**

Before she knew it, Lynn had come out prematurely, not on the designated time slot she was accustomed to. The entire site had suffered a blackout that left all cells to be opened- the perfect escape was here, with her and all the other phenos around storming the halls, stampeding to freedom, screaming out their triumphant battle cries. Lynn, running among the crowd, had gained back her speed powers the minute she stepped out, racing away through the guarded checkpoints, aiding the mob of phenos to not face any opposition.

This place would soon be overrun as fast as they'd have gotten out.

_"LYNN LOUD!" _The LinKAPACITY artificial intelligence was catching up fairly quickly to undo the wrongs happening all around. _"Luna, Lincoln and the clones are assembling to the Black Network! Head there now! It is of extreme urgency and time sensitive!"_

Lynn only stared at the intercom speakers, confused but accepting of it. Not like she had any better plans, let alone an idea of what was happening in the now.

She'd know soon enough.

**Washington, D.C.**

No answer, they might've run into some sort of problem, or they had been too busy to answer, the perfect implication that it was going his way, and if that were the case, the day started out rather marvelous indeed when in nature, he'd hate it. Coffee in his system, and the sunlight still coming out to brighten another long freaking day, McMahon readied himself when standing right in front of the crowd of reporters and cameramen for different network outlets. This was a special occasion, and a hard one that he called upon to address the current issued he had on his plate, main course being the video and the pointer blame he received by some random punk in a skull mask.

Truthfully, it should not have mattered, but these were words founded on truth, where anyone looking closely at it could very well see who and what his goals were. And he came onto the podium with four special guests behind him and his team of security agents.

"In the recent events that have taken place within our beloved nation," he began, confidently speaking out with his pride and ego, "It has become clear that the pheno menace will continue to thrive and possibly expand out of American jurisdiction. We, as a society, face the consequences of this unprecedented dilemma that continues to reshape our very way of life. We will not stand for pheno criminals or any threats that have their name on it. Secondly, I wish to address this unjust allegation as seen on wide television. I am not in league with the conspirators behind the gruesome chaos responsible for the kidnapping and killings of hundreds of innocents, and to further show my allegiance to the cause, for the good of mankind..."

He stepped back and held his hand out to introduce the four special guests behind him. These select four were mere teenagers at first glance.

These four, three boys and one short girl, standing firmly without so much as a formal smile, hands set behind their backs as if they've received proper mannerisms through vigorous training.

"The idea of a pheno force was misused by the old program the Patriot Division, but it is my humble honor to publicly introduces a reinstated attempt at another. Ladies and gentlemen of the press, O give you the Teenagers of Justice!"

And Dylan Blood was within the crowd, angrily watching from his spot, looking up at the high and mighty McMahon.

* * *

**AN: The unparalleled Blood War commences in the following chapter, full of blood, violence and death that can only be brought to you by yours truly! Everyone assembles to the Black Network, the clear war zone for the final fight that decides the victors in the end! Who wins and walks out with their lives?! Who will die?! **

**Next; the heartbreaking conclusion to the Kapacity Korp saga!**

**Excuse the delay, I've been juggling around this chapter with two future chapters for two future arcs. Timeline X vastly approaches, followed by...**

**You'll just have to wait for it. I might be inclined to go, ha. Until next time!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter VIII: Blood War**

* * *

**August 6th, 2030 - Washington, D.C.**

"These select four have underwent physical and mental evaluation, out of a hundred young phenos who had surrendered themselves to our many Korp facilities. They will receive the proper training needed to-" McMahon suddenly winced, moustache twitching the very second he caught sight of Dylan Blood, right there im the crowd, exposed and in the open right underneath the noses of his incompetent agents. "-Combat the rising threats as seen on the television when regular authorities are incapable to fight, even with the issued anti-pheno weaponry that has come to be."

Dylan narrowed his eyes.

"If this team would be so kind as to introduce themselves- This is a perfect opportunity to gain the trust of the public, to see that they have no reason to hide their identities. Meli?"

The girl of Mexican heritage in a gray sweater and yoga pants, came up to the mic, swinging her pig tails about gorgeously, spoke into it in a calm but stone-like manner. "Hello, I am Meli Ramos, and I am a pheno-"

_Look at these present four, just merely subjecting themselves to the puppet roles without a single fact, an idea of who exactly Peter McMahon is... Ignorant children accepting to play the good guy role. Arrogance! _Dylan set his left hand to his side, feeling around the precious revolver he'd have kept throughout the start of his deadly solo campaign, making sure McMahon could see him act upon.

"-Can make a diplomatic change-" Meli continued.

McMahon had stepped next to the three boys and yanked out his walkie-talkie, giving an order that alerted the pale madman on instant. Only four security agents and four phenos, and six rounds in the chamber. Odds stockpiled against him- but his secret weapon had yet to be drawn into the open. And rather than let them draw first blood, Dylan exposed his firearm and took aim just as the agents started mobilizing from the podium. "Fire! Deadly force is authorized!"

One headshot. Two headshots. "Nrghhhh!"

The assailant took one in the shoulder, flipping to the side. He was fast to remove his finger off the trigger to not waste out any such bullet- and when he focused again, right down from the diagonal stance he took, Dylan fired away at the last two, trying to hit them wherever he could, and ended up wasting all his rounds in pure desperation in the end, a flaw that he had to punish himself for in the later. He got them anyway, but- "Damn it!"

The various newscasters had moved away from the scene, some still taping it live while the rest had shut gone dark to avoid the graphic nature of the firefight occurring here.

"Go on!" McMahon commanded the new pheno team, "Do what you've been assembled to do! Make America proud!"

The group of teenagers jumped right into the dispersing crowd, making their way towards Dylan, all of the circling him like wolves ready to make their collective kill. From left to right, Meli Ramos, the telekinetic; Chad McCann, a redhead hardass with an ugly shape-shifter ability, being apparent to Dylan when the pheno transformed into his own skin; Leland Callaghan, a scrawny, short-haired fellow with one of those bug-eyed features, his whole physique turning moist white, a true close look at it revealed the entire body to be made of ice; and the last one was Benny Harrington, a zoomer in the making.

_Phenos... Phenos who will let it get to their heads... _The time for his last resort was now. Tucked in his sleeves were only two dampeners to cancel out their abilities, and the other two in the pockets of his black jeans. "Come on!"

Chad moved in first, his complexity and style compelling him to have the shooter all to himself. "This is what I live for! The fights, the endless violence!"

Dylan only feigned being injured to the point he was downed, a feeble assailant due only being secured, but it didn't work for Chad that way, the brutal teenager wanted to beat the shit out of something, but the only issue was that it was not allowed to be, and not specifically with the force of nature that lied in Dylan. He brought one dampener out and tossed it like a frisbee in a delicate manner, having it strike against Chad's black AC/DC shirt. It did its job and reverted him back to his own form, stopping him dead in his tracks in pure confusion. "Sorry, pal, but there can only be one!"

Dylan struck Chad with the butt of his revolver.

_Skidmark, the thug-affiliated brand Anthony Dermont accepted, had fallen back from the aftershock of Dylan's retaliating hand. The toughest son of a bitch around these yonder parts was one step to being dominated, put in his place by the blood-boiled shorty. 'Why you-!"_

_Of course, this was the first time it had happened for Dylan, and neither he could figure out what to anticipate next. A firm punch landed, a strong one at that, and it was hin lucking out, but he feared that it was just a one-hit wonder, nothing more than that. He frantically breathed, arms and legs shaking about unevenly. His young heart had raced past the hundreds, rendering him immobile and dead-on scared. Scared of what could have been coming if he didn't stop. _

_If he didn't stop. _

_The two were in the boys' locker room, right after a slow and tiring class of physical ed had ended, and Skidmark had done the same shit, sung the same song in the beat and melody once more, but not unto Dylan this time. Skidmark, without his cronies, had picked on Nicholas Cromwell, the rich snob with a dirty drug addiction that everyone knew about- and the very same one being kicked out by his parents for temporary extensions that served as punishment. _

_"Dylan, I don't need your help!" Nicky grunted out, recovering from his own pain, back being shoved right into the lockers. "As for you, Anthony-"_

_"You both are as good as dead," Skidmark vowed, setting the center stage for his killzone. "You two-,_

_Dylan sprinted right into Skidmark, pushing him back down again with the built-up momentum he gained rather quickly, making him trip on himself hard. "Not today, you son of a bitch."_

_"Watch your mouth if you know what's good for you, maggot," Skidmark warned, turning to his side to pick himself up. _

_Only, this would not be allowed by the radical, scrawny brat. _

* * *

**The beasts of the world are none other than ourselves. We are the very monster we fear, we are the creatures of the night, the ones that lurk within that endless abyss of the darkness. Since the very beginning, the cavemen, the Neanderthals, the earliest examples of homosapien are depicted as the violent nomad, the brutal hunter of the ravenous nature of old times. In a world of kill or be killed, it was only ever so simple, be the predator... Or be the prey. **

**With this in mind, you can surely make the connection that I am not a firm believer of the one you call God. I never saw the point in it, and I don't care to bother. Tell you what, if that concept was a real one, would things be the same as it was now? I don't think so, I truly do not. The only thing I've ever understood, in the earliest days of my life, was the inevitable existence of bloodshed. Violence. War. Segregation. Hatred to the core. **

**The notion of peace and civility is the grandest of lies, a mere folly of a game that has no true purpose but to keep us all in chains, mentally drugged and enslaved away from our true, triumphant nature. You are what you've been for centuries past, a devil in human skin, or maybe a true human in a masquerade. As much as it pains me to say that I dislike a certain type of beast human, the suppression of all is an act intolerable, a sort of crime against nature. An outburst is treated like a disease when it's posted on social media, you have to understand it's regular human nature. We don't always have control over our actions, it's not exactly rocket science. No, this isn't to justify the actions of people who have committed crimes while under such influence, but what is their sentence? Surely it isn't the right hospitality assistance, but jail time. They want you off the street rather than help you because, well, they don't care about you. They don't care about you...**

**Unless you have money.**

**I have multiple grievances with a whole lot of things, please bear with me. **

**I'd love to give in to my nature when it most pleases me, without judgment or eyes on my back. Rest assured, I am not planning to commit crimes that paint me on the same threat levels as those Freights. I'm sure you know about them, you've gotta have learned. They had the right idea but the wrong prey was chosen as their target. Had I control of such a terror group, I'd sic them onto the rich. Steal from the rich, give to the poor to balance it out. The odds must be evened, the elites...**

**Those elites, the scumbags of Wall Street, the entrepreneurs relaxing in their castles, the tallest buildings of New York City. The penthouses in Seattle. Million dollar estates. All that money they spent to fatten themselves rather than the suffering homeless, those poor orphans, the veterans of every war made from a mess, a transgression from one side or the other, perhaps both. **

**Case in point, and this is how these two arguments are connected; the rich can do as they please because of money, while we can't. We, the middle class and below. I am middle class scum with a family that just barely makes the cut, and I can expect no financial help from the top dogs, cause that isn't how it works and it won't be how it will. Not unless the game can somehow change, and you know what?**

**That's why I'm here. I will be the new face of modern revolution. **

* * *

_Dylan gained the upper hand, kicking Skidmark repeatedly, striking at his stomach, his face, making him so dreadfully cry and moan once he had been reduced to nothing. Nicky himself had backed away from this scene, scared shitless of this explosive scene of unrelenting, destructive violence that could have been avoided. _

_No, no, it could not have. _

**Now**

Chad McCann had fallen first of the four, but the fight hadn't ended for the regular human.

_Teenagers... Teens of Justice... What a joke. _Dylan moved past the downed Chad, rushing towards the ice-skinned pheno, running into his next fight.

"Arrogant psycho!" Callaghan smirked cockily, displaying a light example of the power he possessed by simply raising his hand out, magically emitting beams of cold air that froze Dylan's left leg upon contact. "That ought to hold him! Hey, senator, we've caught the criminal!"

Meli went over to take a look at Chad, pressing her fingers on his jugular vein. "He's only knocked out."

Dylan held on to the one dampener still in his grasp as he pretended to break his leg out of the ice. He focused his eyes on Callaghan, making an angry face to prod him into coming over, which he did. "See that? That's the power of the Snowman, babes!"

"Snowman ain't shit compared to me," Benny Harrington scoffed, running literal circles around him.

Dylan twitched upon seeing Harrington show off. _Another zoomer douchebag...!_

"Oh, I've certainly heard of you, seen you in action," Benny began. "You killed those two girls everyone loved. Then again, what can you expect from a pair of girls, especially blondes" wielding that power meant for hardened men?"

"Oh, so pheno powers are meant for the worthy, strong men?" Meli had shown some disgust and directed it down Benny's throat. "Piss off with that, I've got just as right- Jeez, Chad is heavy!"

"You were saying?" Leland snickered, emitting cold breath from his mouth. "Need help, princess?"

"Ugh," Benny moaned, approaching Dylan, bending down to defrost his leg via super friction. "This might be a little hot."

Dylan found his chance; the very second Benny had burned through the ice and liberated Dylan, the pale-skinned killer pulled out the small dampener and slammed it against Benny's head, quickly disabling his powers. "Gotcha!"

Benny threw up his arms in an attempt to distance himself from the man, but instead receiving a shin right to the face, smashing and breaking his nose so easily. Benny fell back, beaten already by Dylan when Meli and Leland had seen him go again. Leland dropped the unconscious Chad on Meli, challenging her to handle the big boy. "How-?!"

Dylan saw his only opening towards McMahon while the senator had been watching atop the podium. "QUIT CLOWNING ABOUT AND GET HIM!"

"PETER MCMAHON!" Dylan screamed in rage, picking up a gun from one of the fallen agents, taking aim at him. "PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!"

"FUCK-"

"BACK TO HELL WITH YOU!" And Dylan Blood fired the rest of the club's bullets at McMahon, taking down the mastermind tyrant behind the genocide agenda, satisfied only when McMahon fell. By then, Leland, the self-christened Snowman, grabbed and froze the handgun, breaking it into bits in the madman's hands. Dylan dropped them and set one down his left pocket, yanking out the third dampener to use on this ice-cold pheno. "Bullseye!"

"What is this?" The Snowman character returned to normal, baffled that his abilities were canceled out before the fight was over. "No!"

"Oh, yes!" Dylan placed his hands on the pheno's ears, locking on tightly for a powerful headbutt. And then again, just to be on the safe side. It couldn't have killed the Snowman bastard right away, but the ears would be left to bring about pain when he woke up.

Meli was the last one standing of this pheno team, but Dylan used Leland as a shield. "Don't you dare-"

"Stay back or I break his neck!" Dylan warned. "The man I want here is McMahon only, don't be a hero!"

Meli wiggled her fingers, still assessing the situation. "You criminal scumbag..."

"From where I'm standing, you're the one aiding and abetting one!" Dylan protested. "You and these brainless leeches answer to the man in league with James Shepherd! The one just above Shepherd, for that matter!"

"Y-you're lying! He took us and saw our potential-"

"Potential to be ignorant!" Dylan mocked. "Don't be absurd, he couldn't ever possibly come to care about you all."

"RAMOS!" McMahon wailed, voice pitched higher. "YOU KILL HIM! DO IT NOW!"

"S-sir, he's got a hostage- Callaghan's in danger!"

"DO IT, OR HE GETS AWAY! WHAT'S ONE LOSS MEAN OVER THE DEFEAT OF THIS LUNATIC?!"

"B-but..." Meli's hazel eyes widened with grief. "I can't hurt him."

"MELI!"

"Is that the man you wish to serve?!" Dylan spat back out at young Meli. "Giving you orders to off me at the cost of this young pheno?! His life just to ensure I fall is an inhumane example to be set! Sacrilege, not sacrifice!" Dylan moved backwards, still holding Leland in a hold, advancing slowly to the podium. "Be smart about this, girl, I have no real incentive to bring about harm-"

"And yet-" Meli looked towards the reporters and staff who stayed around to film the entire scene live, even with the display of bloody ruthlessness in range. She displayed her power, forcing the many cameras she could into the air, lining them up around Dylan's space. "You're showing the entire world what you really are!"

"The boy is my insurance from you, from that!" Dylan one-handedly pointed up to the cameras. "I'd never trust the likes of you to wield such a power, even with this "proper" training McMahon claims you've gone through! I'm only acting in the true desires for America! We don't need phenos, and we don't need you! Stand down and get yourself a neutralization agent for your sickness!"

"Sickness?! I never asked for this!"

"You planned to keep it out of a sense of superiority!" Dylan exposed. "It's not that complicated and neither are you! Otherwise you would not be here right now, would you?"

"Get out! Get out of my head!"

"What's wrong, understanding what the painting looks like now?!" Dylan pushed Leland's mug towards the camera. "The Teenagers of Justice have now been defeated by me! They, your beloved country-runners, put their belief in the weakest of phenos rather than keeping their dangerous ones on the payroll. The Patriots had the right idea, but failed massively in bringing in the ex-Freight! At least the government goons know what to do in that aspect, but we cannot afford to put these pathetic excuses for defenders on the frontlines of our wars. We already have soldiers, we have the Feds! Cops, even, if you believe in them! There will not be a change in society if I have anything to say about it! Yes, I took the lives of Velocity and Momentum on public, that was nothing more than to show that they can be killed, and they will all be if they dare go against me!"

Meli opened her mouth but no words flowed out.

"I've made my statement, I will no longer use words to talk! I am Dylan Blood-" He wound up snapping Leland's neck right before the multiple rows of cameras, then letting the body plummet. "I am the Pheno-Killer! I will be the face of this anti-pheno revolution, follow me! Take to the streets and murder or neutralize all the phenos before they take over your world! The world belongs to the commoners, it is to be of balance! Wear my mask, spark the fire, and-"

Meli forced the cameras towards Dylan in a fast-thinking attack, prompting the speech-giver to fling out his last dampener and throw it onto Meli's face. The cameras fell around him, and he picked one up to make another such example out of her. "How rude, not letting me finish, you little girl" you-,

He picked up a camera with one hand, pointing it down at Meli as he descended. She flicked her hands repeatedly, terribly confused as to why she had lost her telekinesis. "No!"

"I win!" And he swung the camera like a bat, delivering it right into Meli's head.

"RAMOS! C-CALLAGHAN!" McMahon rasped, lying on his back, bleeding out from the gunshot wounds on his shoulder and leg. "DAMN YOU, YOU CURSED CHILD!"

"Not today, my good man!" Dylan merged victorious here, but could it possibly go his way a little while longer? Now that he had his big target cornered, it was due time to retrieve this special package and return to the Black Network. "You've done your best, but to tell the right people where the base was would risk you being exposed as the criminal you are... Just as I assumed, right?" He met the older man lying weakly on the podium, fists stretched out against the floor.

"Son of a bitch- You motherless son of a bitch!"

* * *

**In all my years of living- and I'm quite young for my age yet- I've seen it all. I've seen various figures, self-proclaimed as entitled, important over any other. False kings with monstrous egos. The Karens. The snobs. The piece of shit politicians, the powerful and rich, the stuck-up. Infections, they are all infectious to society because...**

**They be. **

**They are in terms of people, just like I am able to be. The more I begin to see, the more I understand that no such person is innocent. No such person is innocent, so ask yourself this;**

**What the fuck are you doing to make a change? Don't you dare stay in your seat and scroll past this rant and rave of mine. Surely you have a reason to live, right? Mom and dad fucked and gave birth to you, and in natural terms, you exist, therefore you are! But why do you breathe? Why do they when they don't wish to contribute to the well-being, the positivity, the health in the good cause? **

**The way I see it, all humans are greedy, selfless and violent. For this reason, we are all unworthy to be. Hitler had the right idea but targeted the wrong group. The entirety of the world must be destroyed for perfection of peace. I am Dylan Blood, and I believe in a new world order. **

* * *

"I've got you on the end of your rope!" Dylan declared, meeting McMahon close enough to deliver the hard knockout kick with his foot. "Me!"

The scene stood idly silent, perfect with the weather. No winds that emitted it as a breezy, noisy place, yet the stillness was the thing of dread. The onlookers, those witnesses of the news outlets were frozen in place, quite distant from Dylan and the very fighting arena that made it dangerous for everyone around. The phenos four presented by the false good guy would wake up too late, find their master gone and to be left feeling how they should have been; as failures and the useless teens they were beforehand.

It was over, and before he could get an idea to preach to the media, to these witnesses, the back-up law enforcement would soon be on their way, so he'd have to return back. "It's time to go, old man!"

**Elsewhere**

Lori, Lincoln and Darcy were crammed in an old pick-up truck, driving to their main destination. Lori, concentrated behind the wheel, kept her face locked on the road, silent while Lincoln and Darcy were locked in chat.

"It's just one person, as far as I'm aware of," Lincoln mentioned. "But that doesn't mean he'd be the only opposition to face. McMahon's probably sent his men there, if he hasn't already. Some clean-up crew to tie up this loose fucking end."

Darcy merely nodded, agreeing without thinking much about it. "That makes sense from all that I know. Geez, Lincoln, you really fell deep into someone's political bullshit."

"It's just another massive headache on my part," Lincoln grunted, annoyed. ""All of it, right down to the core. Goddamn it-"

"What's with the irritated nature?" Darcy could only see the outcome being in their favor yet. "Holding something back?"

"It's the cycle is what gets me," Lincoln began to explain. "We've just jumped from one target to another, and the issues are already getting out of hand. All of this... I hate to say this, but this mess-"

"You realize it now, little brother?" Lori would have been proud if the shit wasn't this feral. "You're finally seeing that you can't simply shoot the enemies anymore, not like this. Not when the real enemy here is an idea."

Lincoln grew quiet, but Lori could tell that he was seething inside.

"That hurts my head," Darcy interrupted. "I mean I get it, but it just... Yeah, okay."

"It's too damn late to keep a lid on everything now," Lori believed. "Phenos exist, people will want to contain them, others will want to weaponize them. Not everyone sees them as the people they were before Lisa got to them, which makes it all the more sadder for them who never asked for it. Some of these phenos are undeserving of this, especially the young ones."

"When you put it like that..." Darcy readjusted herself in her seat.

"Then, as we've all seen earlier, there are those who only see them as menaces in society are going to act out against them. Well, they have already but to this level? A public message live on air? It truly takes an irrational person to do such a thing, and if he did this, then what could the next person do?"

"Hmmm..."

"This is the true nature of the world today, all these problems and our increasing inability to be the solution."

"Thanks for that pep talk," Darcy sarcastically peeped. "I can only help so much at Lincoln's request, but I have a life, I've got friends, I don't want to be roped into it further than what I've signed up for."

"Don't you dare have any second thoughts," Lincoln warned, trying to not come off as threatening. "I understand your concerns, this is all I need your help with."

"Alright, Lincoln," Darcy accepted. "I'm happy to help you, if it means saving pheno lives."

**Black Network - Hours Later**

"-Up?" Dylan snapped his fingers, waking and startling special guest Peter McMahon. "I need you to be awake for this grand day!"

"Uh-" When he tried to move, the aging senator had found himself bound to a chair, tightly tied into it with rope. His glasses were no longer on his face either. "Boy, how dare you-?" He came to find that his sounds were still aching, but Dylan had stopped the bleeding by taping up rags to the holes. Still, the poisoning was in effect.

"You're the big catch of the day, now I want to know all that you know."

"What-" McMahon remembered the team of mercs he had deployed to the base. "Death squad- How the living hell did you know?"

"I didn't know who exactly you'd send but I worked up traps inside and outside," Dylan openly shared. "The radius, up to twenty feet up there, it's rigged with landmines and claymore. They came from the north, wandering right into the landmines. As for the claymores, I hope no poor animal gets the hand of misfortune to set one off. Someone or sometime will, eventually, that's inevitable."

"Then...?" McMahon began to feel his triumph over this matter dwindle down. "No... There's no way I could have lost to such a child! You, some miserable brat-"

"Accept it, no matter how much it hurts your ego, your reputation."

The senator shook violently in the chair, trying to bust out of his prison. "Bastard child- How could you possibly know about me? About all this?! You're just some nobody, a damn maniac-" The man seemed to have gotten on his nerve; Dylan dragged him backwards to the floor by his entire head. "Ackk!"

"Can a nobody come here? Get to this point?" Dylan kept him down, stomping his chest. "Did you really believe that no one would look your way? Is that the problem here?"

"Why did you show up now?! Why didn't you put yourself on the fucking radar?!"

"And give myself away?" Dylan laughed. "Ha, don't be this stupid, McMahon. It had to be this way, with my movements being oh-so undetectable. I've come at the right time, and look at you now! Everything you, James Shepherd and Lisa Loud sought to accomplish, I will cut out off before it can happen again! I will destroy all Kapacity Korp facilities for harboring the many accessories to your crimes! Anyone with such a funny idea is simply another body on the steel table at the coroner's."

"Crimes?!" McMahon rasped. "Ignorant boy, America runs on illegal activities! The bodies of our dead military members are cut up to transport heroin, that is how the CIA is funded! We start these endless wars to profit from them! We'll never stop sellijg guns! We'll never stop enabling, advertising everyday violence! The nation- The world, it gets overpopulated! Of course we rely on mass shootings to cut down on population! The forefathers will see to it that all agendas, regardless of what public opinion is, are kept going! This is how it's been for so long, and it'll never stop!"

"Maybe, maybe not, but today, I know what I can dismantle! The legacy of Vial Corp is to be tarnished! After all..." Dylan looked to the doorway, a faint smile forming. "This is the perfect place to change the game."

Lyle, moving on all fours, peeked his head in like a mindless predator, his mouth slobbering out drool. He growled about, stunning McMahon enough to stutter.

"My war is about to begin."

**August 7th, 2030**

Linka and Leven ventured into the woods area on foot, trying to locate the entrance of the Black Network. They managed to stumble on the right track when they came across the dead bodies of McMahon's hired hands, stopping to check on one of their pulses. "Dead," Leven declared, grabbing one of the rifles. "The place was rigged with explosions, so this Blood guy isn't just all show and tell. Watch your step-"

Linka fucked it and frolicked right through ahead, humming happily like it was nothing.

"Ahh, Linka, be cautious of your steps!"

"We ain't gonna die, fam," Linka sang. "We gonna fly high. Hee heeeee!"

"Dare you get blown up-" The snapping of a twig stopped him, making him face towards the south's direction. "Shit-"

Linka froze in place, turning a non-stop 360 angle. "Boog? Elliot? Is that you?!"

"Linka, refrain-" Leven distracted himself in trying to warn Linka to duck that he missed the charging beast of green stampeding in his direction. The Superbeast of Dadetown didn't expect to find the clones here, but to have them running around with no supervision, especially after what they've done in the Patriot Division would not have been acceptable by Luna's standards. Leven was swept off his feet, falling sideways, losing the rifle in the process. "LUNA!"

"LUNA?!" Linka raced back to the fallen Leven- and let herself be struck down by Luna. "Oh, hi!"

"Have you come here to fix your mess?" Luna growled out.

"We've come to avenge the almighty twins!" Linka cheered. "Nice to see my virtual child brought you here!"

"What the hell happened to the both of you anyways?!"

Linka picked herself up, stretching out her legs. "Was that really necessary?"

Luna transformed back into her human form, shrugging her body off after the change. "It might have been my lizard instincts, sorry."

"Where's the lava girl?"

"Oh- Sam!" Luna yelled out, leading Sam to peek from behind a tree.

"It was McMahon," Leven filled in. "The three of us walked into a trap, Luna. He had us in a cage."

"Shit..." Luna shook her head. "I had a second thought whether or not we joined in, but it would have risked- I mean, I figured it would have put you three more at risk. Damn it..."

"Speaking of three," Sam realized, looking around, "Where's the Asian girl?"

Linka exhaled through her nose, sounding off as done and unable to do easily reply. Luna and Sam both looked to Leven, who just solemnly shook his head in silence. "She didn't make it, she's dead."

"Dead-" Luna let out, then silencing herself. "Bloody hell, that's..."

"Well, geez," Sam peeped. "I'm not gonna ask... I'm sorry."

"It was McMahon who murdered her," Linka rolled out, her chest hardening in anger. "Right there, right in front of us, to mock us-" Her fists formed when her hands folded. "I'm here to get this over with, and then the fuzzy-lipped motherfucker will get what's coming to him."

"Do not," Luna started to warn, "Do not suggest what you're thinking! I won't have that, not from Lynn, not from Lincoln, and not from you this time!"

"Coward!" Linka accused, pointing her finger out at Luna. "McMahon and Blood must be executed! I am all for stabby and shooty, I was hoping that you'd see some sense! Don't you want to avenge your twin sisters?!"

"Not like this!" Luna declared, keeping her ideals. "I've taken life, I know that, but-" She paused, taking a long sigh of defeat. "But I'm wrong! I've been wrong and I can correct it by not giving into that! I don't want it, I don't want to turn into what they are! Nothing like Lincoln, nothing like Lori! That Lynn, she backstabbed me and tossed her old ideals out the trash by siding with him! I want to believe that..."

Leven stepped up right to Linka's space to make sure she played fairly.

"I want to believe that all life is sacred and worthy, and by extension, that means that you five, all of you clones, have a right to walk among us! Maybe you weren't created for that reason, I know that, and maybe you were here to be human weapons, but there's more to you! You don't have to be some psycho killer! You don't have to be wrapped up in these messes!"

Linka opened her mouth to say her piece- and her piece wasn't there to be said.

"You, girl Lincoln, I don't like that you carry his ideas, his demented viewpoint and personality, but I wouldn't wish harm your way. For all of you, and I'm thankful you aren't with the bad guys-"

"We're both here to right our wrongs, Luna," Leven assured. "We might have had a hand in adding to the flame, enabling people such as Dylan Blood, but we'll correct it, and we will do so together! The four of us-"

"The five of us!" Lynn arrived, leaning against a tree, crossing her arms like she was made of cool. "Don't count me out just yet."

"Lynn..." Luna greeted with some resentment in her voice.

"Hey, welcome back to the fic!" Links clapped. "Haven't seen you since Act III! You won't believe the crazy off-country adventure we had in Afghanistan! Oh, it surely doesn't feel canon too much, but I have a feeling I'm not done seeing those guys!"

"You guys are all battle-ready as I am?" Lynn crackled her knuckles, leading front, having her back to them as to avoid Luna altogether.

"Hey, Lynn," Luna was not so quick to avoid the elephant in the room, "We're going to have words after this."

_So you say, Luna... So you say. _

"It's five against just the one," Leven reminded the group. "Be wary, we have yet to see how he fares in battle with phenos, considering he managed to capture the twins and bring them back here..."

"That means..." Lynn slowed down to a T.

Luna placed a hand to her stomach. "Their bodies... We're-" Sam locked and held onto Luna's hand for support.

"Linka and I will clear out the rooms first-"

"Uh, hello?" Lynn snapped her fingers like crazy. "Zoomer girl here!"

"Not advisable, you'd be cutting yourself from us, susceptible to running into a trap!"

Lynn flashed a salute, smirked at them, and then broke away from the group, running further to find the entrance. "Later, gator!"

"Lynn!"

Leven and Linka both broke into a run, chasing after her. "She'll give us all away! Hurry!"

"Amazing quality writing! She just forgot she'd come across the bodies right after you mention that we'd have to be clearing the rooms! L-O-L!" Linka broke into heavily laughter of the maniacal tone. "There's not a strong thought in that head!"

Leven came across the hatch and jumped down, sticking the landing after rolling forward, rifle pointed forwards when he stood back up. Linka slid down the ladder, still snickering to herself. "Boy, good times, eh, Leven?"

"Fucking Lynn ran down further ahead-" Leven moved in deeper into the dimly lit base. "Eyes on."

"Read ya loud and clear!" Linka stayed behind Leven as they both moved in.

Meanwhile, Lynn had already accessed six of the many rooms in the long base when she heard a faint metal scrape further down. She stopped running it and pranced in her sneaky footsteps, carefully and cautiously. No telling what she could find here, but she knew the very person lying in wait around here, the murderer of the twins. Just maybe, this was all easy.

Maybe it wasn't.

She heard it become louder, frequent- and then slower the more she came towards the source. It led her to a room on the left, and she leaned to cover before she entered, peeking her head right into it.

Dylan smacked the dampener right into her face, having it stick on her long enough for it to suppress her speed for the time being. "It's great to see you again, Lynn."

Lynn jumped back and removed the small object from her face. "Shit, it really is you!"

"I can't begin to imagine how funny this is..." The pale-skinned young man pulled out his signature weapon, the silver Magnum revolver, out to play, taking aim at Lynn. "Don't even try to disarm me-"

Lynn moved, trying to run at her unnatural speed- and he shot her left foot with perfect precision, which had her fall over in agony, leaving her in pain, confusion and, worst of all, defeat. "DAMN IT!"

"I told you!"

"C-CLONES!" Lynn screamed into the long corridors. "LUNA!"

"...What?" The first word surely got his attention. "The clones are here?"

"It's- It's over, we have won!" Lynn claimed. "You're about to become mince meat!"

Dylan kept the gun to Lynn's head, but moved out into the hallway, looking down both ends. "So, you're not alone, I see. Granted, I should not be surprised, I've led you all to me, and now it can end here. Good, Good, the five clones I've gotten McMahon out of are next."

"Coward! Why won't you fight me like the man you re pretending to be?"

"That's childish, Lynn," Dylan believed. "Surely you can understand that."

"Monster!" Lynn flipped herself on her stomach, dragging herself to him to strike against his legs. "My young sisters didn't need to die! They were good girls, heroines with a reputation! Beacons of hope!"

"Beacons can be extinguished, and in this case, they were!"

"Y-you said McMahon- You've reached out to him?!" She had stopped attacking him when he moved out of her range. "Uf!"

"He didn't see me coming, that's the greatest advantage in any war."

"What are you planning, huh?!" Lynn demanded to know. "What's your goal here, to kill us all?!"

"Extermination of the phenos, for one thing," Dylan responded truthfully, disappearing out of the room. "Jefferson, Sweetwater, playtime!"

Lyle, still controlled by the special concoction Medi-Sin, came crawling out of his room like a real dog, coming to his master's aid. "Rghhhhhh... Whooooo necksssssssst?"

"We've got intruders!"

Lindsey, also amped with Medi-Sin, joined Lyle and Dylan. "Oh, joy!"

"Earn back your lives by protecting me!" Dylan ordered them. "Get to it, capture if you must, kill if you can't!"

"N-no, what- What did you do to them?!" Lynn laid witness to Lyle and Lindsey, seeing them in their new, darker forms. "You truly are a coward!"

"I'll send them to die for my cause, but I do not expect them to merge victorious! At most, they can only slow down the enemy! My enemy!"

Leven and Linka were joined up by Luna and Sam after six rooms were cleared out. "Took you long enough!"

"Are you kidding, you guys-" Sam defended, cut off by a hushing Luna.

"Wait, wait," she alerted the crew. "I hear someone coming!"

Leven aimed the rifle down the sights. "Rapid ones?"

"No, not Lynn- Wait..." Luna held her breath for a few seconds, then- "Two different heartbeats! We've got a pair coming!"

"Let's give them the Loud family welcome," Linka snorted, folding her hands into fists. "Strike a pose!"

Luna readied her beastly form, charging without a second thought towards the two- and when Lyle and Lindsey revealed themselves, turning from the corner, she found herself stopping, her eyes widening in shock and surprise. "Th-the kids-"

"Oh, my God, it's th-those two," Sam stuttered.

"It's the femboy and Lola's competition from the show!" Linka raised and wiggled her fingers to greet them. "You've never looked better!"

Lyle and Lindsey rushed towards the group to fight on Dylan's command without so much as a word.

"Why do they look like that?" Sam wondered, noticing the uglier forms their faces took on.

"It's that same serum the Taggart girl took," Leven pieced together.

"The Taggart girl?" Sam repeated.

"Long story- Luna, be wary, their abilities have increased, I fear!"

"Increased?" Lyle pounced off the wall, forcing himself right onto Luna to attack from the air, roaring violently. "Shit-" Luna swung her arms up to strike him, keeping him off of her. In the midst of her counter, Lyle managed to scratch at her chest- and he fell in between her and the three phenos. He immediately got up and eyed then only for Leven to fire off the entirety of the rifle's magazine into Lyle at full auto. The bullets surely hit and dug into Lyle, but it didn't drop him.

"Oh..." Leven lowered the rifle. "I truly despise this Medi-Sin crap."

Luna came attacking Lyle from behind, slashing his legs and his back when he fell onto his knees, scratching out his blood and flesh through his clothes, and with her tail, she yanked him to the side of the wall with measured force. One second later, Lindsey attacked right when Luna was open and vulnerable, shoving her right into Sam. Leven and Linka moved to the side and dove in, with Linka throwing her punches and Leven using the rifle as a melee weapon.

"Headlock her!" Leven yelled to his clone sister. "We can end this'"

Lindsey knocked Linka down fairly easily, but was distracted for Leven to ram the weapon right into her head quickly and repeatedly. "Grauuugghhhhh..."

"I don't suppose we can unify to revamp the Junior Patriots?" Linka asked.

Leven dropped the empty rifle and tried to pick the young redhead up to pin her down. "Linka!"

"Huh- Oh!" The first clone pounced back up and wrapped an arm around Lindsey's neck from behind as she drove her knee up to the latter's back. "Down, down, down you go, darling!"

Leven stopped striking the weapon against Lindsey and stepped into the side. "Luna, takedown!"

Luna looked up and saw the perfect opening; she knew what Leven implied, pushed herself off the ground with her hands and charged right into both young girls like a quarterback hustling through the rival team. At the last second, Linka let go and did her best to push Lindsey towards the stampeding Luna, but Lindsey still didn't budge until Luna picked up the right momentum to knock her and Linka out of place.

Lyle, stumbling near weakly, moaned and bled, but the fragmented bullets that pierced his skin came exiting out of his body for it to heal. Sam stepped back, feeling scared and powerless. "He's still-"

Luna looked away from the fallen Lindsey, rejoining Sam. "Damn him."

"Red's out for the fight," Leven notified the girls. "Luna-"

Linka looked further down the Black Network. "Leven, you help them! Someone's gotta keep going!"

"What?!" Leven was outraged. "No, we have to stick together! We can fight him off together-"

"There isn't enough time!" Linka pointed to her forehead. "Not with this ticking time bomb in my brain! Leven... I need to."

"Leven, dude!" Luna screamed. "We're gonna need all hands!"

For a clear moment, the clone was conflicted, but this was as tough a call he had to make. "Okay... Okay, you be safe! Be safe, Linka! We'll catch up!"

Linka drew out her hidden piece, staggering off on her own towards Dylan Blood.

_Please be safe... _Leven prayed.

Lyle came galloping again, going for Sam. The golden-blonde girl barely ducked his quick movements, letting Luna and Leven do the wetwork. "I- I can't bring myself to hurt him!"

Luna swung her hands around at Lyle, but the young pheno ducked her attacks, merely leaping down and springing back up with both arms risen up to punch her chin. It sent her flying backwards- and Lyle was quickly tackled down to the ground by Leven. "Help me out here!"

Luna returned back to the fight, helping Leven hold the amped Lyle down. "Sam! Sam, take him out of the fight!"

And she stood there, unable to act, choosing her morality to remain in its whitened state. "L-Luna-"

Lyle swung his legs up, disconnecting Luna's grip from them, leading Leven to mount fully on him and deliver a nasty headbutt, which didn't fully do the trick.

"No, no!" Luna begged the young boy. "Stay down! Stay down, I don't want to hurt you!"

Lyle bit Leven's arm, shaking and wobbling his head violently to shove him off. "Gruhhhhhhgggghhhh..."

"He's stronger than I hoped he'd be!" Leven frantically stated. "Luna! Sam! The kid gloves-"

"No!" Luna jumped right over the two, dragging Lyle right into the wall when Leven had the gull to let go. "Kid- Snap out of it!"

Lyle kept moving, eager to take down his new prey, non-stop.

"I'm unable-" Leven wearily said. "I can't- Luna..."

"D-don't, there's gotta be another way-" Luna looked to Sam for answers. "Dude-"

"No, I can't... I won't allow myself to hurt-"

Luna brought her hands up to her face, staring deeply into her mutated claws. These claws of death so capable of taking lives with the swing of either one arm or the other. One swing, one jamming- One swing... She met Lyle's nearing face again. There was no way to slow him down except this only way. Luna hesitated, for she knew what it meant, she knew the ugliness of this action. "I- I don't want to! I don't want to do this to you-"

Lyle jumped up to attack Luna from the air.

_You leave me no choice! You've left me no-!_

Luna connected her claws right into his throat before the sandy-blond boy's feet kissed back upon the earth. The claws moved about within the neck, feeling the cold blood and the flesh from the young pheno's neck- and Luna yanked everything out of it, ripping up Lyle's throat. The gory flesh fell out with the mess Luna made- and she, not wanting to have him as their issue anymore, continued to tear away at his neck. She did so, and she had actually turned her face away from the grisly image she knew she'd see. Sam, too, turned away, leaving Leven the only hard-stomached person to lay witness of Luna's messy attempt to decapitate Lyle in pure desperation. Luna reached the spine, and by then, when she snapped at it, Lyle's body had been moving less, no longer squirming, his hands having lost control and grip of trying his hardest to prevent Luna from killing him.

And she killed him, her eyes closed now. She let the head tumble down onto the cement floor, and even after the this, even after both head and body fell, Luna could not bring herself to see the most bloodiest mess she had ever been responsjble for since the incident in Dadetown.

Lyle was dead, and the liquid remnants of him forever stained not only Luna's clothes, but her soul. "Oh, God- S-Sam... I didn't-"

"L-Luna..." Sam was truly disgusted and dismayed at this. "You- You just killed that boy-"

"I didn't want to- I didn't want to," Luna tried to justify, "B-b-b-"

Leven pressed his hands on Luna, trying to lead her away from the scene. "Come-"

For about less than ten feet did she walk with him until she fell purposefully on her knees, slamming her hands on the concrete floor. "No, no, no, no! I can't- I can't believe-"

Sam only watched, not approaching Luna despite the Loud woman beginning to uncontrollably burst into tears, dreadfully being in such anguish and despair of her own actions. "Clone, you should go ahead."

Leven left it to Sam and scurried further in to catch up to Linka...

...Only to find Linka's headless corpse lying down after a few turns, and some reddish ice fragments where her head once was. And nothing made sense anymore, for some maniacal, twisted reason. "No, no, not you- L-Linka..."

And he instantly remembered the promise he made her, the one where he vowed to get that cursed SCX chip out of her head so that she could live. So that she could have a life, a future among earth. And here, the very man who killed the twins, who quite possibly tricked them all into coming here, had done away with Linka, and by the looks of it-

Dylan Blood popped out of the corner of one of the rooms, holding a black microchip-shaped device in between his fingers. "All of that trouble for this little thing, can you believe it?"

"Why?" Leven simply asked, so coldly angry and devastated to have his clone sister stripped away from him. "Why her?"

"Are you dense?" Dylan wiggled the chip again. "I wanted this, Link-N, so I killed that clone to acquire it! And I don't regret a single thing."

"I'll make you regret everything!"

"Let's make that into a wager, shall we?" The Pheno-Killer tucked away the chip in his pocket, disappearing into the room. "You can't hurt me when you've seen my leverage on you Loud people!"

Leven picked up the fallen gun Linka had dropped, running after Dylan. "Don't think you can hide from me! You're cornered, there's no way out!"

"Let's not get so cocky, clone!" Leven peered into the room, having the Pheno-Killer surrounded only to find him, a badly-beaten Lynn lying on the floor, and Dylan having his revolver drawn out to the unidentified person sitting uncomfortably tied to a chair, with their face concealed by a burlap sack. "I have the advantage here!"

"Who the hell is that, huh?" Leven demanded. "No, these are obvious mind tricks, they won't save you-"

Dylan pressed his free hand upside the head of the mysterious person. "I pull this off, and I want you to take a good look, I want you to see that this is no trick!"

Leven kept the gun pointed. "It always is."

"I didn't warn you for shits and giggles!" Dylan repeated again, and removed the sack off from the figure's head.

And Leven gasped.

**August 8th, 2030**

Lincoln and Lori entered first, and Darcy maintained a lookout. Ten minutes in and out, and anything longer meant trouble, which meant Darcy's cue to jump in and provide aid. It was just the two siblings wandering about. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Stop talking," Lincoln wished, slowly moving ahead of Lori. "Talk later."

"Hm," Lori let loose, before she stopped and began sniffing away. "Stop, I smell- I smell way more blood here than outside."

The two went further in, quickly finding the corpses of both Lyle and Lindset and a gruesome mess of flesh and dried blood having stained the ground. Lori held her breath at the sight of this, feeling the need to vomit. "Dear God-"

Lincoln recognized the pair quickly, but he noted the weird "make-up" on their faces, wondering what that was all about, making the assumption that this was Dylan Blood playing psycho killer in here. "Keep moving."

Next, they were more astonished to find Linka's headless body, another victory of the madman. Lincoln didn't express his one feelings over this one, but for sure, this was inevitable, this was fated; he told himself he'd be the one to destroy the clone, but someone beat him to the punchline, and by extension, someone superior to him.

"Jeez..." Lori bent down to the body and moved its hands onto its chest. "I don't like this..."

"Neither do I, but we knew it'd be ugly."

Lori closed her eyes for a moment of silence. "Yeah..."

And they went down, right to the end of their journey. Right where Dylan Blood awaited them, he who was kept accompanied by Leven, Luna, and Sam, the three of them perfectly still on the left side of the room, leaning on the wall. Dylan had his revolver drawn to them, and a closer look upon the three told Lori that their powers were neutralized, as each of them held out a hand that contained an active dampener. "Guys-"

"Say nothing!" Dylan forced upon them, standing in between two figures sitting tied to chair, both of them having their faces concealed. "Oh, perfect! Absolutely perfect, the brother and sister who were affiliated with the Freights! Welcome, welcome to my funhouse!"

"Who- Who are those?" Lori asked.

"This..." Dylan pointed to the one on the left, the bigger one by size, ripping off the sack to reveal Lynn. "This is your zoomer sibling, rendered immobile by yours truly. As for this one here-" Dylan patted his hand on the other's head. "One of the clone girls I've caught in the corner of my eye, as to which one it is- Well, that's dealer's choice, but you get the idea!"

Instantly, did the pale-skinned man reveal a survival knife, dropped and kicked it to them. "Everyone can live, right here and right now if one of these two die! Lincoln Loud, or Lori Loud, make your decision!"

"Subjecting us to games with human lives, punk?"

"A taste of mere morality!" Dylan gave them incentive, taking aim at the three. "Third choice is to not make a kill, a rather smart move, but that means I will be the one making a random selection! No matter how you look at it, someone has to die, that is the rule!"

"You make it that rule!" Lori berated. "You're the bloodthirsty one here! I've seen you kill those three-"

Luna squeaked out of guilt.

"Those three?" Dylan repeated. "I've only taken the albino girl's life! Those other two, the phenos- They were all Luna's doing."

Lincoln directed his eyes at the brunette. "What- You did that, Luna?"

She stayed silent, bobbing her head down.

"Enough squabble! Thirty seconds or bang!"

Lynn opened her eyes slowly. "L-Linc- Lore... Me- Me..." Lynn was fatigue, so terribly weak, but she begged them for it to be her.

"Silence, Lynn!" Dylan suggested. "It is of their decision!"

Lincoln picked up the knife, eyeing down the concealed clone instead. Whichever one it was, whichever one Blood had caught in one of his traps, Lincoln wouldn't fret it, wouldn't be so damn haunted by killing one of the clones. None of them were ever real people in his eyes, so maybe-

Lori stopped him just as he moved. "He says it's a clone, but what if it's not?"

"What?"

"What if it's not, Lincoln?" Lori theorized.

"Twenty seconds!"

"Of course it's one of them," Lincoln accepted. "Nobody else he'd be interested in. My only hope is the other albino bitch."

_Other albino bitch...? _Dylan did his best not to make a funny face.

"Linc-" Lori felt some tiny incredibly off about this. "There's fine print-"

"Shut up, Lori!" Lincoln shouted. "For one damn second, just shut the fuck up!"

"Lincy..." Lori rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry I helped make you."

Whether it touched him or not, whether he felt something wholesome, she wouldn't ever know. He pushed on, and with knife in hand, he rammed the blade into the neck of the clone, moving it like a lever, wanting to believe he was killing the young, telekinetic Link-D. Blood flowed right through his hand, pouring down onto the floor. "How do I have your word you'll spare us all? And how do you know I won't try anything funny?"

Dylan let out a cruel laugh. "You asking me what my insurance is? Well..." And he proceeded to expose the identity of the clone to the group. And it was not at all any of the other three clones.

It was Lily.

"Wait-" Lincoln stammered, his eyes widening in horror. The knife in his hand fell out, clanking onto the floor.

Lori cupped both her hands over her mouth, her eyes going watery red with painful tears. Luna flipped her hands to drop the dampener, getting up against Dylan's wishes. "S-son of a fucking bitch-"

"Wait, no!" Lincoln gasped, hysterically applying his hands onto Lily's neck to stop the bleeding. "No, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Lily! Lily!"

"Dare not blame me for this, Lincoln!" Dylan began dissecting. "You were too damn quick to consider the sanctity of my own word! To you all, you see what this mindless monster can do, and you are all capable of being!"

"B-BULLSHIT!" Luna came rushing the orchestrator, only for him to fire and shoot her right in the head, the thunderous sound of the bullet being so fierce in this room of echoes that it stung everyone's eardrums. Dylan booked it out the room as fast as he could, retreating when it seemed, and to him, feeling like they'd be busy with each other after the death of this innocent girl, the youngest one of the family.

Luna had died right off the bat, sending Sam into an emotional frenzy. "LUNA!"

Lori fell onto her knees, submitting to her own broken emotional state. Leven didn't stay around, instead racing out after Dylan. "Lincoln! Lori! We can still catch him!"

He knew rage again, he knew how to put it to good use, and when he stared more at the dead Lily, when he accepted it forcibly that it was too late to patch up the server slashing- he didn't want to- he had to let go and give chase. That he did, only when he delivered a simple kiss onto the sweet sister's forehead, turning around and pushing past Lori. "DYLAN BLOOD!"

Dylan yanked out the wildcard for the chasers to have; the card was the wounded McMahon, forced on his knees right in the center of the hall. "You want me, but how about the next best thing?!"

Lincoln and Leven had caught up to them, both of them bewildered to see the senator at Dylan's mercy. "McMahon!"

"This piece of shit's not going to last long!"

"Make yourself useful and give yourself up, too," Lincoln angrily glared.

"No. No, I don't think I will," he denied. "This is all you get on this day, Loud."

"You mark my words, boy-"

"Oh, hold that thought!" Dylan kicked the senator down on his back, then firing another round onto the floor. "Tell him what you've told me! Go on, give him the reason to make you his current priority!"

"Tell me what?"

"You cursed psychopaths!" McMahon insulted before dropping a revelation. "Okay, the Freights, the Freights were our doing! Garrett Holland, Derek Snyder and Harrison Rains weren't the true founders of the Freight ideology! It was someone higher up, someone in the direct government who proposed this as a means to control population. With the Freights, the big boys established the War of Fire, which helped us by increasing our domestic force, make Americans more paranoid to want to arm themselves! The chaos in that, the money we make from selling their protection, and even at a few points, the three of them were ordered to hit specific targets made to look like mass bombings-"

Lincoln came up and swung his foot down upon McMahon's head. "Scum, all of you."

"You were a pawn in his game the whole ride," Dylan narrowed down. "Freights were what they wanted all along, just to stretch out and expand their security power."

"I want names," Lincoln growled. "Give me at least one."

"T-t-talk to Nathan Tyler Niles..." McMahon moaned out. "He's sure to have the right connections, with all that money he flaunts around."

Dylan unloaded his revolver, emptying out all the rounds but one. "I'll leave this here, this isn't my kill after all. Call it a present."

"You'd better stop-" Lincoln's words did nothing, and Dylan was already walking away like nothing had happened. "Bastard!"

"We'll meet again soon, Lincoln, I promise you that!" And before Lincoln and Leven could give chase, Dylan took exit stage with a Matrix Portal, leaving through the swirling blue oval.

"Damn it!"

"He truly bested us..." Leven realized. "He-"

Lincoln picked up Dylan's gift, cocking back the pin, gun kissing the side of McMahon's head. His back was to Leven, and Leven only assumed Lincoln was concentrated in the execution. "I need you to close your eyes."

Everything went still.

"You albino freak-" McMahon cursed. "Another will rise!"

"I didn't mean you."

Leven drew facial confusion. "Hm?"

Lincoln did a full 180 degree turn and fired at Leven right in the face. It killed him quickly, with no chance to regenerate from that if it were even possible. Wish fulfilled, and the body slumped over like a heavy tree coming down. "Goodbye."

"Y-you- You truly are an abomination-!" Lincoln found new ways to leave McMahon petrified. "You-"

With the empty weapon at hand, Lincoln put it to good use, utilizing it as the killing toy to bash McMahon's brains out repeatedly, right on center cue when Lori and Sam, carrying the injured Lynn, had come walking into the scene, watching the murderer of the Loud brother get to work as he had time and time again, getting himself bloodied up and messy.

Today, on this day, the clones Linka and Leven, the guilt-ridden Luna, the young phenos Lyle and Lindsey, the innocent Lily- which raised in Lincoln and Lori multiple questions- and the sinister senator had fallen. All of them, and the victory wasn't even a victory. The number had cut drastically out of their favor, and Dylan Blood was still on the loose.

"We... We're all that's left..." Lori sobbed. "Just us now..."

"You- You'd better have a good idea-" Sam hoped, sniffing. "I swear to God if you don't-"

"I do..." Lincoln shared. "I do."

And he looked at them in the same way he looked at the clones.

_I do. _

* * *

**AN: Down to the last two chapters of this act. This was long to write, but it's here, and I'm glad it is. Luckily for me, the next ones are short. Oh, I hope to have it done before the one-year anniversary coming up real soon. The perfect time to have Act V's first chapter out. **

**Rest in peace to the fallen in this chapter. I spoiled OddCombo and retracted as a joke, he says he doesn't read this but let it be known it's a lie. Take that, Odd.**

**Meli, Chad, Benny and Leland will return. Chad McCann belongs to Flagg, and Leland Callaghan/Snowman is one of mine, an OC that predates far before TLH's time. You guys already know Meli and Benny from the show, at this point. I mean, I'd hope so. **


	42. Chapter 42

"Thank you-" Lori could only be grateful that Luna had a partner of her own, someone who helped her in those times of need. Samantha Sharp was a wonderful woman, a worthy one that Luna labeled a lover in her. "Thank you for being there with her."

"Of course-" Sam was still whimpering in her crucial pain. "I loved her-"

Lincoln kicked a rock, having put some distance between himself and the three girls.

"-I wish I had the courage to actually help her. I was- I was just so scared, and she just snapped and lunged herself at him- Ruh-right in the face of danger-" Sam shook her head. "I can't believe Luna is gone."

Lori inhaled through her nose, exhaling it back out through her kisser. "I lost more than what I never thought possible. A lot of my sisters are dead, when... Back then, it was just one. It- It isn't fair and I wish that it was..."

Darcy, arms crossed, had come out of the woods back to Lincoln. "Hey, buddy..."

"I was stupid to have put you on overwatch," Lincoln addressed, accepting the blame. "It was that bad, Darce. He had them all captured and we were-"

"WE?!" Lori stood up, having overheard him from the log she and Sam sat on. "WHO'S THIS WE YOU'RE REFERRING TO?! YOU KILLED LILY INSTEAD OF ATTACKING HIM! WHAT WHERE YOU THINKING?!"

Lincoln didn't turn around, but merely sighed.

"TURN AROUND WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

Lynn, having been laying down to recover, turned her head to see Lori approach Lincoln. "Stop it..."

Darcy moved back, unsure if she wanted to interfere or not. "There's no need for inner conflict."

"SHUT UP, DARCY, OR YOU'RE NEXT!"

"Hey, s-stop it..." Lynn tried again.

"WELL, LINCOLN?!" Lori gripped his shoulder heavily and spun him around. "ARE YOU GOING TK DEFEND-?!"

He wound up punching her square in the face, and then kicked her right in the stomach. "As if I had X-ray vision, Lori!"

"I- I told you something was off!" Lori reminded. "You- You know you just needed the excuse to kill something! To kill someone! Goddamn you, sick fuck!"

Lincoln didn't say anything this time, but turned his back to her.

"Wha- Oh, ignore me all you want, but you seriously fucked up-"

"LORI, ENOUGH OF THAT!" Lynn had dragged out the rasping version of her voice. "Fuck!"

She tried getting up, limping away with such determination, scowling at Lori.

"Lynn, you need to get some rest!" Lori mothered away. "Stop."

"You're a fucking disgrace!" Lynn threw. "Hypocrite! You've worked for them, you have no right!"

"Hypo-" Lori rebuked her claims. "What do you even know?"

"You tried to kill us before!" Lynn reminisced. "Caught us, planned to slaughter us! That's the Lori I know! That's the Lori I hate! That's Lori, the Freight! Fuck you and your need to judge him when you're no better! What he did will always be unforgivable, but he never started out being in league with Vial Corp!"

"You and I both put Lily in that situation..." Lincoln dropped coldly. "However it was that she came to be in it, Lori. I hope you remember that."

"Yeesh, some family..." Darcy slipped.

"Guys, guys," Sam jumped in, "Can we not do this? That maniac is still out there! We're only doing him favors by fighting each other."

"Yeah, Red-Skin is right," Darcy agreed. "Oh, where are my manners? Hey, it's Darcy."

Sam held out her hand to shake with Darcy's. "Sam, nice meeting you."

"You put her into train!" Lori blamed.

"You put the bomb into the train!" Lincoln rebounded.

"Wait..." Lynn was there to put the pieces together. "Tr-train-?! You mean that same one that killed twenty-seven people?! Are you fucking kidding me, you put Lily onboard?!"

Lincoln tried to come up with a reasonable excuse. "We didn't know we'd find Lori!"

"Fucking liar!" Lori slapped Lincoln hard. "You've caught us all there. Me, Rebekka and Chandler! No way was that fucking coincidental!"

"L-Lincoln, y-you put my little sister in danger?" Lynn sounded like she hoped it wasn't true.

"Don't turn this on me!" Lincoln panicked. "Not now! And not when we've got Blood to find!"

"You couldn't get anymore worse, Lincoln..." Lynn shook her head. "I can't, I can't with you- With both of you... I'm leaving-"

"Will you stop fucking leaving as if we can afford to?!" Lincoln screeched. "We're out of allies at this point, apart from each other. McMahon's dead, so I don't know where to go to break apart the Kapacity Korp facilities-"

"Whoa, wait-" Darcy stepped back. "No, I only promised to fight for you and look at what happened."

"Darcy-"

"I can't go to war with a company, Lincoln, I'm trying to remain in the shadows... I'm sorry, I can't help you anymore, so I'm going to leave."

"Damn it..."

Darcy disappeared into the woods as fast as she had announced her stepping off. Sam, Lori and Lynn remained now. Wasn't much to to on, but perhaps it was a manageable team to continue after Blood and Kapacity Korp.

"I don't know..." Sam shared. "He had the right technology to neutralize us, you know? We were in there for like, what, a day? Hs tortured us mentally, putting us right on the wall, and making us hold our hand so that he render our powers dormant! He broke my spirits, my hope, and now that he took away the source of my light..." Sam cried again softly. "I can't go back down, I can't, I'm sorry. I'm not going to fight him again."

"I need you-"

"Cool it, inhuman," Lori zipped him up, "Sam here just lost someone, she needs the emotional break."

"Thank you for understanding, Lori..." Sam smiled through her sadness. "I wish I could help, but my heart- It just hurts too much right now."

"It's okay, Sam," Lori assured. "If you want to leave, you can. The three of us can manage-"

"Oh, bite me-" Lynn insulted. "If I didn't need your help, or if I healed, I'd have run far away from here."

"Whatever, Lynn."

"Well," Sam had an idea. "I was hoping we could b-bury not just Luna, but all of them?"

"Bury...?"

"No," Lincoln decided.

"Typical," Lynn scoffed.

"The six of them," Sam nodded. "The clones, Luna, the Lily girl, and the two kids."

"Lola and Lana died here," Lincoln added. "Anyone see their bodies?"

"I'll find them," Lori suggested. "Lincoln, come help me with the bodies."

"You girls are really serious, aren't you?"

"Yes!" They all yelled in perfect synchronization.

"Nothing better to do at the moment anyway..."

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter IX: In Memory Of **

* * *

From left to right, it was Lily, Linka, Leven, Lana and Lola, Luna, Lyle and Lindsey in that order, placed in the row of graves that had already been filled. Lincoln stood over Lily's grave, his right side occupied by Lori. "Had I known, I would have never... I would have never-"

"I wish you really listened to me, Lincoln," Lori expressed. "I get that you hate me but that doesn't ever make me wrong."

"Yes it does, you're a shit."

"Ugh..." Lori bent down and patted her hands upon Lily's grave. "I'm so sorry, little sister. I wish you knew that I loved you, I wanted you to grow up. I wanted you to live a full life."

Sam found some flowers around the woods and planted half of her findings on Luna's grave, then giving Lori the rest to decorate Lily's own. "Here."

"Thanks..." Lori set them down calmly, but then shook her head. "This is never the best place where one should be buried, you know? Lily will never be with mom and dad-"

Lincoln and Lynn looked to Lori's way.

"-Is it bad I wished that all of us could be buried together?"

"No..." Lynn voiced. "No, it isn't. I'd want to be buried with my family, too, my entire family."

"It hurts me so much, no one asked for this and I feel confident in saying Lily definitely didn't."

"I'm with you on that," Lynn seconded. "None of us wanted this, it's maddening to say the least."

"It truly is, Lynn. It truly is."

"You three can say your prayers for the fallen, but I'm not staying around. Lori, you're the only one who knows where and when. Either come find me or not at all." Lincoln began leaving, only for Lori to cut him off. "What?'

"Fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'll mourn when the wars are over," he explained. "Step aside."

"This is your sister!" Lori pointed out. "Don't walk away from her!"

"I'm going to come back when this is all over, you'll see!" He promised.

"Lynn?"

"No- I don't know, I really don't..." The zoomer contemplated in providing her aid to Lincoln. "I don't think I will, Lore. These recent events proves we can be killed, so... I- I think I'll relinquish my status as a zoomer. I'd like to live, I want to have a family. I want to grow old."

"That's cute, sis. Shows you've still got a heart. I wish I could say the same about me."

"What, you want something else?" Lynn wondered.

"Oh, I do," Lori admitted. "Something greater than a guaranteed future."

"You wanna-?"

"No," Lori cut off. "It's my burden to know and carry."

"Burden... Fancy word there."

"Girl's gotta know her vocabulary, heh." Lori scratched an itch on her arm. "Hey, uh, since we're here, I guess I should start by giving you that overdue apology."

"Yeah, you want to do that right now, right when our sisters have fallen," Lynn poked. "Takes them dying for you to feel-"

"Oh, come on, Lynn," Lori begged, "Please let me have this."

"Lynn..." Sam seconded, nodding away with a faint smile. "She wants to be the sister you knew again."

"I do... I fucked up, I know, and I did so much wrong-" Lynn never looked at Lori, but had crossed her arms, and Lori kept playing it emotional. "But I'm here now, and I won't leave-"

"You do remember those other three Wolverines are out there, right?" Lynn reminded the blonde. "That's your family, not us. I do appreciate the gesture, but the Loud family has been broken for years. There is no getting it back, even when I dream it, when I am so desperate to want it."

"But you know you want it, that's a goal to achieve..." Lori reasoned. "How do you know you can't get it back if you don't try?"

"Lori, you must be pulling my chain!" Lynn wheezed. "In case you haven't noticed before-"

"I'm speaking hypothetically, Lynn, and from what I can tell, you're just tossing excuses to avoid being part of a family. Tell me, are you trying to?"

"Avoid being a family? I-I just said I dream of it!"

"Just because you dream of it-" Lori stopped. "Lynn, back in my days with them, I dreamed of losing Lincoln in a bombing run. Some fuck up with it, cause you know, it's all dangerous shit. I worried, those were nightmares that told me I was doing more harm, relishing in sinful acts that would make my God ashamed of me. All of those dreams- and I knew I did not want them."

"Those were nightmares- Y-you just said they were nightmares-"

"Nightmares are bad dreams, Lynn, but this is all real, and I want you to know I want to try to be a part of your family again-"

"Why... D-did you leave?" Lynn didn't want to bring it out, but here, under these unfolding events, the terrible circumstances that plagued and defined today, she was too weak to repel the feelings away. She was in perfect disarray, unable to establish a thought of calmness and tranquility when the bodies of the dead, the loss, and the utter humiliation and aoin ravaged her mind. "Why didn't you come back-?"

"I'm here now..." Lori didn't wish to answer, somehow looking to be stronger than Lynn. And yet. "I'm sorry, but I'm here-"

"You're the only one here..." Lynn corrected, shutting Lori down with that statement. "Why did it have to be you?! You, and not any of them?! My other sisters were there longer, they- These ones, The dead ones- The twins, Luna, Leni- They all- They lasted longer, but you-"

"Lynn-"

"HOW DARE YOU SAY YOU WANT TO START IT OVER WHEN YOU TOOK THE EASY WAY OUT?!" Lynn bellowed. "FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF AND DIE FOR ALL I CARE!"

Sam butted in, brushing Lori away. "She needs some space-"

"I hate that you're right, Sam..." Lori gave in, moving away from Lynn. Maybe it was time for her to leave. "Can I trust you to look after her?"

"If she doesn't run away, I'll follow her-" Sam agreed. "Luna would have wanted me to keep an eye out for the others if anything happened to her."

Lori solemnly nodded. "That sounds like the old Luna."

"C-can I ask about her?" Sam requested. "About my Luna when she was young?"

"Luna?" Lori was lightly baffled to be asked about Luna's childhood. "Oh, sure- Sure, uh-"

Right there, in the landscape of Mother Nature, Lori shared the better memories she had of Luna. How she loved to rock the guitar, how she formed a band with Tabitha and Chunk, how she played gigs, which also included in her school. Luna was a passionate one, real heavy on concerts, but you'd know she wasn't bulllshitting anyone- and Sam knew that Lori meant what she said, how she said it.

That Luna had died along the way, and this was what hurt Sam the most. That Luna should never have been killed, long before this day had come.

"Thank you..." It was all Sam could say, showing her gratitude upon hearing the counts of Luna's humanity. "It means a good deal to me..."

Lori simply nodded without a word, waving goodbye before Lynn could blow a fuse, and then she would be gone, far from home again. Just like the first time around, just like it was destined to be.

Far from home.


	43. Chapter 43

**Lyrics to Cold by Crossfade**

* * *

**August 10th, 2030 **

The streets weren't as quiet and stable as they were just a few days ago. It was packed, it was filled, crawling with a rather large mob of regular people- but these people were armed, if anything, and all of them, every single one of these citizens had weapons on them- all sorts of weapons, ranging from guns and knives to metal rods and bats, anything that could be used to harm a living soul. They all shouted, they all screamed, and they were all crying out for blood, banging and striking against the doors and windows of the Kapacity Korp building. The security forces inside were little to none in comparison to the mob. Sure, maybe these guys here would gun down about ten of these attacking civilians, but they'd be overrun when they'd run out of ammo. And they'd all be killed with the staff.

"COME OUT! COME OUT OF THERE!"

"GIVE YOURSELVES UP OR FACE JUSTICE!"

Their angry screams never stopped, not since Dylan Blood had already won, painted the criminals within the corporation with the help of the SCX chip he had in control, the tool of the gods. It was known, it was spread, McMahon's crimes and the global conspiracy he had in store. Kapacity Korp was on the brink of collapse, but what Blood did, that of which he enabled, had more unpredictable consequences that sent the people into a frenzy, going into chaos.

Some of the towns and cities turned upside down after the news, deriving from the police and SWAT trying to halt the mobs' destruction of the facilities, which only led to the angry people turning their attention to them. Cars were already burning, destroyed, places had been looted, and Detroit, Los Angeles and now San Francisco had gone to shit. Vandalism, destructuon of property, and more crimes that truly showed what America was capable of. And it was all thanks to Dylan Blood.

**That's it! Make the difference! Be the difference! Take the initiative, make the stand! Peter McMahon was that close to winning, and so were his followers! Kill them, they are all hiding within those buildings, trying to pretend that they are innocent! No one is, no one can be spared! Burn their houses! Kill their loved ones, the likely enablers! Set fire to their next of kin to ensure that their ideas of global genocide is forever buried! Justice is to be dispensed! First, these conspirators! Soon, the phenos! **

**I will hereby grant any pheno amnesty if the join my revolution!**

And the world was shifting again, the escalating war between man and pheno skyrocketing to Bloodier proportions, the scale sizeable to the inevitable civil war.

They'd all fight on the streets, they'd tussle it out in the quiet places, they'd lock into war in the woods, at playgrounds, in the neighborhoods. Guns aimed at the air, phenos running underground. Choppers, patrol vehicles, heavy support. Anti-pheno weaponry. World War III contained inside American soil at most, and even if they would say it wasn't, really. That's how it would feel like. That was how the revolution began, and the revolution taken in the hands of the anti-phenos when everyone was concerned it would be the phenos themselves to stage the uprising.

Three patrol cars stopped right as the mob continued to break their way into the Kapacity Korp facility. The six officers all came out and drew their handguns out- and the siding phenos who defected to Dylan Blood's ideology out of fear or desire to be spared, whichever one it could be, stepped in and fended the cops off, taking them down as easily without killing them. Maybe they were there to see Kapacity Korp burn, and in Dylan's mind, that might have just been okay.

**I will grant all phenos a place in my revolution for a brighter future! A world without these greedy politicians! The elites who control the way you live! The closed-minded! The real villains of America!**

Chaos, endless turmoil, the burning of society started here, started now.

**Together, we will be the new face of the rulers!**

* * *

**Act IV: Bloodier, Chapter X: Ghosts **

* * *

**Tennessee**

Nathan Tyler Niles was in the study of his friend's mansion, the moronic Dick Sullivan, helping himself to a blunt with both Dick and Billy Clarke. They were getting high right when Lincoln kicked in those fancy wooden doors, armed with nothing but a Remington shotgun. Billy was startled shitless that he fell back off of his chair. Dick stood up and mindlessly approached Lincoln to disarm him, only for the albino pheno to strike Dick with the butt of the shotgun. "Which one of you is Niles?"

Billy gave his friend away, pointing and wheezing away at Nathan, laughing hoarsely. He signed his death warrant, delivered a point-blank round of buckshot to the face.

"Oh, shit-" Dick stumbled around, walking backwards, only for his right leg to get blasted right off. The imbalance caused him to fall, but Lincoln reloaded another shell into the chamber, blasting again right through Dick's chest, making him fly a few feet back.

"You there..." Lincoln aimed at Nathan, having the sughts fixated right on his cheek. "Do you know who I am?"

"I- I see the news-" His joint had fsllen clean out of his hands by then. "You're him, you're that guy with a bounty on his head-"

"Don't get any ideas," Lincoln warned. "I know about that, but McMahon will never be able to deliver if someone does manage to end me."

"What?"

Lincoln lifted his leg and kicked the wealthy man down on his back. "Talk to me about something."

"O-of c-course-" Nathan complied. "J-just don't kill me-"

"We'll see about that-" Lincoln let the shotgun face out of Nathan's body. "The Freights, I've heard secondhand that it was all orchestrated, planned by political or government goons, and when I asked for a name, you know what I've gotten back?"

Nathan gulped.

Lincoln leaned in closer, and whispered, "Nathan... Tyler... Niles."

"Oh, God..."

"No..." Lincoln picked up the man by his nice white shirt, dragging him into the kitchen of torture. "There is no God."

"Where- Where are you taking me?"

"You're going to talk it all out for me, right? This is just in case..."

"...Oh, God."

**St. Pierre General Hospital, New York**

The ICU monitor beeped as intended, the bed of the current patent still being occupied by them, but in the moment, no doctor or nurse were checking in on them. Lemuel Porter had fallen into a comatose state right after the bullet was extracted, and there was no godly way of knowing if he'd ever wake up or pass away. But, they were a hospital and nobody was ever going to be given special treatment. One week or two until they'd pull the plug on the life support, and so ended the last of the Porter family's bloodline.

If Lemuel didn't open his eyes, that was.

The young brat of messy, uncombed hair lived once more without so much as a warning, and he, dressed in a hospital gown that happened while he was asleep, broke away from the wires laced all around his body, still perfectly remembering- No, seeing- Allie Taggart holding a gun and shooting Lemy right in the head.

Allie. His friend, his ally, his-

_TRAITOR! _Lemy stood up on his feet when the ICU monitor blared in alarm, activating the siren to summon the staff. He didn't know where he was at first, but things made damned more sense. And things truly made more dense that before.

_FUCK EVERYTHING! FUCK OUR CAMPAIGN! I WON'T BE USED!_

All that he had been told by Allie, those endless words of rightoues, bloody justice, the wild west horseshit- it was all that it was, just horseshit, fake words to encourage and toughen Lemy up against the enemies of the real behemoth, the true storm of the season. On, how he played right into their hands. How he hated it so damn much. First step, find Allie, find that senator, and make them pay. And then- And then... Whatever his bloodlust craved. Whomever it craved.

Two doctors and a nurse bounced into the room, quickly surrounding Lemy. _I'LL KILL YOU ALL!_

**Tennessee - Hours Later**

Lincoln had wrapped up, and by then, Nathan Tyler Niles was a body with three knives stuck into the chest area, back laying down to the floor, and the blood had formed a large lake of a mess around the kitchen, not that the albino minded or scared about, he got what he wanted. Lincoln had gotten all the answers he wanted, and none of this was as good as he hoped it would be.

_Very well, this all runs deeper than I thought at first. _

He stayed around the mansion, surprised to have no cops or anyone else come around to see. A look around the place had told him why; he found a shed used as an arsenal, mostly handguns and shotguns of all sorts, the merry winter wonderland that brought Christmas early for his taste. Pretty sure these guys had a habit of shooting on a daily basis, the norm here. Who could tell Lincoln's noise apart from the common practice?

He stocked up on them, taking all that he could into the red McLaren parked in the garage.

_Niles told me all about it, all that shit that had been planned even longer than when it started. _

He'd not burn the place to the ground, even when he wanted to.

_It all started in 2011, when someone had the idea to fabricate a domestic dispute that later became the so-called War of Fire in 2015. It started since before the death of President Jordan Leak, that I've known, they were a thing, but... In the beginning, it was three of them. Harrison Rains, Derek Snyder, and that other one- Garrett something. Holland? They started out blowing up the homes of the rich, trying to balance the shit out, but they moved on to everyone in total, blaming them all for having their heads in the sand while the elites maintained the power they had on. _

_The earliest Freights were not the ones who wanted to wake the herd to show them what they took for granted on a loop. Sure, all Freights were bad, all versions of them, but they had the right idea- and I'd hated to have admitted that. They did... Didn't they?_

_Turns out that it was just them cleaning house. Somehow the rich and the politicians aren't exactly friends, and the one name that hired and funded the three, covered their asses for so long- meaning for those four years until they were "caught"- it just happened to be the worse one of them all. _

_You know who had it sectioned? A conspiracy hidden from the sun so well that it made all pre-existing black ops look messy- that was all from the one and only Jordan Leak, the US president since 2008, re-elected for the second term four years later. The man beat Mitt Romney somehow, truly amazing, and even more considering how twisted the shit is. Ha, don't forget that he was killed by the Freights-_

_And then it hit me; the bald president had made himself the sacrifice in his own game, and in doing so, the hunt of all Freights had been really prioritized, an effort to cover his own dirty tracks. Of course Rains, Snyder and Holland were dead now- They knew, and they died for it._

_That's your president at work, ladies and gentlemen, using your tax dollars to fund domestic free-thinkers. Fuck them, fuck every last one of these criminals, and then myself for being a part of that. Lori. Me. Chandler. Rebekka. Dana. Fiona. Darcy. Steven Hill. There are others I can't name, so many of us. So many crushed to death under all of that rubble, the fall of Leak's fabrication, the breaking point of my own-_

_M-my own-_

He had pulled out of the garage, but then stopped, applying the brakes hard. To think.

_My rage is infinite. _

He closed his eyes, and in the blink, he saw the inner projections of Lily and Clyde in mind.

_My friends and family, I've forsaken-_

His lips twitched, reacting to this spring feeling of genuine of uneasiness.

_I've... I've made them fall where I should have._

Clyde had shown his colors to betray Lincoln, but was it ever so simple? Was it that way that he saw it, or was there another reason? Was it that Clyde only wanted to help him by putting him away?

And then there was the matter of Lily. That poor, sweet Lily Loud whom he led to his own battle, and in turn, her own death- in the arms of the scoundrel Dylan Blood some-fucking-how. He had her there, in the base for an unknown period of time, having hurt her, starved her maybe. Subjected and used as an object against Lincoln- and it drove the albino mad and upset. It turned his stomach, did his head in. It was ugly to think about, but to shake it off was another story.

_Damn it all..._

Things were easier before, when the enemy was just one corrupt piece of shit and the phenos who would misuse the very gifts they were given. There were too many of them, even when, and he'd see in on the news, Dylan Blood had already been assembling the masses of both concerned citizen and defected pheno to his side, turning them to Kapacity Korp in what could only be described as a civil war- Not even that, for Dylan Blood and his faction had no real rival fighting back. The death toll as vastly rising while the containment protocols were put into effect.

Lincoln called it, safely guessing that the phenos under Blood would be too much for the anti-pheno forces- and let it be known that Dylan Blood had the advantage with the SCX device, tactically giving out orders and having his followers retreat before they faced opposition.

And slowly the world turned upside down, with the nation stopping their everyday lives to begin protesting or joining the new faction in arms. Who's side were you on?

Lincoln drove fast through the stop signs of the streets, no longer giving a shit about the law. Cops were all organized as a blockade against some angry lot of protesters, be it they were at a school, or at a mall, some Goddamn place was being attacked and that was certain. The heads were all rolling for this, minds being lost, the true insanity coming to light. Public and private killings and massacres. Bodies were littered, and more would be dropped.

He did see it, and he never looked away from the bodies, most of them being left discarded through the towns and cities he passed by on the way. Decapitated bodies, dismembered limbs, hangings of the phenos as if they were cursed people, something worse than those Salem Witch trials. Be a pheno and you weren't safe until you gave yourself to the cause, the cult of Dylan Blood. Either than, or run, rub from the United States of Disorder.

The United States of Blood.

Lincoln could still find it in his heart to extinguish this particular fire, kill everyone who dared to upset the balance, make some noise, but the world...

There was just something so peaceful about all of this. About seeing the world go in flames, the society to crumble, it all gave him some sort of sick satisfaction. Everything had begun to spiral out of control already, and soon, with the path remaining as it was, it would all fall down. The new overlord would acquire an army big enough, of a variety of powers, to take upon the entire American opposition and claim the throne for himself. It only took him days and the proper resources to do it the way he did it, and he did it perfectly, with no limitations or hesitation to inflict the harming and killing of those who stood in his way.

By golly, Lincoln wasn't called out by Dylan as an enemy. Yet.

Maybe it wasn't too late to stop him, and now, now when Lincoln had walked away with nothing byt garbage after having a nice chat with Niles, there was no other fight left in the list. It was now all centered on Blood and his rising number of minions. Gun them down, run them over, shove grenades into their mouths- The world was the war zone it had always been, only just revealing itself in an all-out field, extended to all places. More hostiles to take aim and blow away, it wasn't so bad in that angle. It wasn't so bad for him to jump in and give in to the beast inside him, that particular monster that his sisters never liked. No Lynn. No Luna. No Lori. Nobody to stop him, and it took the world to change, and for them to die off for it to be possible.

May they rest inside heaven, but for him, heaven was here. Heaven was all around, covered in blood, corpses and chaos.

Heaven, wasn't.

Lincoln slowed down when he saw a group of five figures in iron skull masks emerge from a burning Wells Fargo bank, waving around weapons or bags of money. The bags were dropped and then sprayed with gas canisters before being shot at. They were burning the currency rather than naming off with all of that dough. Anarchy.

Lincoln pulled to the other side of the read and engaged the men with one of the Colts in the passenger seat, taking them all down as he drove slowly past them. Funny how they didn't seem to have Kevlar armor on them. Cocky, arrogant bsstards participating in the disruption- and yet Lincoln enjoyed the bloodshed.

New mission, kill them all.

He saw patrol cars later down the road, many of them going around in all directions. He didn't give much thought of it, but the key fact that they were spares, going off to separate locations to try and keep whatever little peace was left. Before he crossed the next street, an ambulance, blaring its sirens and speeding through the crossing street- while being chased by a galloping pheno, running like a cheetah. Lincoln veered off his own course and sped after the animalistic pheno. The predator became the prey.

**Elsewhere**

Lemy walked away with nothing but a pair of scissors and the blood of his new victims all over his gown. He slaughtered and stabbed and shot everyone he saw, his sanity having been shattered in half by then, and one could make the educated assumption the bullet had done more than just damage him physically. Those he never caught had ran and hidden in various places, but he was only trying to attack those in his way, for his mind was only and ever so interested in exacting revenge upon Lincoln Loud.

And his message would be out.

He started with the rooftop, dragging up the body of a nurse. He smeared up the invitation onto the empty helipad, letting the circling news chopper know what he wanted to get out there. "I WANT THE ALBINO!" The insane boy yelled to the skies. "BRING ME THE FREAK! BRING ME THE CLONES! BRING ME MY ENEMIES!"

The message went live in a matter of minutes, reaching to Lynnette and Lyra from where they were. "Oh, shit, this is the guy I was with-" Lynnette brought her face closer to the television. "Oooog, look! He's gunning for our daddy dearest."

Lyra took a closer look to inspect the scene. "If that's not disturbing, I don't know what that is."

"Where- St. Pierre General Hospital..." Lynnette had a funny idea. "Hey-"

"No," Lyra denied, already knowing what the blonde was thinking. "Don't you even-"

But Lynnette took off running away from Lyra, chuckling heavily. "We've got a mission to complete!"

"LYNNETTE, WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO INTERVENE! HEY!"

"The rules have changed, in case you haven't noticed!" Lynnette slowed down and pulled into a green clearing, leading Lyra right to her. "I don't know the entire history of events that lead up to our own era, but... Aunt Lana died before our time? No, you and I well know she was alive past this year-"

"Yeah, I know that, and..." Lyra clenched a fist to her chest. "Does that mean we tampered with events? No, no- That can't be, we couldn't have... I couldn't have, but you-"

"Whoa-" Lynnette dropped her arms. "Here we go again, blaming me for being caught and placed into that X-Elite shit!"

"I have no other explanation as to why... Why Aunt Lana died soon..." Lyra lowered her fist. "You're right, Dylan Blood's reign doesn't happen until 2039, so why...?" She spun around slowly in a 360 angle. "Why did our journey through time feels like it shifted the future?"

"It couldn't have been us," Lynnette believed. "We didn't mess around with his plans for the future or Aunt Lana's death, Lyra. Maybe it was something else-"

And then, the oddest thing had happened to them both, starting with Lyra first. Lynnette pointed right at the brunette's hands, leading Lyra to look down to find that her hands were appearing and disappearing, almost like they were glitching out of reality. They flashed from visible to ghostly, and it wasn't just her hands that played this bizarre symphony, but the rest of her body. "LYNNETTE!"

The blonde stepped back from the fading brunette, her mouth startling about. "Luh-Luh-Luh-" She knew fear again, fear of the unknown, of the inexplicable. The lack of knowledge that left her unable to make the right move, and the humane fear that left her terrified and frozen that she never helped out Lyra in whatever this was. If that wasn't enough, Lynnette succumbed to the same phenomenon, able to feel her hands become the nothing in their place when they zoned out of physical form. "WHAT'S HAPPENING?! LYRA!"

"GRAB M-!" Lyra reached her arms out towards Lynnette. "-ANDS!"

Lynnette locked in with Lyra, holding tightly. "DON'T YOU DARE LET GO! DON'T YOU DARE-!"

One second, they were there, in the middle of a grassy field, vanishing within the blink of an eye, never to be seen again.

**Elsewhere**

And to both time travelers dispatched for the unorthodox kill mission, it stopped. It stopped and they let go of each other's hands when they realized it. It might have been awkward but who was to say? "Uh-"

Lynnette pulled away. "Uh... Sh-shut up."

Lyra looked all over herself, relieved that the odd spectacle had stopped. "Dude, holy shit- Holy shit, what-?!"

Lynnette flexed her hands out. "Back to normal."

"Yeah, thank God for-" Lyra went disturbed by a sudden ripping in the air, a thunderous boom of a sound that spooked both her and Lynnette altogether, making them look upwards. In the endless blue sky, empty save for a few clouds here and there. A group of three projectiles high in the sky came crashing down right onto the field, fifty to a hundred feet away from the zoomer girls.

Lynnette, being herself, rushed around and investigated the objects, finding that they were silver pods of some sort. "Hey, Lyra, are these those NASA astronaut guys?"

Lyra had a funny feeling about all of this. "Hey- Get back, stupid, it might not be safe-"

The three pods, all of them of life-size, opened up, the weird hatches going upwards. And out came three familiar faces to Lynnette; Linka, the female albino clone, Leven, the one closer to the base form, and the more sensible one, snd finally, Caroline Pingrey, the pheno able to reshape and harden her arms at will. Lynette was pleased to find and meet them again, as weird and random as this way. "Hey, it's the clones! Lyra, look, these are the clones I've told you about! And that girl with the freaky arms!"

But Linka and Leven drew rather confused looks, glancing at each other, lost. "Sorry, who are you?"

"Who are-?" Lynnette laughed, wheezing only to see Linka being serious. "What, don't you remember me? We ran with the X-Elites? The general guy? Uhhh, these two were with us, and that one guy- Lemuel and another one-"

"What the devil is this mental patient prattling about?" Carol dusted off her clothes, shaking her legs. "I'm not going to have this from any of you today, I'm leaving."

"Wait, honey bunches of totes!" Linka chased after Carol, slobbering for her body. "I'll do your bidding for a nip slip!"

"Why do you look like Lynn Loud?" Leven pointed out, observing Lynnette. "She didn't have a daughter, did she?"

Lyra ran behind her sister and cupped her mouth. "Sorry, this woman is delusional!" And with that, Lyra dragged Lynnette feet away from Leven and company. "What are you doing?!"

"I swear it on mom's legs that those were the same people I've met! I don't know why they're acting...-"

"Hmmm?"

"L-Lyra...?"

Lyra crossed her arms, glaring at her. "What?"

"Did- Did that- Are we...?" She shook her head when it sounded so utterly ridiculous in her head. "Did we get taken somewhere else?"

"No..." Lyra denied, believing it to be impossible. "No way it could have... Couldn't it?"

**St. Pierre General Hospital **

Lemy had gone back down from the rooftop when police had already come in full swing, guns drawn out to take down the maniac slashing the staff about. Things were never going to be the same after this, and maybe, just maybe, he'd walk away from this to live another day. He could find a way out, but his rage was besting him, controlling his actions, his movements and words. When he saw the first wave of them, he howled at them. "STAND BACK OR PERISH IN THE HELLFIRES OF MY ETERNAL FLAMES!"

The very second, their screaming kicked up the floor, ordering him to stand down, and when he didn't, only drawing near like he didn't hear them, one of the officers brought him down with a bullet to the kneecap. Lemy cried out, dropping the one leg. He was half immobile in that second, but still, he persisted.

"FUCK OFF AND DIE!"

Lemy missed the second batch of Boy Scouts from behind, now getting cornered by them in both sides. It seemed like he had lost, but the scissors in hand suggested otherwise.

"COME ON! COME CLOSER IF YOU DARE!"

All Lemy did was give himself the insurance to be killed by the police in that second. The next fire that was shot knocked him right out of life, having been centered in between his eyes. The body fell, the pair of bloody scissors dancing out of grip. The mad boy had died for real this time.

**Tennessee**

There was a Kapacity Korp facility that he passed by- and by his own self-interest, he wanted to know what lurked within those walls. Oh, of course he knew what Blood reduced them to, what was likely taking place within the facilities. Still, a man could dream.

Lincoln armed hinself with only a shotgun and a handgun, readying himself before he entered.

No such noises inside, no voices had told him it was occupied, but it paid to be on guard. He moved softly and slowly, moving past the reception area, coming into full view of the first floor. Dead bodies decorated the entire floor, only meaning that this place was hit already. He moved through the corpses, also finding that a few, maybe four or five of them were fallen police officers. A unified but failed stand, how poetic.

He moved into the stairwell, choosing to go down to the only sub-level the place had. _Hmmm... What could they have been doing down here?_

He'd know his answer soon enough, stopping right before he passed through the doors. He lifted the shotgun up front, using the barrel to slowly push open the door. The very second he was halfway out, the shooting ignited through the floor. He barged out, rushing away and unloading his lead up against a wave of four Blood supporters armed with Uzis and MP5Ks. They sprayed in panic, and they succeeded in hitting him, but he hit back, blowing holes out in each of them just as fast as it had started. Neither these guys were holstering any armor, a gravely rookie mistake.

Only two of the four were still moving when he finished up target practice, both moaning in agony, drooling out blood through their masks, putting themselves in labored breathing. Lincoln was merciful- he considered it mercy by putting them out of their misery, and that's what he did, blasting them away point-blank in the head, further tainting the place with their blood.

After that, and feeling somewhat satisfied, Lincoln took a look around, wondering the reason why they were here. And he looked into the rooms, curious by the possible toys that were left scattered around. Maybe Kapacity Korp was good for something in the long run.

And he was right as rain, having entered the room at the end of the hall. The magnificent large contraption of eight feet in height, and six feet in width and three in width, was there, the perfect U-shaped mechanism with a foot ramp that led up to the center of it. This, the perfected time travel device that had gone untested, with all of its notes left at the desk on the right of the room.

Time travel.

Time travel... The one-way ticket to reshaping what was and what could never be. And he very well felt he knew what could never be. And he smiled greatly, feeling the fate of the future now fall right into his hands. And he knew just where to go.

_Here's to a new world. _

* * *

_I never really wanted you to see_

_The screwed up side of me that I keep_

_Locked inside of me so deep_

_It always seems to get to me_

_I never really wanted you to go_

_So many things you should have known_

_I guess for me there's just no hope_

_I never meant to be so cold_

* * *

**AN: Prepare for Timeline X.**

**This world has been laid to waste. Dylan Blood will shut down all power plants and send the world spiraling into darkness, but wait, there's more! More surprises, more revelations! And the introduction of a big element to the story! Don't go away, fellow readers, I've got more chaos cooking up in the lab. **


	44. Chapter 44

**Original concept created back in 2011, I hope to remember all characters created for this as I go along. **

* * *

**Dark Before Dawn, Act IV Special: Cold Night**

* * *

**1989 - Alaska**

There was a nice, large house at the edge of town, one that overlooked the sea, standing proud and still right next to a large cliff. The house's nickname was "The House On Edge" by the local populace, roughly about three-hundred of them. A tiny town with only an elementary school and few little shops- if you wanted clothes or other stuff that wasn't food, you'd have to fly and move elsewhere, cause this wasn't the place where you could find all that. Sure, maybe you could be so lucky to get it mailed to you, but the bad weather was known to delay it quite often, both inward and outward.

Jenna Henderson was here for the special occasion, the get-together that was hosted by John Jacobs, the man who bought and lived in the big, wooden house. In truth, she had been and was still quite enamored with him, him whom she knew in high school, all four years to be exact, and maybe now, maybe tonight, she could be so lucky.

Jenna was a redhead with a degree in social sciences, if it was worth more than she hoped. She found herself in a rut, having a conflicted dilemma in choice of career, maybe doubting herself, maybe thinking this wasn't the right one for her. Aw, phooey! Twenty-seven years and counting, and she was single, living alone in that tiny apartment complex in that shitty town of Deer Valley, Arizona, where the place was as hot as the desert. She accepted to come because of both John and the heat she needed to just get the hell away from.

A little about John Jacobs; the man was incredibly handsome and suave, a man just an inch away from being a full six feet, of slicked-back black hair, and a complexion of a muscular man. Maybe it was the suit he wore that made him look strong, but Jenna prayed it was as she saw. Behind the scenes, John had traits of a womanizer- cocky, arrogant and abusive if it counted, the real reason he was, at the moment, in the market. Spoiled goods hiding underneath that perfectly-made smile, just a sort-of bravado to hide who he was.

John invited a group of fifry people to come over; these fifty were the ones he knew in high school, the occasion being a reunion from his high school classmates that was likely to be thrown without him. The plan was to bring a slice of that over to him rather than spending for a goddamn plane ticket, the man was that insensitive- and yet, nineteen of these guys came to him, most of which he hadn't seen in years. He beat the system that way, and while he was still young, too.

There was Anna Packer (yes!), there was Arlene Montgomery. Dallas Hayburn. Matthew Monsoon (the only one I could remember). Elle Winston. So many of these old faces, changed, aged. Some were the dame, others weren't, it was rather odd for him to take in. High school was up in South Dakota last when he recalled it, him being a jock on the football team, but one of the top twenty best players they've had. Goddamn Tigers all the way or bust.

John served drinks just around seven in the turning night, going around supplying for them. He smiled, he greeted, and he played along that wonderful facade they loved. Jenna herself seemed to have been the most easiest woman to reel in- too bad John was not into her, or he'd have used his mighty-fine seductive charm to get into those panties she had on, leading her to bed.

If John so wanted to, he'd do it just to reinforce that ugly confidence and ego. Maybe he could... If he drank enough of his Jack Daniels at hand. "Bottom's up!"

Dallas and Arlene were catching up for old time's sake, taking up the entirety of the kitchen. Arlene was the short, cute cheerleader back in junior high, supportive to her now ex-boyfriend Dallas. The girl was a lovable ray of sunshine, but she had a future and he had been caught with the baddie-bad coke that sent his scholarship down the drain. Needless to say that one went to college, no need to even make guesses. Arlene was once Arlene Daggett before this new era, having married Jensen Montgomery and having a girl and two boys with him.

Damn right you could see Dallas' moustache twitch with sudden discomfort- that could have been him married to her. Oh fucking well. He sipped the rest of his drink down with no hesitation as Arlene gave her the follow-up of her life story, and she, despite being a blonde woman, could see that he was somewhat hurt by all of this, and let out an awkward, nervous laugh. "We haven't even gotten to the good part yet!"

Dallas was as Southern as his name implied, almost one clothing away from being a full redneck at most. The accent waa as you could imagine, if anything.

Anna Packer and Elle Winston? Best friends since day one through to the end of senior year- if you believe the rumors. The dramatic truth was that they had a very special connection, a literal curse in actuality, one that not only haunted them but the very families that were also involved. Oh, you wanted the juicy details, did you? Well, it started with Elle, being only raised by a single mother, to have introduced herself to the Packer family. Daddy Packer was an unfaithful man four years and counting before he met the single mother, and behind the scenes, from Anna and Elle's (Hmmm, why don't I just name her Elsa? I didn't even notice LOL! Yooohooo, Disney!) first three years, it went unchecked. Daddy Packer and Momma Winston met on a daily basis, having sex in almost all placed but their houses, and the hard truth came out when she got pregnant.

That's right, the half-brother that unified both families... Or it would have if it wasn't aborted.

Anna and Elle disliked the other, and did their best to avoid each other. The thing was-

Anna gasped at the sight of the curly-haired ginger. "Why is she here?!"

Elle was more levelheaded than Anna, but even for her, she could not withstand the verbal blasting. "No, I can't- Not with her around..." Elle had immediate regrets on coming to John's now. "I can't-"

"Yeah, fuck you and what your mother did to my family!" Anna accused. "Pack of sirens!"

John and Dallas assembled around as the others looked on in interest. "Laides, please!" John tried to control. "We're all adults here, I'm sure we can talk it out!"

Anna eyed the glass in her hand and let Elle have it all, splashing it right into the ginger's face. "Take this, you fucking slut!"

"Hey!" Dallas moved in and locked his arms around Anna. "There's no need for that!"

"Let me go, you hillbilly freak!"

"I need you to be cool, Anna!" Dallas insisted. "Elle has come in-"

Elle gave in and did what was done unto her, taking put both Anna and Dallas in her move. "This oughta cool you off, you snob."

Dallas licked away the beer off around his face to save whatever drop he could, he was like that, an alcoholic, and one to be impressed by. "Ease up!"

"My mother-" Anna wailed. "My father left her in shambles, and she could not take the pressure, the shame! Your mother enabled this, made mines c-commit-" Anna's voice broke emotionally. "My own mother!"

Elle regained some of her cool, having been ignorant of the after-details. "Oh... Oh, she-?"

John cleared his throat to make his presence known. "Dallas, if you could see to it that Anna calms down, I would highly appreciate it."

"Right away, hoss," Dallas agreed, leading the crying woman away from the scene.

Elle stood silent, her head bobbed downwards to shoe that she was showing some degree of guilt over this. It was just so awful, such a grievance that she could have never asked for. It humiliated and embarrassed her in front of all these people whom it didn't concern.

Anna and Dallas wandered out into the cold night, the outer atmosphere being too damn chilly for them to be out in, but Anna's pain proved to be stronger than the air at the moment. "Nobody told me she'd come, Dally!"

"I wasn't made aware of the whole thing- Geez, I truly am sorry for your loss, but-"

"Ugh, I can't-" Anna kept sobbing. "I don't eanna be in there, not when I know that she's going to be close by. No, fuck that-"

Dallas sighed, nodding. "John would understand, he's a good man, but just let them know you're leaving, will you?"

"Yeah, I- I just need a minute, if you-"

"Oh, with pleasure, miss-" Dallas nodded to fulfill her wish, giving her solo time. "I'll be at the porch if-"

"Thank you," Anna expressed, sniffing in the cold. She wandered away around the side of the house, seemingly to walk it off, and Dallas returned to the porch, standing right over the breaking wooden planks. Damn, if this house was older than his grandmother...

Anna was alone, haunted by the dark of her thoughts and memories. The very last few good times of her with her mother were fading, and she had to keep playing them over and over so the memory would be kept alive- yet all the same, it wasn't truly a healthy case in the long run. Her mother. Her mother... The bastard father that helped himself to forbidden seconds. Elle was here for some reason, and it was just so funny, so...

She caught the case of the sniffles all too fast, but it wasn't able to be distinguished from her teary mood. There were just so many words she needed to say to relieve the weight of the burdens she felt. Too many that she could have just-

-Had enough reason to try and kill Elle if it were possible.

Behind her, she heard the faint clatter of footsteps in the snow, and turned to see the person who seemed to be trailing her. She caused friction in her hands while doing so, effortlessly trying to keel warm. "Huh?"

There was not a single soul that she saw. Weird. Maybe it was the fragility of her mind that made her hear things. Surely, that was it, had to be. Still, she kept looking back, expecting Dallas to keep a closer eye on her. The man was a goofball but had a dumb, old heart at most, she could totally respect that in a man. "Dally?"

No response, and she shrugged it off. "You're crazy, Anna, you're too damn-"

She heard a footstep again, closer this time, but in another direction. Further, just beyond the darkbess, out of the lights' reach. "H-hello?"

Dallas heard Anna from the distance, sensing something was off. He moved his ass from watch position and followed where he saw her scatter off to in her state. A pity he could not do anything more than what he did, but surely she'd have her own resolve that got her right. "Hey, Anna!"

He ran around the house's perimeter to find nobody around; Anna had simply vanished. "Uh- Anna? An-"

The figure that laid concealed a few feet away began closing in...

Inside, the party continued on, but Elle had locked herself in the second floor bathroom, left alone by the others. Arlene drank away right where she was, talking with Neil Anderson, the ex-president of...- Oh, she didn't remember it now but it had to do with politics, she guessed. Neil Anderson was the scrawny nerd you would either pity or pick on back then, but where he lacked in muscle, he compensated in brain power, and he was a successful businessman now. He was taller, but not up to six feet yet, devilishly handsome and rocking behind them glasses, his confidence having skyrocketed from what it was back then. It was as if this wasn't Neil at all, just someone who shared the name and much of the old looks. "Unresolved drama..."

"I hear that," Neil nodded. "Hatchets are made to be buried here."

"I agree," Arlene believed. "John didn't invite us to have a fight, he wanted to see us, that's the least we can do, not fight-"

"I don't know why John- Hear me out-" Neil raised up a finger right up to her lips. "Why did the man seclude himself here?"

"Beats me," Arlene shrugged off. "He had a good reason, he's a reasonable man-"

"Isolating yourself from society is not reasonable."

"Well, then go ask the man instead of being all sneaky and making assumptions!" Arlene then retreated from the kitchen, faintly grunting irritably.

In the blink of an eye, the entire household was subjected to an unscheldued power outage without warning, and the partygoers froze in place, their heads and eyes wandering all over the place. Murmurs followed, the careful steps. "What happened to the lights?"

In a time without cellphones, the adults had to work for it, to scamper around in the dark for light sources. "Where are the flashlights?"

"Hang on!" John tried to control. "No one move, I'll go check the circuit board outside! If that won't work, I've got a generator. You guys just stay put, don't move around too much!"

"Is this John supposed to be funny?" Arlene rolled her eyes, unseen by anyone. "I'd rather not."

John headed outside, circling around to the right side of the house, searching for the circuit box. His first idea was that it had to be someone messing with it- No way would he lose power just like that, and it wasn't like it ever happened before either. Surely had to be someone playing a nasty prank on them for some reason. The second he came to the box, he found it open, most of the switches having been turned off. "Goddamn-"

John let his fingers feel around, turning them on to its correct flip. The lights were restored, and he drew a great sigh of relief and turned around to return to the house only for the mysterious figure arrive on scene to attack him with an axe from the shed out back. The unlucky John received the deadly end of the axe to the face.

Inside, the adults celebrated with a clap and a drink when John has fixed the problem. At that second, a pair of headlights appeared just outside of the house, going noticed by half of the partygoers. Neil, Jenna and Arlene were mesmerized dearly, distracted away. "Who is that?"

"Isn't that John's car?"

"Where's he-?"

The headlights then grew closer, perceived as a trick of illusion until the vehicle, a Toyota Tundra of the black color, crashed right into the house, plowing through thw window and stopping only when the rear wheels were caught hung up right on the porch. By miracle, no one had been run over, but the glass and shards of metal had flown around towards them, only a few being cut up around their hands. And then, the cold air would start coming in.

"What the fuck is he doing?!"

Neil looked around and pointed out the lack of a driver in the cab. "Who was driving...?"

A few of the guys moved close to investigate, peeking their heads into the truck. "His keys are here, but-" Then, they spotted an object rather revolting in the back, which made them stop or jump back in shook. One of the guys suddenly gagged and vomited right onto the floor. "Hey, keep back!"

"Stay back!" Another warned, waving his arms away at the group.

A third man sprinted around. "DID ANYONE SEE A TELEPHONE?! DOES JOHN HAVE A PHONE?"

"In the kitchen!" Arlene pointed out. "What's going on?!"

In seconds, the truck was being manned, backed away from the house slowly.

The instilled fear on the faces of the partygoers had terminated the life of John's festive, most of them centering away from the large opening.

The man who tried the phone found it to be faulty; he growled, so annoyed and scared all ths same. "Damn it, John!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Arlene shook him, "what did you see? What was there?!"

"Cut it out, Arlene," Terrence Michaels jerked her away. "Don't be snooping around that truck, y'hear me?"

"Terry, don't be like that-"

"Where's Dallas and Anna?" Jenna asked the others, looking around for them. "They were last outside-"

Terrence used that as an excuse to abandon Arlene. "Boys, with me! Neil, that means you too-"

"I don't like this!" Neil exclaimed.

"You're about to like it a whole lot less if you take a peek in the truck," Terrence shared.

"I believe you..."

"Everyone, stay back and close to each other!" Terrence ordered at the others. "We're gonna see if we can find John, Dallas and Anna!"

"B-be safe!" Jenna prayed for them.

Terrence and company didn't split up, but they would have, if not for the sliced-off hand right in the truck that so heavily implied a psycho killer in their midst. They were already believing it to be John by then and no one else. The hand could have belonged to Dallas but there was no way of knowing as of yet. "Some fucking party..."

"That fuck John done snapped, Terrence! I knew I should have rejected!"

"Don't be spooked!" Terrence reinforced. "He's one and we are multiple, we can take him!"

"Damn right we can!"

Matthew Monsoon coughed as he synchronized with the pack, catching the attention of the others. "Don't forget me."

"Monsoon, you cowardly stick-in-the-mud!" Terrence cheered. "Finally being a real man, are you?"

"Things change, Terry," Matthew, the short-haired blond man, believed. "People change."

In mere seconds, they came across the hacked corpse of John Jacobs and the axe sticking out of him, lying right on the snow bank. It was horrible, and the smell of the blood was caught between their noses, driving some of them back. Terrence and Matthew could only stare in putrid horror at the grisly scene. "Jesus... It- It's not John..."

"Wait, look-" Terrence pointed to John's hands. "Both are intact, and in the truck- G-get back to the house!"

"Wait, what about Anna and Dallas?!" Neil inquired.

"LOOK AT THE BODY, GEEK!" Terrence blared. "THIS JUST GOT-!"

Matthew retreated out of there, being the first to do so without a second thought. Soon, the rest followed. No sign of Anna gave them hope but a sense of dread, but the hand... Who did it really belong to?

Terrence, Matthew, Neil and the other guys returned quickly, beginning to block themselves in from the killer out there as well as the cold. "Everyone, go to the rooms and get blankets! We're going to have to stay the night!"

"Stay the night?!" Arlene found it rather idiotic. "Not like that! It's going to be real cold!"

"Turn on the heaters then! The stove if you have to!"

"What about-?"

"We'll make it to morning..." Terrence delivered. "We need someone to stay on guard!"

"Guard- Why?" Jenna needed to know what it was they saw out there. "I don't understand.

"WE FOUND JOHN'S BODY OUT IN THE COLD!" Neil finally dropped, bringing about dead silence before it escalated into fearful panic.

"Idiot, way to keep them calm!"

"Are you serious?!"

"GOOD LORD!"

"TRY THE FUCKING PHONE AGAIN!"

"Everyone stay calm! Best thing we can do in this situation is maintain ourselves!"

"Terrence is right, we've gotta stick together!"

""No one leaves outside!"

"We'll be fine! We'll be okay... Won't we?"

Somewhere around them, not too far away from the visitors, the murderer lurked about, either hiding within the cold darkness just beyond the house, or actually within their own perimeter. Who could say? Who could ever know where the bloody culprit lied in wait? Who could possibly know and predict the next move of death on their part?

Jenna and Arlene were shaken up, especially when Terrence and company weren't saying much, other than having spilled about John. Surely they were thinking about the statuses of both Dallas and Anna at the moment- and what was seen in the truck. Of all places, of any point in time, it had to be tonight, in such an isolated part of the world.

And funny enough, it was damn smart of this killer to have made a move like the way they did now.

"I wish I was home," Jenna whispered away to Arlene. "Anything is better than this, Arly. Being stuck when it's too cold to head into town."

"The truck is like, right there, how are those guys being idiots in not taking off to get the police?"

Jenna shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, hey- That's not a bad suggestion!"

"Duh!" Arlene flicked her hand off towards the men. "Go tell them that, or it'll be worse."

"Sure-" Jenna got up, "Right after I check on Elle. No one's gone off to tell her, I'm guessing."

"Oh, we were all distracted that it slipped put minds..." Arlene followed Jenna's lead. "I'm coming with you."

They wandered off to the bathroom in silence, knocking away at the door that separated both girls from Elle. "Elle, hey," Jenna spoke through the wood. "There's an emergency."

Arlene pressed the side of her head against the door, trying to listen in. "Don't hear anything, did she leave at some point?"

"No, I don't think so..." Jenna tried the doorknob, gradually finding it locked. "Elle? Elle, it's Jenna! Please- I need you to open the door, this is serious!"

Still no answer. "Maybe she fell asleep?"

"ELLE!" Jenna rammed her frail fists.

Arlene eyed the doorknob closely, then made the obvious realization. "Oh, it's one of those that don't need a key!" Needless to say, she gave Jenna a sense of stupidity when she unlocked the knob with the nail of her index finger, and turned the door open. "Girl power! Elle-!"

Elle was there, but laying face down on the floor, right in the pool of her own blood, and in the sink were fragments of the shattered mirror and some blood droplets; she hsd committed suicide, leaving Jenna in great shock, and Arlene, unable to withstand the atrocity of the scene, ran from it, breaking into tears.

They'd soon find the dead Elle, cover her body with the sheets but being unable to move her, making the bathroom off-limits for the most part. There would be crying, mourning for tonight's fallen, and it has gravely escalated to such an unbearable, horrific catastrophe no such one of them could have seen right out of any existing horror movie. After that, no one was really talking anymore, hence the commencement of the hours-long waiting game that took until morning, fit for only the insane to withstand.

Who was the insane whom could last that long here, in the state they were in?

They were trapped, they were cornered without the proper essentials; cold air coming in, no radios or phones, and the very little food and water that could not be divided in a balanced portion for them all- they could try, only to fail. This was how the killer would win.

This was the best case scenario, and all the murderer had to do was wait for his next victim to be isolated.

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**End. **


	45. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer; Coronavirus is locking you all down, I can only imagine the inevitable boredom after so many days. I myself have found to be cut from work, reduced to working night shifts. Woe is me. Planned this for the sixteenth, but here we are. Let's go, Timeline X awaits. **

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**Lyrics to Zombies by Lacuna Coil and Time In A Bottle by Jim Croce**

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_Down on my knees_

_Feeling lost, I look around_

_Another day I can see_

_My life crashing to the ground_

_Now that the time is ripe for change_

_None of the lies that I've been told_

_None of them lying preachers_

_Cannot curse me anymore_

_Our lost souls will rise above as one_

_We are alone, we are the night_

_We are the ghosts that come to life_

_We will scare away reality_

_When walls are falling down_

_We are alone, we aren't blind_

_We see the shadows from inside_

_We will run away and hide_

_When the new dawn is breaking_

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**Timeline X, Chapter One: Carnivore**

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**Dadetown, Colorado - 2030**

It started with Luna, but it didn't end the way like before; Luna had turned into the ungodly reptilian form she'd been able to take on, courtesy of that body-altering super serum that did her wonders. Vial Corporation, oh how it was a force to be reckoned with- right before they created her, the snowball that was on the verge of creating an even nastier mess than the secret cabal could ever realize.

Lisa Loud, James Shepherd and Peter McMahon were of this cabal, just above a multitude of underlings that followed them. The thing was, these select three were conspiring with each other to create the recipe for the perfected superhuman, the type invulnerable to disease and infections of the human body. A strong one, a fast one, an intellectual one. You knew how it went, and so did Lincoln Loud, one of many who sought out to stop them from winning. The cloning process, the genocide, the damn secret crisis that made Invasion of the Body Snatchers look like a fucking joke. Real humans were trying to achieve this, but he said otherwise. He said this with guns drawn, weapons being fired, and all the greedy psychopaths were made to die down the barrels.

His sister was dead, shot before, and McMahon was given the Humpty Dumpty treatment. Still, that future turned out bad, and in Dylan Blood's favor. Of course it required a reset.

This was the reset, he made one simple change, and things changed...

And he didn't, however.

The night was dark enough for him to move about, and he did move about, scouting the Vial Corp facility, the very same one that contained Luna at this second. The history didn't change for her, it could not have. Not for most of the sisters apart from Lori, in actuality. One of these days, Luna was due to escape, and when things went against Lisa's own plans, Lincoln would be there to assemble the Patriots, turn them in the right areas where attacks were mandatory, and win the war in a cleaner sense. No clones, no leaks. No fucking Dylan Bloods walking around and killing zoomers. It was game set and match at this point, he had no reason to be concerned.

As of yet, he didn't bother to see what the changes were, but he didn't care yet. Not until it was all over.

Inside, Luna had already gone haywire, clawing through the staff and guards as she escaped from the floor. In her ravenous form, she roared away, establishing her dominance over them, scaring a lot of the trapped phenos and Vial Corp scum. She made it to the first floor, galloping like a wild animal right out of the glass panes.

_Hello again, Luna... _Lincoln set off after her when she stampeded off into the woods, already speeding up the process by a mile. He was too pleased to get this much of a head start.

Yeah, he gave it the right thought, already knowing that there had to be another Lincoln, the first one, around and far away from here. Somewhere else he didn't know where, actually. And why wouldn't he have known? Because the tiny thing that was moved had to do with his own past. Not that he was thinking about it now, not yet at the very least.

Lincoln raced down the road in the dark blue Hummer, the headlights of which were off, for he drove wearing night vision goggles that kept him concealed from any living soul around. It surely helped him, but Luna would hear and detect him-

Speaking lf which, the old punk rocker had already heard him, and came pouncing right onto the roof of the Hummer. She put her face down to get a good look on the freaky driver who thought to conduct without lights- and saw the white hair had some sort of resemblance to her long-lost brother. "L-LINCOLN?!"

The albino braked hard, sending Luna rolling forward in a ragdoll fashion.

Luna's first instinct was to attack him both physically and verbally, to torture him for the choices he made in the time back when everything mattered. In her eyes, he and Lori were the shame of the family, just as Lisa was. The trio who left the family for whatever fucking reason... Left their sisters... Her.

Luna came back, humoring right onto the hood of the vehicle, breaking away the front windshield with her fists and claws. Lincoln drew out his double barrel, not hesitating to harm Luna. He knew it wouldn't be fatal, but he needed her to be downed long enough for her to hear what he had to offer. And what he had to offer was satisfactory to the cause; a campaign of revenge against the Vial Corp chain, and the Black Network. "Stay down, sister!"

Luna took both rounds to her chest, blood and chunks of her flesh flying out of her. It repelled her back for a few seconds- then, she clawed out the shells bsck out of her body, snarling angrily and violent. "So many years... And you greet me by shooting me?!"

"You're not exactly human, are you?" Lincoln rhetorically asked. "Why do you think I'm here?"

Luna rebounded to the side and yanked out the driver's door, exposing Lincoln to her. Pity he didn't have time to reload, but he drew out the spare Colt 1911 and unloaded the rest into her chest when she didn't seem to stop. "Luna!"

She slapped the gun away and tugged him out of the seat, throwing him right onto the road.

Luna became berserk and flipped the Hummer on its side, leaving Lincoln without a ride now. "Ngh!"

"How did you know to find me?!" Luna demanded to know. "Are you with them?! You are, aren't you?!"

"I'm with someone, alright," Lincoln gave out, thinking about Alexander Elmont and his fuckety Patriot Division, or whatever it was. "I know what's been going on back there, I know what Vial's done to you and all of those other ones."

"You..." The wounds on her chest sorely healed, and by that time, Luna had begun to listen. "I don't believe you-"

"Luna..." Lincoln never sounded like he was making jokes. "It's Lisa, Lunes. Lisa is behind this."

"Lisa- Our sister Lisa...?" It caught her by surprise, but she was quick to snap out of it and disregard it as lies. "Bullshit, she'd never!"

"She did," Lincoln insisted, looking down on the ground for the shattered glass fragments. He showed her by picking one up and then running down the shard on his cheek. She flinched, expecting to see a gaping cut with his blood race down. And it did- but the wound closed before any blood trickled away. "We're all victims of Vial, Luna," Lincoln deceived, playing the role of a kidnapped pheno.

Luna finally bought into it, overwhelmed and nauseous that it happened to him. She relieved herself of the monstrous green form, which exposed her body more openly with her clothes from Vial being dangling threads at this point. Her breasts were popping out, but she made no effort to hide them from him. "They really do that to you...?"

"Yeah..." Lincoln turned the vehicle back on its wheels with a hard tug. "I've gotten out, I've done the homework, I know where we should be going to."

He got into the whip, putting it into drive, then looking at Luna to board. She shivered in the cold and quickly hopped inside, riding shotgun. "We?"

"There is this place they call the Black Network," Lincoln explained. "It's the base that bridges the legal to illegal activities. They make weapons, they sell weapons, blood money becomes fund cash for research."

"Arms dealers?" Luna narrowed down. "Jesus, they're worse than I thought."

"Oh, believe me..." Lincoln reloaded his double barrel. "They all are."

_In the short days that I've had after I woke up from my coma, I could never have imagined all of this. I never bothered to share my own thoughts and feelings when waking up to a new world that came about during my involuntary slumber. Everything was as messy as I was familiar with, give or take._

Luna turned on the heater to regain some of that lost body heat, still looking at her younger brother with wonder and curiosity. "You look older..."

_Luna was as good a pheno to help me in the long run. I could not do this myself, as much as it pains me to admit it. She was a regular killing machine... If she accepted to take on the role, and knowing this was the same one, of course she'd not be crossing the line, but she could still be of use to me. _

"Of course I do, I've aged quite a bit," Lincoln addressed. "Look at you with your long hair, I think it's a development."

"Haha, very funny..." Luna ran her fingers down her long brown hair. "I love my pixie cut, it defines who I am, always has. So, where is this Black Network?"

"In Maine, right above New York," Lincoln answered. "An underground base hidden beneath a forest. My guess it was some sort of fallout shelter that was put to good use."

"Underground..." Luna found the humor in it, laughed and shook her head. "Of course."

_Hmmm... Lynn and the twins- Did I want to involve them? Considering the places they've chosen, and the fact that it would just be easier for me to wipe the board... No, not them, I'm not going to recruit them. _

"What about those others?" Luna wanted to know. "Dude, they've kept so many others-"

"Once we..." He chose his words carefully as to not make suggestions around her. "-Handle the ringleaders of all this, we'll get to that, alright? Vial Corporation has multiple facilities, that means there are going to be too many for us to liberate, I suggest we take it to the authorities."

"Um..." Luna sighed in discontent. "Yeah... I just hope that they'll be safe, Lincoln. That's all I want."

He said nothing, that's because-

_They will be, when they're all put away from society. Vial Corporation, your science division responsible for the creation of super-criminals. I know full well that they are victims, that they were subjected to a hell lot of mental torture, isolated within their own cells, but that enabled them to become ugly creatures due retribution, or, if they believed that the world owed them for this, they could fall out of line and misuse their pheno abilities on the people. Saying as I believed to Luna would strip me of the ally, hence I had to lie or steer clear of letting her in on my truth. _

He said something. "Don't you worry a thing, it'll be corrected. They'll be at peace."

Luna smiled, but he didn't look at her, nor was he able to feel her joy. "I've missed you... As much of an asshole move that was. What you and Lori did-"

_Right... Lynn's absence means Luna doesn't find out that I am an ex-Freight. That's good, no more tension between us. Not yet, at least. Here's to hoping it lasts as much as I can make it last._

"I'm here now, Luna," Lincoln soothed her. "We can make all this right, together!"

"Together!" Luna was onboard with it, aiming to acquire justice for her new state, and for Chunk and Tabitha. "For my old friends!"

_From what I know now, the twins are crimefighters in New York, and Lynn is an FBI agent. That's a place I know I'm sure to avoid for my own good... _Lincoln tapped his fingers about on the steering wheel. "All the right people will be avenged, Luna."

"Yes, I so very much want this."

Lincoln drove on for a bit before he pulled into a dirt road, driving a mile deep into a Colorado Forest before stopping. It brought upon confusion for Luna, having her raise an eyebrow in dear wonder as to why he drove them here, away from the main road. "Uh, dude-?"

"Get out," he coldly hissed, putting the vehicle to park and setting the engine off. Then, he moved out with the double barrel in one hand.

"What, why?" Luna tried to grab him, but failed. She burst through the passenger door and cricket around the Hummer. "Bro, what gives?"

Lincoln ripped off his blue shirt, opened the gas tank to stuff the shirt in, and went back inside to take put the cigarette lighter plug. "Stand back."

_I was never here, and no evidence should ever exist of this. Don't worry, I'll travel back to August of this year. By then, things will have to have been simplified, way in our favor. In mine. _

He lit up the shirt, letting it catch on fire as he and Luna moved away from the Hummer. It blew up after they strutted away fifty feet from it, and Lincoln slowed down to reveal two Matrix Portals to Luna, giving her one. "Follow what I do exactly."

"Hmm?"

"Long Island," he whispered onto the device, then tossed it out two feet in front of it. The second the blue portal opened up, he jumped in. "Repeat as I did! Follow me!"

**Long Island**

He landed on a grassy field that stretched for miles, night vision goggles still intact. He stood there, in the damp cold, waiting for Luna. _You better have done this right. _

One second passed, followed by another second. Five. Seven. Eight and nine... Where was Luna?

_Jesus fucking Christ, Luna, you cannot be-_

She finally entered the scene through the second portal, rolling right next to him. "L-Lincoln, you'd better tell me what those were and what exactly you know-"

"You're about to find out yourself," Lincoln vaguely responded, walking towards the entryway. "There should be a tunnel that leads down to a special-"

And the ground ripped open, the special entry appearing before them. Lincoln didn't hesitate to move towards the Patriot Division bass, but Luna hesitated to move. "What the fuck is that?"

"The only good force there is, Luna," Lincoln barely explained. "I'm not waiting for you..."

"Wait, wait, h-how do you know all of this?!" Luna demanded. "Dude, you'd better start explaining!"

Lincoln sighed, stopped walking and turned back to her. "I am playing with the powers of gods now, Luna."

Behind him, a wave of heavily armed forces came running out in tactical maneuvering, lining up side by side and taking aim at the pheno duo with their carbine rifles. Lincoln raised his hands up, suddenly sensing that something was off when he noticed the style of their gear did not match up with the guards of the Patriot Division. For one thing, these guys were more concealed and sporting heavier plating. More protection, might have been nothing serious.

"Hands up, on your knees!"

Lincoln complied, not thinking much of the key differences. "Luna, don't give them a reason to shoot!"

"Uh, y-yeah- Whatever you say..." Luna fell on her knees and lifted her hands in the air. "I trust you... I trust you, little bro."

Lincoln was so positive to have won, to believe that it would be in his favor. That it would work out, never to be any sort of folly, a flaw in his character. Arrogant and cocky was the albino, and tonight, it all came crashing down when the lead man in charge came slowly moving from behind the line of men. "And who are our special guests in this lonely night in May, I wonder?"

The voice never matched Alexander Elmont's, from what Lincoln could recall. No, totally not his, and these guys were not of the Patriot Division brand. And by then, it was too late to reassess the choices made, right when Lincoln and Luna Loud were looked down upon by none other than Jordan Leak, the ex-president of the United States, seemingly affiliated with the replacement of the Patriot Division.

"Where is Elmont?!" Lincoln roared out. "I wish to speak to him!"

"Elmont?" The bald man, clad in a nice black business suit, simply laughed with a wheeze. "That clown is of no more, I made sure of that."

"So then-" Lincoln stuttered for some reason. Maybe it was the fear. "I've come with information to put the mastermind criminals of Vial Corporation down for good!"

"L-Linc..." Luna didn't know how to feel about all of this, especially when she was missing so much context. "I'm getting scared..."

"Oh?" The seemingly controller of this version of the Division tilted his head. "Is that so?"

"There's a network base not far from here, and that's where-" He stopped, Leak put a hand up to silence him, which only confused him. _Did he already know?_

"I've heard enough..." Leak stepped back from the sightlines of his goons. "So you know about the work of my partner..."

Lincoln let out a sharp gasp. _Partner?!_

"Men..." Jordan Leak pointed at them and gave the order. "Open fire!"

* * *

_If I could save time in a bottle_

_The first thing that I'd like to do_

_Is to save every day_

_'Til eternity passes away_

_Just to spend them with you_

_If I could make days last forever_

_If words could make wishes come true_

_I'd save every day like a treasure and then_

_Again, I would spend them with you_

_But there never seems to be enough time_

_To do the things you want to do_

_Once you find them_

_I've looked around enough to know_

_That you're the one I want to go _

_Through time with_

* * *

**AN: We're going back to day one, and then some. New foes, new battles! A more dangerous landscape has been set up for this arc. Speaking of, here is the roster for Timeline X, which isn't exactly in order;**

**1\. Timeline X: Carnivore**

**2\. Timeline X: Alliance Association**

**3\. Timeline X: Death Angel**

**4\. Timeline X: Patriots**

**5\. Timeline X: Momentum And Velocity**

**6\. Timeline X: Adrenaline**

**7\. (Locked for spoiler)**

**8\. (Locked for spoiler)**

**9\. Timeline X: The Darkest Night**

**10\. (Locked for spoiler)**

**11\. Timeline X Special**

**Things will become trippy now, more than enough to make anyone's head spin so horrendously. **


	46. Chapter 46

**2030**

Lincoln quickly connected that these weapons had regular rounds, no way would they have anti-pheno weapons at all. Then again, Jordan Leak just outed himself as a literal ally of the Vial Corp empire, so maybe-

Lincoln let his hands fall to his side, and, scurrying right into the heat in front of him, he engaged, punching and throwing as many of the armed men as he could lock his hands onto. To grab the dropped double barrel would have been slower than this, so he carried on. Jordan Leak hurried back into the base when Lincoln showed off his superiority in combat, putting all his effort into the fight. Yet again, he proved his worth in the world, beating away at the enemy just like always. "LUNA!"

The older sister simply looked on, having been afraid to have been shot to death. "Oh, God-"

Lincoln swiped up a pair of rifles and gave chase, running after Leak as he got rid of his night vision goggles. "GET INSIDE!"

Luna snapped out of it, prepping up by transforming into her carnivorous form, racing behind Lincoln. In her mind, she really wanted to know why he just engaged them if he painted them as allies for some reason. Then again, the bald man made the first move that brought it on- She knew so little, and it only made her thirst for the right facts. If she had to threaten it out of him...

_"ALL STAFF, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! EVACUATE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY! THE ALLIANCE ASSOCIATION BASE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED! THE ALLIANCE ASSOCIATION-" _The intercom was damn loud, but able to be made out by Lincoln as he hurried into the large tunnel. The base was the same, but occupied by the opposite of the Division, meaning everyone and anyone here was just a walking target this time.

Lincoln came into the base, seeing the same layout and design. The second he saw other people, most of them running further in, he laid them out and fired both rifles, spraying them while screaming in rage, perfectly mimicking an 80s action hero. The bullets were a hit-or-miss striking down the staff working the monitors and the few guards around, or the monitors and hard drives around. He didn't see Leak among the crowd, so further he went before he had to reload. And he only came running with the two rifles and no spare magazines- he dropped the empty weapons and ran the rest of the way with nothing but his bare hands.

Luna detected the smell of blood, and right away, she was drawn by it, so divinely tempted to ravage and consume the corpses of Lincoln's next victims. While he was off doing his thing, Luna gave in to the carnage and tore off limbs of the dead, eating them away like chicken legs.

This base had no elevators whatsoever, giving Lincoln the only logical conclusion to be drawn around, and the floor right in front of him was filled with a multitude of rooms; he searched them all in a clockwise position, and at halfway there, screamed for Luna to hurry up and provide aid. Luna didn't show up right away, which only pissed him off more.

At the twelve angle, the last room right at the end of the hall, Lincoln kicked the doors in and saw nobody but Jordan Leak cowering behind the desk of what Lincoln assumed to be his office, stopping right before he crossed behind the desk. The beast of him stared right at Leak, ready to kill again, and Jordan Leak himself, fearful yet quivering in some hidden anger, had only but a few words, questions, for the albino. "How? How did you know to come here? How could an outsider possibly know about what goes on within the-?"

And then, there was some connection to be made here, one that he was now able to see. "You're Lincoln Loud!"

"There can be no other-"

"We've captured you!" Leak began to repeat. "How did you break out of Site Prime?!"

Lincoln narrowed his eyes briefly. _Site Prime? Does this mean the other me is... Locked away? _

It surely raised questions, certainly when he knew that the authorities had never caught up to him. He saw through Clyde's betrayal, was able to outperform the well-trained ordinaries, and could face upon the deadliest of weapons so easily. Him- the other him- what exactly happened and why was this Lincoln only able to recall the original memories? Time travel repercussions were a curse to learn.

"I'll always be there to hurt you, no matter what it takes..." He was true to his word, repeatedly pushing to accomplish that of which he believed in. The death of all sinners, the devils deliberately endangering the undeserving and the frail. That accounted Jordan Leak now, another piece of shit through Lincoln's eyes worthy of every bullet into the bald man's face, whether fired from a gun or hammered in. "I know everything, and that's good enough for me to say who dies, and you are next!"

Lincoln tore through the desk, flipping it to the side to get him. He thought it was that easy, Jordan Leak was right there, too close to not have a lucky break. But somehow, the man wound up being saved.

It came in the form of a medium-sized woman in a black suit that concealed most of her face, save for the eyes on her. She also came with a pair of katanas, swinging them around like a real ninja. It caught Lincoln off guard, repelling him back, forcing Leak to be out of grasp. _Damn it! N-no, this isn't that Carly chick... Who-?_

The assailant slid one katana back into her scabbard, slowly and dramatically running a hand up to her face, pulling down her mask from behind. Dana Hall could have never looked better than she did today, and in that attire, that very same one Carly Evans-Nguyen wore, but in a different size. "You never disappoint, do you, Lincy?"

* * *

**Timeline X, Chapter Two: Death Angel**

* * *

"Sir, fall back to Site Prime," Dana suggested. "I'll dance with the albino again!"

"R-right!" Leak shown to have his own Matrix Portal, retreating to Site Prime in a matter of seconds, right out from under Lincoln's nose.

"You're in my way, Dana!" Lincoln faced her here, so untimely and without warning of it. He got her one time, blowing up her home and burying her in it, which begged the question if it happened all the same. At least, that's how it played as in his memory. "You've chosen the wrong side!"

Dana folded her arm back and drew out the other katana out again. "This is the only side that allows us to be enemies, rivals of the same coin! You thought you got me, but you were dead wrong, and now I'm here out for my revenge!" She jumped up and raised both katanas at him, screaming out a girly battle cry.

Lincoln blocked both swords by folding his left arm out, letting them connect only for them to shatter upon contact. God bless the serum that fused into his system.

"Whuh- No!" Dana held up her broken katanas. "Son of a bitch-"

Lincoln slapped his arms on Dana's neck and threw her right on the floor. Of course, she rolled it back up and stood back up again, losing her broken blades. "Think you can take me on?"

Dana pulled out a flashbang grenade from her back, clicking and tossing it right into Lincoln's face, blinding him. "Not like this, Lincy! Come tomorrow, you won't win the next round!"

The white flash knocked him down to his knees, and he closed his eyes tightly to disperse the stun's effects. "LUNA! LUNA, COME TO ME!"

Dana took her retreat, running away from the office. Pressing into the headpiece, Dana gave a suicide order. "This AA base has been compromised! Requesting an aerial beam strike on my coordinates!"

_"Confirm strike-"_

"DO IT!" Dana screamed to the top of her lungs.

_"ETA is one minute- Do not get caught in the furnace, Hall."_

Lincoln punched against the ground once it cleared up, and he wasted no time running after Dana. As all of this progressed, Luna had gotten full, licking her lips and clawed fingers of the itty-bitty blood and tiny flesh chunks, feeling gratified in being full. She left a mess of the slain corpses, a wonderfully hideous canvas of dark and bright red all over. The smell of the pool of blood made her truly lustful, a drug that she could simply get high off when she whiffed it all in. She finished slobbering up and around, moving back up on her feet. Her legs, right below both shins, were stained in blood, and as she walked around barefoot, feet slapping against the thick blood underneath. It felt cold, but rather nice to her, some sickly satisfying feeling she endured and accepted. The love of flesh, the taste for blood.

Dana was running as fast as she could- and seeing the hideous creature that was Luna had drained the color from her face. Dana did gasp, but never slowed down. Not even that one was an opponent the ex-Freight woman could take upon.

"LUNA, CAPTURE HER!" She heard Lincoln echo out, and when Dana had already passed her, nearly out of the base, Luna snapped back into focus and gave chase.

"Shit-!" Dana had run out of tricks, having assembled to the base all half-assed as it stood. Blades shattered, empty on the essentials- Her pride was severely injured, insulted. "I'll have my rematch, but I will not depend on allies!"

Dana had barely reached the grass field, seeing the fallen guards on Leak's payroll. She maintained her speed, already beginning to gather that she would not outrun either one or both of them. But she didn't need to, she just had to keep them both in proximity of the base. Damned be her if she failed to get them. Ultimate. Ultimate sacrifice, no more running.

Luna managed to so easy capture her, thinking nothing of it at first, grabbing her and flipping her down on her side. "Stay put now, or I will bite your fingers off!"

"I won't go anywhere, but-" Dana faced and jerked her head towards the entryway. "You might wanna check up on him, he's a little... Dazed and disoriented, I believe."

Luna turned her back to Dana, wondering why Lincoln hadn't come out yet. "B-bro-" She made it her obligation to check back on him, forgetting Dana- Luna felt she could catch Dana if the latter attempted to run again. "Little brother?!"

Dana's eyes widened with wonder. _She- She is related to him? Then- _

_"Strike is hot, thirty seconds-"_

"What- You're one of the Loud sisters Lori's talked about?!" Dana clamored.

Luna froze to look back. "You know Lori?"

Dana nodded. "Lori and I were close friends- Listen-" Dana slowly raised a hand out, extending towards Luna. "I've been following the reports, I'm aware that there was a breakout at a Vial Corp facility about an hour ago. I guess it was you, wasn't it?"

"What if I was?" Luna crossed her arms, still distrusting of Dana. "What then?"

"My superiors- As cruel and cold as they are, they do not waste resources, they'd prefer to keep someone just like you-" Dana approached her cautiously, trying to reel her in.

"Turning my back on him, on family?" Luna had the idea to turn her down, never to consider such an offer.

"Hey, hey-" Dana, however, knew which strings to pull. "He did that to you, and so did Lori, but Lori felt guilt over that, over leaving you guys. Tell me..."

When Dana pointed back at the base, she made the mind-shattering question that had Luna re-evaluate her decision to be with Lincoln.

"Does he feel guilt about it? Did he even apologize at all to you?"

Luna's silence was the answer Dana sought out for.

"Exactly, he's-" Dana pointed at the corpses. "Your brother is a murderer- No, wait... Lincoln Loud was once a Freight, sister of the Loud family. He's harmed and killed many for years, and he tried to kill me!"

Luna shuddered to think, to accept this as truth. "N-no... No, he couldn't be-"

"But he is!" Dana played along. "I am who I am because of him! He took my own life away, and I gave whatever was left of me to a better cause! I give my life to serve the Alliance Association, the absolute national defense force that matters!"

"Alliance...-" Luna trailed off.

"I get it, you're new, you don't know what went on while they had you locked away like an animal, but we can guarantee you that freedom if you work for us- No, with us! We're all equal, we're all heard as we are silent!"

_"Ten seconds."_

Luna pressed a hand to her chest. "He- He's family-"

"What does that mean?" Dana begged to hear from her. "What does that mean when they throw it away like nothing? Lori and Lincoln tore it away, why would you come crawling back to him?"

"Because I missed him-" Luna admitted. "He came for me-"

"He came to use you..." Dana corrected. "If not for that, you'd be as you were before. A nothing and a nobody- Still, I am curious as to how he found out, but-"

_"Five..."_

Dana moved forward and grabbed Luna's arm.

_"Four..."_

And Dana needed to make Luna believe her- and she did so by kissing Luna right on the lips.

_"Three..."_

Dana broke away and quickly dragged Luna away. "MOVE! MOVE NOW!"

"Huh?!"

_"Two..."_

Lincoln had been walking out of the tunnel by then.

_"One..."_

"Luna!" He called out to her, seeing her being dragged off by Dana, which put him at unease. He blinked- and a large, red beam of unspeakable death came thundering down upon the ground in the middle of the night, acting like lightning, and then beyond when it struck its intended target. The ground gave way to the destruction, and the entire base crumbled in on itself with Lincoln being caught by the ray. The intensity of the ray beam's heat outclassed Lincoln's pheno physiology, proving that not even he could withstand the powerful effects of it. In turn, his skin charred up, turning into ash. His skeleton, the shattering bones, all fell over and around along with the debris of the base, the only evidence that he was there. And he would no longer be again.

Lincoln Loud, the tampering pheno who dared to mess with time, had paid the ultimate price of such a sin with his own life; he was dead, killed in front of Luna and Dana. "L-Lincoln!"

"Hey-" Dana held Luna back firmly. "No, we have to go! Cops are going to light this place up!"

"What- What was-?"

"It was the only way..." Dana had Luna where she wanted her to be. "Your brother was wanted dead or alive by the Alliance Association... I'm sorry, but he was a dangerous criminal."

"A cuh..." Luna stuttered. "L-Lincy-"

"I'm sorry..." Dana sounded like she meant it, and for thks role, she had to. "This was the right call."

**Site Prime - Beneath San Francisco**

The halls were heavily guarded by a tremendous amount of security forces, a tight perimeter working around the base. The very special guest who dared walked around in his fancy million-dollar business suit hsd gotten all the respect he worked hard to earn, and he did everything he had to so that he could get into the position he did. It was him and secret service agents guarding him with their own lives.

The President of the United States peered into Lincoln Loud's titanium cell, pleased to see the depowered weakling to be contained ans trapped inside. Didn't matter if he was comfortable, as long as he was here, guarded and watched almost evrry hour of every single day for the rest of his life. On the other side, Lincoln was laying on his bed, reading a book and not noticing the president.

Peter McMahon obnoxiously coughed to make his presence be acknowledged.

"Fuck off and die, bearded bastard," Lincoln insulted at the current president, peering upon him right under the book. "How's my ass look from your angle?"

"I hope your stay in rather unpleasant, but to be reading- Sorry, what did you request again?"

"One of Vince Flynn's, if you've heard about him."

McMahon gave no immediate answer, but remembered why he was there; it was reported that Lincoln had escaped his tight-squeezed cell and came attacking the Alliance Association base in Long Island- or someone who looked like Lincoln, which only fueled the total mystery that kicked up the activity to rush order. The reported Lincoln Loud wandering right into the base at the other side of the nation had to have been a fake, under the possibilities where phenos were a reality. Next step was to find out who had broken out of containment and narrow down the shapeshifter behind it.

Still, Lincoln Loud, a truly dangerous man, was still locked away from the playing field, serving a life-long sentence without the possibility of getting out early. A total damnation he never expected, not even right in the moment it came to be, when he laid waste to Dana's home in the attempt to kill her. How the forces converged on him and managed to detain him so easily. No- A better way to say it as... How they managed to permanently neutralize the agent in him, the power boost to date. No punching his way out of the base, no matter how much he actually wanted to.

"Oh, I have," McMahon gleefully responded. "That's only because I know one of his books made it to the big screen."

"Something like that. So, what brings you to visit me?" Lincoln dropped his copy of American Assassin, finally giving the president all his attention. "Don't you have new laws to pass?"

"I've been given some faulty intel on you," McMahon vaguely answered, snickering, "but I see that I had nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, because you really feel safe, don't you?" Lincoln stretched his body up, hands raised over his plain white uniform. He leaped out of place and slammed his hands against the titanium door, scowling with pure hatred at the president. "When I bust out of here-"

McMahon took his eyes off of Lincoln and went away.

"-I'll be the one to run you to the ground!" This was a promise from Lincoln, one he intended to keep, whether it would ever come to pass or not. The rage flared back up again, and it drove to compel him into striking into the thick metal, punching away and bleeding from his knuckles. "I'LL END YOU! PETER, YOU HEAR ME?! I WILL BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU!"

* * *

**AN: The time-traveling Lincoln Loud has died- Who can foretell the rest of the arc?**


	47. Chapter 47

**2030**

Three FBI agents down, Lynn Loud was the last one standing, having made it to the end of the tour guide. She wished that she came back to the present with all four of them, and unharmed as well, but these wishes were not ever to be granted by her gods, and it killed her most definitely.

She landed onto the rooftop of a small building, somewhere in New York, alone and powerless.

Not powerless, the extraterrestrial essence of the alien known as Lulu had already been taking its toll on her, changing her skin tone from its regular orange to a decomposing green, meanwhile her stomach began to turn the opposite, negative way. She felt queasy, one breath away from vomiting like crazy- What exactly had the alien being done to her body?

Lynn hadn't noticed that her landing created a sizeable crater upon the concrete, suggesting a form of superhuman capabilities at her disposal- perfected only when she pushed through her physical sickness, the deadly side effects of the alien essence. She was on one knee, raising up her left hand and bringing it down like a sledgehammer, deliberately punching away to alleviate the incurable pain. "AGHHHHH! URGGHHHH-"

As she reeled in the discomfort of her agonizing pain, an airship had come flying over the city at eight hundred feet, swooshing over Lynn's own head. The aircraft itself, bearing strong resemblance to a V-22 Osprey- Maybe it was one- had its rear opened up, and coming right out of the cargo hold were five individuals with no parachute to save them from the freefall.

Miraculously, it seemed, the five of them landed in a circling position, strapping Lynn to be right in their center. The five mysterious strangers, from clockwise position in Lynn's point of view, Allison "Allie" Taggart, an intermediate fighter with plenty of weapons and combat training under her belt; Chad McCann, a pheno with the ability to shapeshift into another person; Darcy Holmandollar, an ex-Freight graduated to superhuman; Meli Ramos, the telekinetic girl of the team; and last but not least was Dana Hall, the oldest one of the lot associated with ninja aesthetics.

"This one don't look so tough," Allie giggled, brushing Lynn off like nothing.

"Maintain distance," Darcy warned. "We don't know what kind this one is."

"Take a look at her skin," Chad pointed out, "she looks infected-"

Lynn ended up barfing in front of Meli, now succumbing away from the alien disease. Her knees became so wobbly that they grew weak, unable to support her. "Grrrmmmmm...-"

"Ew!" Meli flinched, backing one step from Lynn. "The woman's sick!"

Dana drew out her blades, enabling Allie to show off her customized Colts from the holsters she carried at hip level. "Meli, contain!"

"Right!" The young Mexican girl levitated her hands out, forcing Lynn to stand upright, and kept her in place. "Darcy, all yours!"

Darcy did the simpler task and slammed a dampener on the back of Lynn's neck. "There, that's that, Meli, now we can take her back-"

Lynn swung around, throwing a backwards elbow strike to Darcy's face, dropping her right on her back. "Who are you people?!"

Meli sharply gasped in amazement; how could this woman have rendered the dampener useless? "Guys, stay sharp!"

Dana rushed in, waving her katanas in front of her. "Now I'll cut you up like a sardine roll!"

Lynn followed Dana's lead, meeting her halfway and throwing a hard punch right into the ninja girl's stomach as one of the blades met and sliced the left side of her neck. Right away, Lynn began bleeding dark-green blood that acted and moved like ooze, dripping down slowly. This went noticed by the other three. Chad kept his ground, sure that he was no match for this freak that just bested Darcy and now Dana.

"What's up with that blood, girly?" Allie fired her rounds, aiming her sights on Lynn's pair of legs. "What new virus have they been cooking up this time?"

Lynn tumbled back down again, it didn't help that she was already weak as it was. "F-Fuck you-"

Allie ran around Lynn in an attempt to lock her in a chokehold. "Darcy, get up! Meli!"

Darcy and Dana were still downed, and Meli was rather nervous- possibly even shy or scared to make a move. "I- I tried-"

Allie made a leap on Lynn, wrapping up both arms around the infected woman's throat. "IF I GET INFECTED, YOU ALL BETTER FIND ME THAT CURE!"

Lynn lowered herself right to the ground, letting Allie feel like she was winning that fight- only for Lynn to push herself right off, throwing herself backwards to beat Allie. The fall ended up injuring Allie's skull, causing a fracture that left her out cold for the rest of the fight, not that Lynn didn't care.

"Meli, now's not the time to get cold feet!" Chad moved around Lynn, dragging Darcy away from her. "Hey, come to! We need you-!"

Lynn rammed right into him like a bull, sending him flying right out of the rooftop. Meli finally sprang into action and raced to the edge, catching Chad before he became street pizza- and in turn, Lynn grabbed and tossed her off the side without hesitation or remorse. Luckily for Meli, she was able to break her own fall in such a predicament. Down below, she met Chad again, relieved to have saved him. "I'm sorry!"

"We'll talk about this later!" Chad was shaken up by this unorthodox battle. "Why didn't the dampener work? Is she not a fucking pheno?!"

Meli looked up- and then moved right out of the way when she made out Lynn coming down on them. "Hey-"

Chad, however, didn't follow her eyes in time, and his fate was sealed when Lynn landed right on him, breaking him in half to spill his blood and guts all over the sidewalk and curb. Both girls, a d a couple of the passersby, were stained with the fallen pheno's essence. Lynn was the most covered in the teen's blood and flesh, but she didn't stop for one second to try and wipe herself clean. Meli's breath shivered away, the nasty scene of pure gore being too extreme to endure it with her eyes, and so it was that she, along with the other civilians, ran away from Lynn, too scared to fight her off, too eager to live.

But Lynn gave chase and ended up running after her, viciously set on beating this attacker who came out of the sky.

* * *

**Timeline X, Chapter Three: Adrenaline**

* * *

Lynn pulled Meli off balance by both of her legs and swung her right into a parked car with no effort at all, when she imagined it would have. The strength was there, a hidden boost that made her far powerful, far stronger than a regular human, and a pheno now that she had seen herself in action. By then, when she took the five youngsters down, the churning feeling in her system died down, and the bullets that were stuck into her legs were pushed back out, courtesy of her adapting body, a gift from the alien disease that still lingered into her bloodstream.

Back to the present, but welcomed as if she was a hostile by thaf mysterious party she didn't know. It put her at unease, even when she had already taken care of it. Obviously someone had sent them, and someone was definitely interested in Lynn Loud, but if that were the case, she could not return to the Feds. No contact from Director Mathers, her superior, and that sucked all the way around. No friends, really, but family members...

Aunt Rinn Reagan, the twins and sweet little Lily were the ones she left behind to get here, to get where she was, and by a godly miracle had Lynn achieved it. She was proud- as short as the dream was, proud and grateful of what became of this tough life. The time to come home might have been now- It could have been, but then...

Lynn ran from the scene, leaving Meli behind to recover from her defeat. She should have been more careful and smart about everything, but the fight had happened too quick and not in her favor, not when they had that telekinetic around. They surely detected her sudden return to the present, that was a given, but what was their plan? Who wanted her captured and for what reason? What enemies had she just made?

_Christ... _Lynn was physically bombarded by that same sharp pain again, knees wobbling when she was just passing through a small bridge, and on the opposite end of the bridge, a patrol of armored vehicles rolled in, acting as a blockade as the engines died out. Lynn fell against the railing of the bridge, taking on the parasitic disease that persisted to rupture her body worse by the second. Armed men lined up around Lynn, surrounding her with their tactical weaponry fixated on either her head or chest; this was a kill directive if she didn't stand down.

And she didn't stand down, choosing freedom by jumping overboard before they got too close for comfort. This caused a tiny show of bullets to fill the air, but Lynn was lucky that no round struck her as she fell, fell into the river below. She splashed hard against the nasty greenish waters, holding her breath at the last second. Thank fuck she had learned to swim in her early years.

Swimming around from view, Lynn moved into the underpass, avoiding the hail of bullets fired into the river below. These guys now really wanted her dead. As she swam away to safety, the poor Loud woman couldn't help but wonder- _The other me- The older me gave me a serum she said would work! Why hasn't that kicked in yet?! She said it w-would be-_

She couldn't hold her breath down there forever, meaning she had to resurface for another load of fresh air, and then some. About a minute had passed before she did so, and as luck would then have it, a barge had come sailing her way, the perfect opportunity to get away by boarding it. Lynn quickly worked her magic and leaped into it before it exited the underpass- finding the barge was one of those trash transport ones. The smell could have never been any worse than this, but Lynn carried on and concealed herself around the nasty debris and trash.

The gaping slice on her neck had already healed as she felt it when she recalled the ninja chick having made a successful cut on it. It was rather weird to consider, she hasn't understood the pro factors of the alien Lulu's exact properties. No matter, all of that had to be put on hold, today was the test of survival, lasting throughout the day without being caught, and, thinking of it now, Lynn realized that she had no place to go. Reagan's place? Not without endangering them all, so no way.

**Hours Later**

She was down to a tank top and shorts, and would have been looking rather sexy if not for the condition her skin took on, insisting to keep decaying as it did, making her some sort of freak as it was- her temperature had kept elevating to a burning degree, she feared that not even her own skin would maintain conformity of itself real fast real soon. "Nrghhhh..."

She needed colder temperatures, so she settled around the shores when the barge had gone off to see, and since then, Lynn had taken her leave.

A pair of scuba divers scouting for sea goods had encountered a distraught Lynn floating around the bottom of the sea around the shorelines without a plan, wandering around like a lost sea mammal at most. Neither dared question it but had given Lynn enough attention that she swam away from them, diving back up for air.

She later sat on the rocks, knees up to her face and arms wrapped around them. The waves splashed against the rocks, redirecting upwards to give Lynn a layer of cooling water to combat her rising heat temperatures. At this point, her tank top was see-through, her boobs able to be seen if she faced anyone the right way, not that she cared right now. Whomever saw her beautiful breasts were damn lucky, one true rare and legendary occasion of the century.

She cared not, she was alone.

"Hey, little dudette," Luna greeted with warmth. Lynn only half-turned, seeing Luna dressed in that old attire she used to wear in the golden age, the very same one that defined who she was. "It's been a long time."

"Oh..." Lynn was at a loss for words. "Hm, yeah, it really has."

Luna sat herself, adjacent to Lynn. "How've you been, Lynn? Are you doing good?"

Lynn snickered. "You kidding me? Look at me, Lunes, I'm completely transformed, and it hurts. It just hurts so much."

Luna placed a gentle hand on Lynn's shoulder, smiling away to relieve some of Lynn's emotional and physical pain. "Lynn, you've survived through worse, like that fire-"

Lynn exhaled sharply, head bobbing down. "The fire- That goddamn fire destroyed our family, Luna."

The punk rocker nodded slowly. "Yeah, it did. It did, Lynn, but that was just the beginning."

"Wh-Why are you even here?" Lynn broke her hands away from her knees. "Last I remember, we left off things badly, and if you haven't forgotten, you hurt Luan pretty bad. You left her hospitalized-"

"Did you know that I went to visit her?" Luna revealed. "Lynn, I've felt so much guilt and it just-" Luna stopped, sighing with heartache. "I couldn't have forgiven myself if my carelessness damaged her to some... Serious degree. I waited for her to come back to me, I waited for her to wake up-"

Lynn stood up. "You... You were there-?"

"Of course!" Luna confirmed. "Luan was my sister, too! It broke me, Lynn! It broke me so much when one day- That one day, they told me that she just went missing. She... Woke up and just escaped, snd I couldn't believe it, I just-"

"You put her there in the first place, Luna!" Lynn blamed. "If it's as you say it is, then you really fucked up! You really did, and..." Lynn grew too weak, too emotionally hurt by it all that she found herself breaking down, crying as the sea continued to throw its waves at both of them. "Luna's out there- I want to believe that she's alive, Luna! I want to believe that my sister, that same girl who loved comedy, who practiced her skits with that dummy-" She paused.

Luna had fallen quiet.

Then, Lynn brought out her confession. "I'm with the FBI, Luna, did you know that? All so I can get leads on her, I want to bring her home, only her."

And there it was, the unearthing of all her ideas, what she originally believed to have justified and rationalized her reason to being a part of the Feds. The self-test that would prove her worth of herself, to be a survivor to make it to the end of the fated journey- or as long as she was able to before she could ever know what true defeat was.

And right now, right when the stakes were happened, the roster of foes changed, only here when Lynn had seen the worst of the worst, she had already known defeat- Lynn had fallen into the darkness to begin with, the accepted fate to throw herself into the world of danger as easy as she did. She had already given up long before she began, the realization had just been years-long to finally understand it.

"My life..." Lynn let out softly. "My life is just full of failure."

In her mind, Lynn had still yet to live up to the minimal expectation, having all of her successes cut down to zero, to mean absolute horseshit when it was clear she was unable to help the other three women of her unit. Whether or not it was on her simply for not having the right tools and methods for such a predicament, she should have done more to give it past the full hundred percent. Even then, even before this-

"I wasn't quick to stop you, Luna!" Lynn admitted from deep within. "It's not- It's not just you I blame, but me as well. I was there with the others, and you were acting crazy. You grabbed the beer bottle and I didn't see it coming! I didn't think you'd-" She wiped away at her eyes, sniffing away messily. "You did, though- And I pulled you away too late-"

"Dude..." Luna sensed that Lynn had appointed the blame onto herself just as much as she did on Luna. "I- I don't know what to say."

"You can start by just- J-just going away, Luna!"

Seagulls soared around them, landing right on the rocks, keeping them company. The waves kept forming about, soaking Lynn more wet by the minute. Her hair had gotten moist enough. Her body was nice and cool, but the rocky foundation beneath her feet had gotten slippery, entrails of seaweed dangling around.

"I can't ever apologize enough for putting you through all that," Luna confessed, "but just know that I am, and I would do anything to make it right with all of you."

"You... Make it right? MAKE IT RIGHT?!" Lynn shot a leg in front of Luna's own, and then pulled her right over to trip and push her in the water without mercy. Right away, Luna clung back top with her claws, revealing her nastier, deadlier side to Lynn, her tail curling around both of the infected agent's legs. "Surprise!"

Lynn gasped, and then barfed up her rotten innards again, spilling right into the sea. The excruciating pain returned in that moment. "What- gurghhhh- What are you?!"

Luna thought about yanking Lynn off-balance, but pulled her tail back. "It's a long story, what's up with you? Your skin looks like its rotting, and you're looking like you've got diarrhea!"

"L-long story-" Lynn started contemplating in telling Luna- this monstrous Luna- what it was that she had experienced into the distant future. Luna might or might not have believed it, and in today's world, the impossible had proven to become less and less of its own category. The phenos existed, a sanctioned team of literal "heroes" right out of comics operated in response to everyday incidents, and now this, time traveling and fighting a new class of enemy. And still, Lynn Loud did not understand all of it. "Holy shit, Luna- Y-you're some sort of... Super beast."

"I don't like it anymore than it looks," Luna snorted. "The tail rips right through the fabric, so I have to keep my skirt at a certain angle."

"So you say," Lynn snickered. "Things really did change, didn't they?"

"You have no idea-" Luna cut out, revealing the needle full of the special Medi-Sin formula, poking it right onto Lynn's neck, injecting the liquid into her. "Don't fight it-"

Lynn, being gravely startled, raised a leg and kicked at Luna, knocking her back into the water. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She removed the needle off of her neck, throwing it into the ocean. The very second it flowed into her bloodstream, the pain had stopped, her rabid queasy feeling being neutralized. Whatever chemical agent this was, it was helping Lynn- and it proved itself by changing the color of her skin back to base form. "Oh, God-!"

Luna climbed back up to the rocks. "You know I can't swim, right?!"

"What did- What was-?"

"That will fix your problems, as I was told," Luna filled in. "It's an enhancer, will boost your powers- It works on beings like us."

"L-like us?"

Luna held her hand out, offering Lynn a place by her side. "Come with me, Lynn. You and I, working together among the Alliance Association."

* * *

**AN: New timeline, new origins. At this point, its like a reboot, which I can't officially describe it as. You do you, label it as you see it. **


	48. Chapter 48

**Timeline X, Chapter Four: Momentum And Velocity **

* * *

**2030**

Lana and Lola Loud, the pair of twins belonging to the Loud family tree, had already outrun Alliance Association forces- too many of them for just two young women- around eastern Ohio, plowing and tossing a great number of armed guards on the payroll. But try as they might, the pair of zoomers had always been two of a kind, not to be confused with immortal, invulnerable beings that descended from the heavens, crawled right out of hell. They ran forever, hiding from the ruling regiment of North America for the past fourteen years and counting.

The Alliance Association came around when 1216 Franklin Avenue was still occupied of the Louds, some new type of agency paralleling the Feds and the spooks as it'd been described by the politicians if you dared pay attention. The double A was built to handle the domestic affairs, when one department had already existed. It was a puzzling move but under all radars, enough people had suspected that the double A had some sort of ulterior motive- as if no other agency in existence hadn't, which was funny.

The real purpose of the Association was to tie up loose ends, to clean up the inevitable messes their partners, the board of Vial Corporation, meaning Lisa and her puppets, would make from time to time. Phenos who got out, curious leakers and interested parties who wanted to get in and discover and expose that of which went on under their noses.

In other words, Alliance Association was a janitorial service to clean up the runners. Literally. Lana and Lola were two such phenos who broke out of their cells in a Vial Corp facility, zoomers who were around here and there, caught and seen by various members of the public. It raised definite questions around the communities for sure, but of course, speculation was only just that. Lana was the one eager to expose Vial and make the world see what they were, and still are, but Lola had known it to be mere folly, an unwise quest to enter war that in no way could be won by a pair of inexperienced younglings such as them. They'd be up against countless other phenos, no accounting for winning that particular fight.

Both twins raced through a railyard, losing three personnel vehicles and a chopper when they hid inside a boxcar, sitting there and planning to wait for however long it would take. Luna's stomach rumbled out, signifying hunger. Lola, too, was also starving,

"We should have swiped some Burpin' Burger on the way," Lana wished.

"Yeah, I panicked badly," Lola sighed, "I'm sorry, but we'll be eating soon, we just have to wait for the patrols to leave the area."

"Who knows how that'll take?" Lana sat against the corner of the boxcar. "I'm hungry now!"

Lola listened out, still hearing the helicopter hover around the area. "I am, too."

Lola didn't need to know rocket science to see how much of a toll this took on Lana. The constant running, the hiding, the inability to stop for a measly second and enjoy life as it was meant to be enjoyed. None of that, not for either of them, and it was emotionally exhausting as it was. Just how long could they keep this up until one or the other saw how pointless and futile it was to run away from the unstoppable behemoth?

"What about you, Lily?" Lola walked over to the youngest sister, the teenager Lily Loud. "I'm sorry-"

Lana couldn't bear to look.

"I'll be fine..." Lily let out, placing a tender hand on Lola's face. "It's you two I care about the most."

"Lily..." Lola hugged her sweet angel of a sister tightly. "I promised you that we'll be able to stop running from them all so that we can be a healthy family. I'll see it through to the end."

Lily nodded in agreement, smiling with great content. "All of us, together."

Lana winced, crying softly from the corner. _L-Lola- _

"Together!" Lola vowed.

_There is guilt, guilt in my heart_

_Of a strong level to break me apart_

_It comes and goes, a one-person show_

_The river of my darkness, maintaining its flow_

_I'm caught in its stream, in which I must rise_

_For the currents are violent, likely to be my demise_

_I long to feel right and know the light_

_But as I am now, I know all but to fight_

* * *

**Far From Now**

Lola staggered about, brushing off her body from the impact she made after the hard crash landing to one of the custom worlds she brought into existence, trying to preserve the remnants of the original one. The remnants, pieces of the history that became its own thing in of itself with her help. This one she landed on was another one of those contained ones.

Wait, why were things hazy? What had she just done, and where did she come from? Lola had an unbearable pain striking from inside her own head, driving her to plant both hands onto her face, moaning out with a violent tone. "L-Lana-?"

She found herself in an endless green landscape, touched away by the bright sun and its rays. It was just her, and no one else. No one else...

No Lana around to suppress and rid of Lola's sudden fear. "Lana?"

_Do you want to know why I did it? They'll have all sorts of different speculation, but it comes down to this one moment in history- _

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Lola yelled upon the heavens. "I RESET IT! I TRIED MY BEST TO BRING THEM BACK! I MADE A MISTAKE-"

Her fingertips suddenly glowed a bright light, rendering her quiet as she studied this bizarre phenomena. Silverhead capabilities at her disposal. "I can do this... I can bring them back, I can resolve it, I can make all of the dreams come true- Mines! My own d-dream-"

_The real history, I might add. _

* * *

**Now**

Lana had fallen into a nap, but it was far from the perfect one, let alone a good one. She wished to have had a pillow, but Lola, being on watch duties, had taken the obligation to use her legs as Lanas pillows- whether or not it helped would not be known by her until Lana would later say so. Either way, Lola wanted her dear sister to be nice and comfortable, to be able to catch some rest before they moved. Lily herself rested her one head against Lola's shoulder, keeping her close company that way.

"You should get some sleep, too," Lola implored. "You need it."

"I'll be fine," Lily insisted yet again. "I've never held you back before, Lola."

"I never said you didn't," Lola defended. "I know you won't, you're quick to move when I need you to, but even a young girl has to stay alive, and there isn't anything to do here but to rest."

"I'm not feeling tired..." Lily excused. "Really-"

"Well..." Lola reached for a compromise. "Can you at least close your eyes?"

Lily lightly let out a giggle. "Yeah, that seems fair."

"Thank you," Lola accepted, yawning. "Oh, no-"

"Sounds like you're worn out as I am," Lily mocked in friendly manners. "Why don't you get some sleep for a change?"

"No, I can't-"

"Big sis," Lily soothed with her lovely voice, "I rely on you, have been for awhile, not the other way around. I'll stand guard-"

Lola could feel herself giving in to slumber. "Dang it- No-"

"Yes!" Lily gave Lola incentive, pushing her down to her side. "After we get away, and eat, I'll get my rest, pinky promise!"

Lola admired the young Loud's persistence, laughing and raising her hand out. "Pinky promise that you'll wake me up when it looks like an emergency, alright?"

"Yes, I understand!" Lily accepted, taking on the responsibility. "I won't let you doen, Lola! I'll make you proud!"

_"I'll make you proud!" The words echoed through one ear, exiting out the other one, but Lola heard it well and clearly. The promise of an innocent angel truly deserving of a better life, not this garbage that she received. It could have been possible, but that was the catch; Lola and Lana had to give Lily up for her own good, and that was the one and only way Lily would be put out of the crosshairs. The only way..._

_...Was to let Lily go. _

_"I can't- I could never do that-" Lola sat on the porch of her late aunt's place, accompanied by Lana and Lily. "I know it's- It sounds like the easiest way for the three of us, but I can't-"_

_Lana stretched out a hand and comforted Lola. "Sis, it's fine, I couldn't ever do that, either."_

_"On the plus side," Lily added, "I get to choose if I want to stay around you or leave for my own safety. Guess what? I don't want to separate from you, I love you both too much and you're all I've got, you know this."_

_"Yeah, f-family should mean more than I define it..." Lola sighed. "Sorry, what on earth was I thinking?"_

_"No, don't beat yourself up," Lily beckoned. "I know you're just looking out for me, I appreciate it but there is just no way I'm going to break away from you. My mind is made up."_

_"Fair enough," Lola let go, "I won't bring this up again."_

_"Thank you..." Lily kissed her sisters' cheeks before standing up and walking back inside. "You guys want lemonade?"_

_"Uh, pass," Lola declined. _

_"I'll take one!" Lana waved, letting Lily know to bring one for the older girl. "Thanks."_

_"Lana-" Lola hoped that Lana hadn't solely become disappointed in her, or hadn't the intention to berate her. "I'm worried that we'll be leading her to harm. Please, and I mean please tell me you understand the harm in dragging her along."_

_Lana stayed in silent mode._

_"If anything ever happened to Lily, I'd never forgive myself, Lans. I could never forgive myself."_

_"I know..." Lana nodded, understanding where Lola was speaking from. "It puts her at danger, I know that, but... We can do it, Lola. We've come this far with her, we can-"_

_A ripping sound of a gun going off echoed through and right out the house, sending the twins into a state of panic. They got off of their cute posteriors and investigated with a hidden amount of bravery that elevated for show. "LILY!"_

_In the center of the kitchen, right by the fridge, Lily was presently on her stomach, facing downwards while a gaping hole in her stomach, having punctured through the back. Blood surrounded her slowly, sending shivers down Lana's neck. Lola leaped forward and flipped Lily back over, cradling the girl in her arms. "OH, MY GOD- L-LILY?! LILY, HEY-"_

_The face- Her gorgeous, white face read utter horror in all the right angles. Her eyes, wide as she made them, her mouth agape, trickling blood from both corners from her mouth, the sign that she choked on her own blood, and the lack of life Lola tried to detect. Nothing from Lily. No signs of life. Lily was...-_

Lola woke up horribly from that nightmare, shaken up by Lana. "No! No, Lily- Please-"

"Lola!" Lana pulled her twin up in her arms and slapped her with medium force. "Snap out of it, you're dreaming!"

Lola scanned her surroundings, connecting her eyes with Lana's, and then Lily's- "LILY!"

Lana could only watch Lola escape her grip and to crawling away from her to Lily's arms. Lily hugged the older sister back, caressing and comforting her after this nightmare, however awful it might have been. "Lily, p-please don't leave- I don't want you to go!"

The scene before Lana tugged at her heartstrings, devastating her young heart further than earlier. Lola truly missed Lily in the time they were separated. A long pair of years that took its toll breaking down Lola's mind, proven here, a fact that only became more cemented as it was by Lana, and only Lana. The hardest truth that the tomboy, with a love for fixing things and the nice touch of tools, had to accept and come; Lily was never truly here.

Lola hugged nothing but thin air, too entranced in her own mental machinations of Lily, the sister who was killed along with Aunt Rinn on the night Alliance Association forces came to take the three sisters away. Killed while trying to hold one of the men back, trying to give the twins time to escape.

Lily died for nothing, in the end, but she didn't pass away alone. Lana still remembered how tightly, how desperate Lola was cradling the corpse, begging for her return before they were pulled away from the house forever. It hurt her so much to know, to see how broken Lola was inside.

A mind...

Shattered.


	49. Chapter 49

**Publicly Available Information; **

**The Alliance Association is a governmental body agency with the primary purpose to combat domestic affairs in everyday life, when the numbers of criminal activity have reached an all-time high in the past fourteen years, starting during the War of Fire. The position of the Association's power far outranks all other agencies and military forces. The organization was founded by now ex-President Jordan Leak, established in 2016. To this day, Jordan Leak acts as director of the Association, having received the blessings of current president Peter McMahon. **

**The Alliance Association has one base per state, operating in underground facilities in the most concealed of areas, with over sixty-thousand members employed and working around the clock to ensure the nation's safety. The Association has currently formed a young team of agents, trained and specialized to operate on the front lines. These select few, personally revealed by President McMahon, have come to be known as the X-Elites. The X-Elites are also trained to respond to emergency services, such as fires, earthquakes, and more. While the identities of the X-Elites are public knowledge, they will not integrate themselves into society. **

* * *

**2030**

Lincoln smothered the pillow against both of his knuckles to stop the bleeding, leaving it at that. He had exhausted himself physically, but the tank of his bloodthirsty rage wasn't emptied out. He wished to break out of this place and go on a massacre, to slaughter all the animals around. Trapped, was the beast, when it was meant, written on all the walls, for him to unleash the inner monster. And that monster, without the aerum that helped him, was no more. His powerful form was gone in the meantime, or, if it didn't ever go his way, forever. Forever-

"MCMAHON!" He threw his voice out screaming, but he tried to regardless. It came out as a broken rasp, hoarse at most.

As fate would have it, Dana Hall, having recovered from the scuffles of the past week- the one with the other Lincoln and the returning Lynn- rushed down the hall to his cell, morbidly curious, eager to know if what she'd been told was true. The way she understood and interpreted it, the other Lincoln was a fake one, some pretender she was sent to take care of. And she didn't buy it until she peered into the rectangle opening, seeing Lincoln heal his broken knuckles. "N-no fucking way..."

Dana felt rather embarrassed and enraged. This was the same one that she saw get locked away, and she- for the life of her, had believed him to have broken out, simply because she wanted him to. She needed him to give her a shot at her vengeance, right after their first encounter back at the house she went into hiding in. Her and those Fox quintuplets. "Hey!"

Lincoln looked up to see her cold eyes staring back. "You again!"

"I don't know why you're still alive, asshole-" Dana kicked at the door, "but you're extremely lucky I can't make my own moves without facing the consequences!"

Lincoln smirked cruelly. "The mighty Dana Hall answering to dogs! Funny, back when you and Chandler butted heads!"

"What?!"

"They've reduced you to a real bitch, Dana!" Lincoln mocked. "Boo-hoo, I can't do anything without getting into trouble! You sound like you're crying- Hey, cry me a river, I need a shower!"

"Y-you smug son of a-" Dana drew her blades and slashed the nearest guard's legs. "OPEN HIS CELL, NOW!"

The other guards broke away from protocol and advanced around Dana. "Miss, we are advised to-"

"I HAVE MORE CLEARANCE THAN YOU IN THIS PLACE, THAT MEANS I OWN YOU-"

"We- We need to consult the director-" Another guard advsied, but Dana looked back to Lincoln's cell, hearing the unmistakable sound of his laughter. "Ma'am!"

And Dana chose to keep slicing away with both katanas, dropping away the guards as easy as pie. "I DO AS I PLEASE!"

"HA!" Lincoln pressed his face on the titanium door, eyes sticking out. "YOU'RE INSECURE! THE DESPERATION TO KILL ME IS REAL!"

"JUST YOU WAIT, MOTHERFUCKER!" Dana promised. "YOU WON'T BE LAUGHING FOR MUCH LONGER WHEN I GUT YOU!"

"YOU'RE WELCOME TO TRY!" Lincoln pushed himself away, returning to the back of his cell. A minute later, Dana pushed her way inside, gripping both blades, stained of blood, tightly. He folded his hands into fists, raising them up for a fight. "Well, come on then, if you're ready."

"Oh, believe me!" Dana came charging with delight. "I want this!"

_So do I, _Lincoln though, _you're my way out of here. _

* * *

**Timeline X, Chapter Five: Alliance Association**

* * *

Dana missed him entirely, swinging away with nothing but anger, and he took advantage of her in that silly state, rushing to the side and then tackling her right to the ground. Dana fell as fast as she entered the one-on-one, losing grip of her blades. She cried out, smacking her fists against his back before he threw her clean back out of the cell. "LINCOLN!"

It worked for him, and he was thrilled to have found his escape. "I owe you one, so just this once-" He kicked her in the face before she could even get up, providing rare mercy just this one time. "Next time, I'll put you down for good."

The level's guards were done, a window was set and already closing, so he ran, picking up two pistols from the dead security. He looked into the other cells, noting that he wasn't the only one that had been placed in containment- it made him wonder why these others were here, maybe enemies of the Alliance Association. Considering Dana was working with the Association, it might not have been all that good, but in any case, it should have only been himself to be his own concern at the moment. And then, McMahon to be centered right in the middle of the scope.

Enemies. They were all enemies, connected with one another, a system of connections that ran deep as the sewers of New York City. It never seemed to end, these issues. From the Freights, to this, whatever the fuck this truly was.

He located the circuit breaker at the end of the hall, right by the exit, and punched it in, damaging it to cut out the facility's power. It definitely worked in his favor, deactivating the power of each cell. They all opened up to release the special guests placed inside, revealing not phenos, but an entirely different group of people. Dangerous ones, at most.

The collective of them murmured in the dark, wandering aimlessly and inspecting the area with no clue what to do. This is where Lincoln came in, yelling and guiding them to fight their common enemy. "OVER HERE! THE PATH TO FREEDOM IS JUST BEYOND OUR REACH!"

He didn't see it yet, but among the forming mob was his older sister Lori. The blonde followed the man, as did the others, forming on his behalf.

"TEAR DOWN THE IRON, BURN THE ENEMIES, TAKE BACK YOUR FREEDOM!" Lincoln appealed to the others. "TAKE REVENGE ON YOUR CAPTORS! TONIGHT BELONGS TO US!"

This riot he incited among them further lit up, sending the base into a fiery frenzy. They shouted along with him, fists and arms raised into the air. The triumphant screams came about, the hope that was lost, now restored among them. They ran past him, heading into the stairwell that led upwards. "Out of my way, out of my way!"

"Make them all pay!"

"Long live! Long live!"

Lincoln followed along them, both handguns gripped in each hand. "Does anyone know of the exit?!"

"The level above!" one of the captives shouted back behind him. "The guards get bored around here, too!" This captive, Dylan Blood, offered his services to the albino, guiding him to the way out.

"What else did they say?" The lack of information left Lincoln scavenging for it secondhand.

"We're somewhere underneath San Francisco," Blood answered, tugging at his uniform. "We've all been made prisoners here in Site Prime for our own ideals and beliefs, but now is the time for the silenced to rise again! We are the Primer Prisoners tonight, the epitome of residual freedom! Long live, long live the Primer Prisoners!"

"Primers-..." Lincoln sensed it had a nice ring to it. "I like that, actually! Primer Prisoners, take back your freedom!"

Lori stayed close behind the albino man, not having yet made the connection of his identity. The voice was familiar but she still hadn't figured it out... At the same time, this was the reason she kept her distance close to him. That and, Lincoln had taken control of this situation like a true leader. Of course Lori would be onboard, to the end.

Dana woke up alone in the dark after a fee minutes have passed. "Ungh-" Lincoln left her with a bloody face, but she was not to be stopped here. Tapping on her comms earpiece, she alerted her faction. "Site Prime has been compromised! Requesting all available units at once, they're killing us! They've already ravaged through a batch of guards-" She lied, of course. "They're not giving us a capture choice!"

_"Roger that, the X-Elites plus more witll be deployed to you! Try to stay alive, over."_

Dana smiled deviously. "Affirmative!"

She gave chase after the escapees, more than happy to find herself at conflict's cold grip again. Lincoln and the runaways, doing their best to flee from Site Prime so that they could vow for vengeance some other day. She'd have a nice fight on her hands alongside her teammates, a glorious battle that was promised, and just beyond the next couple of steps.

Lincoln and the Primer Prisoners overthrew the base, attacking and massacring the staff and goons of the place while they fought back. Lincoln fired his guns, they fired back- and the runners from the captives' group were getting killed trying to rush them. "KEEP GOING! WEAR THEM DOWN AND DO NOT LET UP! THEY ONLY HAVE SO MUCH AMMO!"

It didn't last long, with only less than half of the captives making it out. Lincoln, Lori, Dylan and three others were left, and the rest of the security forces rounded up to advance upon them. "Damn it-" Lincoln had gone empty on bullets by then, leading him to drop them. "Who has bright ideas?"

"Stand down now, or we will fire upon you!"

Lincoln sought his way out- and looking back only aggravated him further when Dana showed up, waving her fingers to greet him. "Oh, joy."

"You can't escape this one, Lincy," Dana struck, "no single one of you can."

Multiple blue portals opened up around Dana, the solid entrance for Meli, Chad, Allie and Darcy, the core members of the Association's frontliners, joining the fight. Then, two more joined in a few seconds later; Lynn and Luna were there to back the X-Elites.

"Of course you need the back-up," Lincoln joked. "You can't take me on-"

"L-Lincoln?!" Luna didn't expect to find her younger brother again, not since that night at the Alliance Association base. "No, that's impossible!"

Lynn shot her eyes from Luna to Lincoln. "What- Wait a minute, that- That's Stinkoln?"

Lori raised an eyebrow at the very mention of this name. _This... This is Lincoln...?_

"How can this be?!" Luna exhaled shakily. "You were killed, I saw you die- D-Dana-"

Instantly, sweat poured down Dana's temples. Luna and Lynn being dispatched was the consideration lost on her. "We'll get answers ourselves if you help us recapture him!"

"Recapture..." Luna dug underneath the context. "You mean-?"

Dana pointed at the six prisoners. "Take them alive! Guards, X-Elites, show them what you're made of!"

The horde of guards charged, feet clamping away at the ground loudly. Lori, Dylan and the other three took defensive positions, but Lincoln eyed the bigger dog in the face, then boosted up sll rage and courage to fight the X-Elites head on. "Teach you a thing or two, punks!"

Chad and Allie took and accepted his challenge, going ham to fight him. "Let's fucking go!"

Before Lincoln could take them on, Lori let out a screech that echoed the whole room. In the corner of his eye, right when he got distracted to face her, a guard came flying through the air and right at him. "Duck, Lincoln!"

He did so, allowing the flying guard to strike right into Chad and Allie right before they could land punches. The other guards had also been given the same treatment, pushed and thrown in all directions by some unseen force. The Primer Prisoners swapped the dropped weapons, storming off away from the X-Elites. The force at work had not made itself known to them, but a voice, a woman's voice, whispered into Lincoln's ear. "Get going, you won't live long to see tomorrow if you stay!"

Lincoln froze, feeling like he had snapped and started hearing voices. Maybe he had already been insane, but this took the cake. "What the-?!"

Moments later, the woman behind the voice somehow begun to right against the rest of the X-Elites faction, punching and kicking them. It was this that made the albino piece two and two together. _She is invisible! B-but how?! _

The Invisible woman grabbed, spun and threw Meli forcibly into Darcy, knocking them both down. From there, the being slammed a foot into Darcy's face. "Pheno fuck!"

"We've g-got an invisible here!" Darcy alerted the crew. "Dana!"

Dana jumped in, swinging her blades into the air right over Darcy and Meli, but never slashed anyone. "Huh?!"

The invisible woman had gotten behind her, and, whispering in such a quiet tone, they let her know they were truly there. "Long live the Primers," the voice spoke, right before they locked onto one of her hands and took control of the katana, slitting her throat in the process. Dana lost grip on both and fell, choking on her blood, gasping for air.

With the blades at hand, the force impaled them right into Luna's abdomen as deep as they could go before Luna tried to tug them out. "Agh!"

"Luna!" Lynn wanted to help, but things were too fast and weird for her to guess an idea where to help. "What should I do?"

"Nothing!" the invisible assailant proclaimed, punching at her gut and face, then performing a nicely clean leg sweep to knock Lynn off balance. "You'd all do good to stand down! Know your place!"

Lincoln witnessed the single, unseen individual make short work of them- and that included in doing what he didn't do regarding Dana. Impressive.

Luna yanked both swords out of her, bleeding and moaning. "Bastard- Lincoln!"

The tug at his left shoulder told him it was time to leave. "Will You quit standing there? You can't stay here!"

Lincoln nodded and took off to the exit. "Hey, where can I get one of those?"

"One of what?" the woman asked.

"LINCOLN!" Luna violently screamed. "GET BACK HERE!"

"Kids, g-get up!" Lynn pushed. "They're getting away!"

None of the X-Elites squad members could get up, but Darcy was the one moving the most. "Ahh, what- What fucking hit me?"

Lynn moved her way to Dana's body, eyes flinching at the sight of the slit throat. "J-Jesus- She's dead."

"D-Dana...?" Darcy stumbled up, still bloodied up, and advanced to see Dana up close. "Dana..."

"Luna, are you okay?" Lynn cupped a hand over her mouth for a second. "Those went through you-!"

"I'll be fine!" Luna clamored. "If you can walk, go after them!"

"B-but you're-" Lynn went silent when she saw the wounds on Luna's body close. "Nrgh- Okay!" She raced after the others, feeling insanely helpless as she was nonetheless.

Lincoln found himself outside of the building after pushing through sliding doors, catching up with Lori, Dylan and the other three Primer Prisoners. He expected them to have left their own way, but this wasn't the case. "Be on your way!"

"No," Dylan shook, "we'll be easier targets if we separate now! Better to keep ourselves as we are!"

"Twerp..." Lori faced her brother in a serious manner, applying a calm hand to the side of his face. "Hi, Lincy."

"L-Lori...?" Lincoln let his breath escape him. "What the shit- How-?"

Dana turned us all in," Lori shared, "but of course... Chandler and Rebekka wouldn't give up, so... They're both cannon fodder now."

Lincoln seemed rather disappointed. "I see."

"I know about your little crusade, I know we were next, but you should be glad-" Lori forced a nervous smile.

"They were mine to collect, Lori."

The smile faded. "Oh, get over yourself, twerp. It isn't always about you, ya know?"

"So she made it out alive and gets, what, immunity by giving up their info to these guys?"

"Seems like it."

"If you two are done squabbling-" Dylan Blood started, only for the invisible woman to cut in by deactivating her cloaking to them. "Wicked."

The woman's suit was of a dark blue color that concealed her entire body, including her face. She slipped off her head mask, revealing the face of a beautiful Mexican woman with clear freckles. The black hair on her flew out, being long and messy at most, but a cute messy. "The damn thing needs a cooling system, it gets so hot under there."

Lincoln wasted no time in grabbing and pinning the Mexican woman down hard. "Time for some questions-"

"Good Lord, Lincy, she just saved us all!"

"Dude, not wicked!"

"I figure you would, so talking was inevitable! I do have one condition, Lincoln!"

He loosened his grip. "Go on..."

"Just us!" This was the only request the woman made. "You're the one who needs it, after all..."

Then, he got some bad feeling he couldn't place a finger on. Something about the face she formed when she looked at him from the ground, something within the reach of cold, dark fingers. He was in for it now, the heart of a battlefield where it was all foggy in most directions. All he could see was Lori and these captives from the base, the Primer Prisoners, and the new ally no one expected.

The Mexican woman, young enough to be around her early twenties, grabbed Lincoln's legs, used them to support herself upwards and seeminglu hugged him right before pressing a button on her left wrist. This enables the suit to glow a bright blue, teleporting the both of them away. They were in a random parking lot, either close by or far away from Site Prime.

"Where are we?!" Lincoln tried to tackle the woman again, but this time, he found himself countered, slipping to the side. She had him trip and topple over fairly easily. "Y-you were playing me-"

"Of course, I did- But I've got you alone, so I don't need to play weak!" The woman bent down on her knees right in front of him. "I come from the future, Lincoln, under strict orders to ensure your survival."

"My survival?"

"It's essential to the fighters of the future that you stay alive," she went on, "I volunteered for this myself, because, well..."

As if he didn't get to have such weird twists and surprised get the better of him, here was one right now.

"My name is Alejandra Santiago, and I'm the daughter you're going to have with Ronnie Anne far from this day."

* * *

**AN: Alex Loud, the Flagg1991 creation from Reeling In The Years, finally has her place in the fic. More of her down the line, and where she goes... The other follows. **


	50. Chapter 50

**Timeline X, Chapter Six: His Daughter**

* * *

"Hah!" Lincoln found the joke to be funny at most, wheezing amd guffawing at it. "That's not even believable, girly! You expect me to believe that you came from a time that hasn't happened yet-? And what, to save me from being killed?"

Alejandra waved her suit mask around. "You'll believe I went invisible but not that I jumped through time, right?"

"Far-fetched if you ask me!" He had his laughed, ceasing after over a minute of chuckling away. "I can believe you came to my rescue, but nothing beyond that. Now, you can stop the cover story to get me comfortable enough around you."

Lincoln grabbed hold of Alejandra's dark blue suit, glaring and studying it. "How can I get myself one of these?"

Alejandra jerked his grip away from her, putting her mask back over her head. "This is a prototype only, I've been instructed to take care of it as best as I could."

"Didn't answer my question," Lincoln grumbled.

"Not just where, dad. When- And if you have to know, it's created in a Prime Federation lab in 2059."

"Prime Fed-" Lincoln nearly gagged. "Now, you're just trying too hard to make me fall for it."

"Believe what you want, I didn't come here to convince you I speak the truth," Alejandra, in a zombified tone, spoke out. "You're stuck with me whether you like it or not, and that's final."

"Yeah?" Lincoln felt challenged, but it was the facts of today that made him realize that allies were essential. Lori and the other guys seemed to have been onboard with sticking around, as he had briefly seen it, and this chick, this Alejandra whatever-the-fuck proved to be a useful war tool to him. Well, rather it was the suit she wore- if it was of a larger size, Lincoln would have nkt hesitated to kill her and take it for himself. "Earn your place with me and sow your mouth shut."

"Whatever, you can call me Alex if you'd prefer, just so you don't forget or anything."

"So, protect me, huh?" Lincoln found the other joke. "Good luck with that."

"I know all about you," she vaguely let in on. "What you've done, what you will do- and who."

"Oh, do you?" Lincoln had his attention reeled in by the woman claiming to be his daughter. "What is it you think you know?"

"Well, for starters..." Alex raised a fist at his face. "You're a coward."

"I'm a coward?"

Lori and the rest of the Primer Prisoners came running to the pair, weapons clanking along with their movements. "Lincoln! And... Strange girl?"

Alex held out her hand and shook it with Lori's. "Name's Alex, it's nice to meet you."

Lori slowly nodded. "Flattered, you wanna tell me what you guys talked about?"

"Uh-"

"Nothing but a cheap joke," Lincoln replied to Lori, accepting it as nothing more than a fabricated wives' tale. "I'll show you a coward, girl..."

Dylan Blood placed a finger on his bottom lip, studying Alex's suit design. "So, this makes you invisible?"

"Yeah, as you've seen it."

"And what else can it do?" Dylan poked at the side of Alex's left arm. "I mean, apart from apparent teleportation."

"Well," Alex coughed, not trying to sound egotistical, "this suit is an anti-pheno strike suit with a variety of features. It can conceal my body heat, it can render me hidden in plain sight, it also spots enemies as far as two hundred yards away, as long as it's on surface level or above. Thing can't locate underground subjects as of yet, but the best part is, the primary function is to effectively counter the supers."

"Supers?"

"Phenos, don't you know?"

Lincoln shook his head. "I don't know what those are."

"You'll come to find out."

"So, wait," Lori had a question raised in her mind. "You found us how exactly?"

"Right!" Alex held out her left wrist and tapped on a tiny screen that popped out. A radio channel then played through. "I've caught the traffic chatter and assembled to this position after tracking. All secret radio channels are no issue for me to tap into."

"Well, color me impressed," Lori whistled. "Who sent you?"

"Well..." Alex merely looked up into the sky. "The ones who want to make sure the right people win. I've done my part and helped you out, but Lincoln is the key to victory."

"Why him and not us?" Lori didn't like the concept of her younger brother playing a role that might've been better suited for her to play. "What's that all about?"

"Nothing personal," Alex assured. "You wanna help? Then be of help-"

"I believe we all agreed on this," Dylan reminded the group. "If we're done with the bickering, we really have to get going. Girl, you've got a hiding place to go back to?"

"I do," Alex grinned widely. "All of you, touch my suit, we're going for a little ride."

**Later**

Dana's corpse was taken away, placed in a black bodybag, escorted out the base. Luna and Lynn silently watched the rest of the bodies get hauled away, up until Lynn broke and turned, fuming away, kicking the wall in anger. "Those- Those were just people!" she raged. "Men with wives and kids, how didn't we prevent this- This massacre?!"

Luna only followed Lynn with her eyes, not moving, not speaking. None lf this was of the younger sister's fault, so why was she punishing herself for this? In any case, Luna let the girl vent off rather than talk her down; Lynn had proven to be a tougher girl than meets the eye, she dared not provoke that malicious beast.

Allie, Chad, Darcy and Meli awaited further orders from the visiting Jordan Leak, the man who had come in to witness the carnage that had taken place awhile ago. "Unacceptable," he berated, tearing them each a new one. "The disgraceful amount of incompetence you all have displayed this very day has shown me that I was wrong, you are not yet ready to fight in the name of freedom and justice-"

Peter McMahon himself entered the scene. "With all due respect, my friend, you forget that these X-Elites are not war veterans, which would have been my preferred choice for the team. I've trusted your judgment and let you band together these phenos-"

"Errr-" Leak swallowed his tongue. "I had such high hopes for them-"

"And that is misplaced," McMahon thought. "Still... They proved to barely be effective. As it so happens, I have a pair of contingencies that have yet to be unveiled. Bring these X-Elites- these failures- to the Black Network. Loud and Shepherd will be informed and show you to our secret weapons."

"What- Secret?" Leak stuttered. "You've been keeping stuff under your nose?"

"Have been," the man of a bushy moustache corrected. "It's time to undo that."

"Well..." Jordan Leak formed a fantastic smile. "I love the sound of that."

McMahon waved a hand to the team. "Allie? Come along now."

"Y-yes, uncle!" Allie complied, scurrying away from the group, to his side- and she locked both of her arms with his right one the way a girl would with her boyfriend. Chad made a disgusted facial expression unbeknownst to them both.

**Later - The White House**

The shades were pulled down, separating the main office from the outside world. Peter McMahon had been seated the entire ride his young teenage niece performed on him, starting off with a firm hand job. Allie had such small and gentle hands, but she didn't hesitate to be rough when it counted. She jacked him off, her eyes locked on his penis- and this was the beginning, right before she licked the shaft, then played around to tesse him by putting it in her mouth and then taking it out. "You want this, uncle?"

He wound up getting most of a boner, his slow age working against him to almost not form it. "Allie- Allie, you are an angel of all sorts-"

"B-but uncle-" She stroked his dick carefully, running her fingers up and down. "I can be a bad girl, too," she teased seductively, winking at him.

"S-sure- Sure, you can, princess-"

Without warning, Allie retracted her hands and removed her blue jeans, followed by the thing underneath. For him, she showed her vagina and ass, rubbing the front of her clit ever so sexually, biting her lip to add to the arousal. "I'm your bad girl, uncle-"

This gave him a flowing sensation inside; he wanted it, he yearned for it, and he welcomed it. The very next second, Allie sat right on him and his hard penis, her soft hands set onto his shoulders. Then, she begun to ride him passionately, making him moan out as she did as well. Her walls, visited by the special guest- Allie continued to ride him, waiting to feel his load burst inside. "D-don't worry, uncle," she assured him, "I'm on the birth control pill."

"Good, honey, that's good-"

Alex Santiago made her presence known by removing her head mask, rendering visible onto McMahon's sight range the floating head of a strange woman, an image that worked best in a darker, supernatural environment. He stood up and then fell backwards with Allie still mounted on him. Like him, the young niece slipped off and plummeted hard. "Uncle, what the fuck?"

"Al- Allie-" he stuttered, raising his pointed fingers to where Alex stood. "G-guhhhh-"

"You old fast-" Allie, guided by his finger, saw Alex's floating head look grimly upon them. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Alex delivered a kick to Allie's face, sending her to the side as easy as pie. The poor girl was out cold again, leaving Alex alone with the president. "Don't you dare make a move," she strictly warned, placing a foot on his hip. "I want to find Leak, maggot."

"Leak-?" He laughed at her like she told a humorous joke. "Why would I know where he is?"

"Don't play coy with me!" She dared stomp on his penis, making him scream severely. "You, him, Lisa Loud and James Shepherd are the only four connected to the planned global genocide and cloning, at no doubt I can find them as fast as possible-"

"What?!" It stunned him. "Impossible, you speak heresy-"

"I know about the Black Network being not too far from of of your bases around Long Island-"

"Girl-!" McMahon weakly swung an arm out, only for Alex to kick away. "Invisible girl!"

_The Black Network originally housed the clones and the Wolverines... Here, the Wolverines are taken out of the equation, and if that's the case... Do the Project Link clones exist? _Alex studied him for a bit, then asked, "Project Link, did you achieve that?"

"P-Project Link?"

"Familiar?"

"H-how can it be possible? Who are you and why do you possess-?" Then, McMahon had stopped to do the mental calculations. "No- No, it can't be-"

Alex's mouth opened slightly.

"T-time travel-" McMahon made a frantic leap and jumped to Allie. "NIECE!"

Alex quickly grabbed the president, trying to pull him back only for him to send an elbow blow right in her face, knocking her away for a good few seconds. McMahon went for his phone and dialed for Leak, already theorizing the time travel theory had worked, discovered by the Alliance Association. "No!"

"I don't know how you got here, but it had to have been us! We were the first! And we'll deny-"

Alex pulled the president by his feet and send him flying into the wall with the insane boosted strength the suit possessed. "Sorry, but the Alliance Association has no place in the future."

Allie returned to earth and came tackling Alex from behind, grabbing hold. "YOU AGAIN! LET'S GO!"

Alex spun around and slammed Allie against the table repeatedly. "Rematch isn't looking too good in your favor!"

Allie lost her grip, falling onto her knees. "Agh, my back-"

Alex grabbed the mustard-green haired girl and heaved her out the window, taking her exit that way. Neither foe linked to the Alliance Association were lucky to have died, it wasn't Alex's objective to massacre the latter, but to protect the albino man who would eventually father a girl, a girl who would then become this Alex.

Her mission was to make sure Lynnette and Lyra Laude did not kill him, and if anyone else has also set their sights on him, then she'd have the right jurisdiction to intervene as long as Lincoln stayed alive. Lynnette and Lyra, two zoomers the likes of whom she hadn't seen yet- two half-sisters of hers, if we got technical about it.

"This is a warning for you all!" Alex declared. "Stay out of his way or perish!"

With her business having concluded, Alex took her exit.

**Black Network**

Lincoln and the designated Primer Prisoners stayed in place, looking down upon the hatch that led to the Black Network when Alex arrived, teleporting back to their location. "Hey, peeps! I'm back!"

"That delays McMahon's end, but what of the other guys?"

Alex waved a finger downwards. "They're all in here- Oh!" She neglected to keep her whole suit on. "Silly me!"

"So, we storm this base and we deal a big blow to them?" Lincoln repeated again.

"Yeah, this and we raid all Vial Corp buildings and free all phenos!" Alex opened the hatch and climbed down the ladder. "Ready for a fight?"

Right now, Lincoln wished he was still the superhuman he turned himself into with Darcy four years ago. "We sure are."

"We're only human..." Lori moaned. "Chances of dying aren't so slim anymore."

"Isn't there anything you can do that gives us am advantage?" Lincoln asked the Mexican woman.

"Nothing apart from taking everyone on!'

Lincoln rolled his eyes at her. "Save us some at least!"

Right after Alex, the Primer Prisoners followed into the tunnel, with Lincoln leading them further down. Whether or not Alex was there waiting for them was unknown- maybe she had already gone ahead and dealt with all the opposition that lied in wait behind the thick metal doors that blocked them from getting in. Lincoln knocked to figure out the density, noting it was hard to simply pry open. "Shit, any ideas?"

"How did she get in?" Lori wondered.

"Did she even?" Lincoln felt around at the air, sending that Alex hadn't gone through. "Hey, girly-"

The secret compartment door on the side of the tunnel propped open for them, courtesy of Alex. "Primers, in here," she instructed, stepping to the side for them to pass on. "I've scoped it out, but shit went down inside here."

"What? What kind of-?" Lincoln and company made it to the front of the base, finding the entire floor to be filled with multiple bodies and limbs all around. His first thought was, "Did you do this?"

"No, I found it like this," Alex addressed. "Something isn't right here... Who would strike these guys?"

"Unsure," Lori thought, "but my guess is they have enemies other than us."

Lincoln scouted the corpses, checking the dropped guns. "Hey, none of these are fired- Not a single one."

"Then-" Lori made the connection, as did the others. "The attackers were an inside force of their own empire."

"Inner conflict, but why for?" Lincoln moved through the base to get clues. "Hey, Alejandra, think you can track for heat signatures here?"

"Huh..." Alex scoffed at herself. "All of this dead made me assume there couldn't be any survivors, but..." She pressed upon the side of her head, looking clockwise, but then stopped before she reached full circle. "Five heat signatures- This way!"

"Five...?"

"It must be those kids we've seen, gotta be!'

"I can beat them again," Alex believed, taking charge, leading the brigade to their location. She stopped them outside of the room the five were in. "Cover here, I'll go in first..."

"Give us a signal," Lincoln advised.

Alex deactivated her heat sensor, entering the room to find not the X-Elites, but the core subjects of Project Link. There was A, the girl; B, the Luan one; C, modeled after the zoomer Lynn Loud; D, the other albino; and N, the one closest to the original Lincoln design. She studied them, but her attention belonged to Link-A, the carrier of the SCX superchip. This one was the one Alex needed solely for the device implanted in the clone's head.

"I love-" Link-A giggled, ripping the fabric of her suit to touch her vagina; she jammed two fingers in and began to rub her clit. "Oh, it feels so good to masturbate! Lacy, Liby, and Lupa, look away!"

"Who is that girl t-talking about?" Liby pressed a hand to her throat and swallowed. "Why do I sound like this?"

Lupa peeked her head back inside her own chamber, trying to make sense of everything. It didn't help that Linka and Leven were moist with the blood of the Black Network faculty. "Where am I ans why did I just...?" She wasn't Lupa, but Lucy in her mind, puzzled and completely off-guard. "What-?"

Alex broke through the scene and pulled Linka down on her back, surprising the clones.

"OUCHIE!" Linka was pinned to the floor, punched upside the head by Alex. "YO, SOMEONE'S WATCHED THE INVISIBLE MAN, M'DUDES!"

Leven went to help Linka up- and bumped into Alex in the process, getting spooked for a second. "Hey-!" He figured it out fairly quickly and tugged Alex away from Linka. "What is that-?"

Liby and Lacy hid behind Lupa, quivering in fear.

_The five clones constructed in the Black Network... _Alex had never the honor of dancing with them all at once. She deactived her cloaking to reveal herself, showing off her battle suit. "Hello, nice to meet you! I just want the little girl there."

"Not a chance," Leven declared, putting Linka behind him. "Who the hell are you and what is this place?"

Alex still had to play along. "I'm not part of this, if that's what you're assuming. This place... This place is your birthplace, that goes for all of you- As for who started the carnage..." She noticed the blood on Linka's cheeks, head tilting sideways.

"Guilty..." Linka giggled innocently. "Everyone was too bossy, so I- I mean, we both-" She giggled again, harder this time. "All of them, strangers with guns! Strangers with ideals incompatible with my own!"

_These ones think they are the ones they've been cloned from... _Alex stepped back into the doorway. "Now!"

The Primer Prisoners came running adjacent to Alex, lining up for the fight. Lincoln had to get his eyes checked, or there really were three albinos in front of them, and the only male one- Leven- bore similar resemblance to Lincoln. Leven himself locked eyes with the cell father, face twitching visibly.

_No, not like this... _Alex prayed for a lid to place on this if there was a high chance in hell of this going sideways; the fight between them and clones had to be on their side. This youngest clone here, the first clone, was the one she had to take down to retrieve the device in her brain.

"Who the hell-?"

Lori noticed the similarities she saw within Liby and Lacy. "L-Luan? Lynn?"

They reacted to her, but had not recognized her as Lori. "Yeah, sorry, who are you?" Liby asked.

"That can't be them..." Lincoln motioned towards the clones and swung his fists into Leven without thinking first. "Take them down!"

"Wait!" Lori warned.

Linka jumped up and ran head first into Alex, leading her out into the hall for a one-on-one fight. Alex could only guess that the two parties were fighting inside. Liby and Lacy screamed out in scared tones, only telling Alex that they weren't properly built for this. She headbutted Linka down below, breaking her nose. Linka herself was wildly laughing, running her hands on Alex's suit. "Can we have sex now?"

The Mexican warrior applied her entire arm upon the clone's throat. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm afraid you have to die for the cause."

"Give me a break!" Linka pleaded. "I just came out of my chamber! Where's my mercy?"

"Right here!" another voice responded, snagging Alex away from prioritizing Linka. A white sneaker came plunging right into her face, repelling her back from the current goal. Not this again, not another delay. "Hey, it's good to see you again! And I see you wasted no time in establishing your own allies in the Site Prime captives! That's smart, Alex."

"You again..." Alex knew quarrel with the person behind the voice more often than not, and this time was one of those. "Damn you..."

Liberty, a woman of long white hair still in a frizzled state, pulled Linka away from Alex. "This one is mine, Alex, let's be honest."

"Hey- Y-You give her the fuck back, I need the chip and you know it!"

"Well..." Liberty, dressed in a gray sweater and dark green shorts, pulled out a large survival knife and force-inserted it into Linka's head. "You can have her after I'm done with the surgery!"

Linka screamed painfully and to the top of her lungs. It was the cry that forced Leven out of the room, barely holding his own with Lincoln. Emerging out into the hall, he saw Liberty dig through Linka's head after breaking apart the outer skull's skeleton. Linka short-circuited out until she stopped moving, her arms and legs fidgeting about less until she passed. In Liberty's bloodied fingers was the superchip, there in sight range for Alex to know and feel what defeat was.

"HEY!" Leven shouted at the girls, leaving himself open for Lincoln to come back, punching him square in the face.

Liberty laughed it off and broke into a run, scampering off to the other end of the hall. Alex picked herself up to give chase. "NO, THE CHIP BELONGS TO ME!"

"Catch me if you can!" Liberty teased, holding her hand high with the chip. "Hee hee hee!"

"LIBERTY, YOU GET BACK HERE WITH MY PRIZE!"

"NEVER!" Liberty persisted to take her exit, but Alex was there to do her best to deny her. "TELL ME, HOW IS THE PRIMER ALPHA-ZERO SUIT LIKE?"

"YOU WILL NEVER KNOW!" Alex activated her cloaking and stopped running, turning the tables on Liberty.

"What- Oh, shit-" Liberty continued to run. "NOT FAIR, YOU HAVE ADVANTAGES!"

Liberty found her way to the top, running further from the base. She grew faintly weary that she had to stop running, but stumbled across shadows nearby, the X-Elites consisting of Chad, Meli and Darcy, the three of which wore metal helmets that covered their heads- they were put under her control with the mind-control helmets. "There you are! Gear up, my slaves! We've got incoming!"

Alex found them, having tracked the group, surprised to see Liberty having acquired her own team- and not of their voluntary choice, it seemed. "We both think so much alike, don't we?" Alex quickly changed her portions, tiptoing around Liberty's area.

"It shouldn't be truly surprising, Alex!" Liberty commented. "I came here to make allies out of the clones, and to kill Link-A for the SCX, but it seems you've denied me!"

"Secondary objective pushed by the primary..." Alex quickly relocated again.

"Be that as it may, I've won! I've gotten this baby, and I will bring the pride back to the Prime Federation. With this, the Domicile will be wiped and Dylan Blood will reign all the superior force of mankind!"

"No... Not on my watch!" Alex revealed her location and slammed a fist across the albino's face, then flipped her right on her back. The chip slipped out of her hands, right into Alex's grip. "Got it!"

"You three! Attack the invisible woman and get back the chip!" Liberty commanded to her slaves. "Window is closing fast!"

Liby, Lacy and Lupa had begun running right out behind both parties, stopping only right when they saw Liberty on the ground surrounded by her minions. "Go, go that way!" Lupa redirected the two to their right, running deep into the woods. This was then followed by Lincoln, Lori and Dylan only.

"No..." Liberty tapped out. "D-damn it! New order, distract those guys while I escape!"

Alex let go of Liberty the second it sounded like she was retreating. "You've lost, Liberty!"

"Fuck you, faaaaaaaaaaag!" Liberty insulted childishly, covering her face and leaning forwards as she took her leave. "You fucking Mexican! Beanerschnitzel! Wetback bitch! I'll get that chip back, and I'll deliver it to my master! Fuck you and goodbye!"

Alex returned to the remainder of the Primer Prisoners, joining them in the next fight. Lincoln, Lori and Dylan, up against the enslaved phenos.

In the next second, all seven of them were exposed to a large flash of blinding light.

* * *

**AN: Six chapters down, four left. Liberty Loud exists. The dark storms are forming. Long live. **


	51. Chapter 51

**Timeline X, Chapter Seven: Liberty Loud**

* * *

**2062**

Liberty peeked her head around the corner, and sure enough, Lissandra Mercer and Bethany Kira Chang were coming back from the training room. Lissandra sniffed the air and detected the albino girl's presence behind the corner, ruining her jump scare. "Liberty, enough of your games!"

"Her again?" Bethany rolled her head back, closing her eyes. "She's becoming unbearable every single day."

"Was it my hair?" Liberty inquired from the corner, now showing her whole head. "Good afternoon, Primers! What will we do today, I wonder?"

_"Weeeeee-"_ Lissandra waved a finger between her and Liberty back and forth, "-Aren't going to do anything, Chang here and I are just taking a little snack break."

"Awww, I love snacks!" Liberty threw her arms in the air like she didn't care. "Can we get some Cheetos?"

"Where- Where the fuck is-?" Bethany slapped a hand over Lissandra's mouth. "Mmmmf?"

"Liberty, did you get bored again?" Bethany approached the young woman slowly, applying her hands on the American's shoulders. "Need something to do?"

The bottom lip of Liberty's face presented a weakness when it trembled, which Bethany sww and picked up on. "Y-yes- No- I mean..." She stuttered a little too hard before giving in, her head dropping downwards, face and body radiating a sort of sadness and disappointment. "I didn't wanna feel alone again-"

Bethany granted some mercy and hugged her, something that Lissandra wouldn't even try. "You're not alone, you've got your mom. Why don't you go around looking for her?"

"My mom..." Liberty grit her teeth. "Right."

"I'll be sure to snack you some puffs," Bethany promised, walking away with the blonde in the red hat. "See you in a bit."

Liberty watched the pair leave, still feeling broken up and alone.

**Now**

She ran away from her foes, retreating for the time being. The chip- she came so close to having it, and it was at hand... And she lost it. She lost the device, and it hurt her like crazy, making her so oddly uncomfortable and pain-stricken. Her chest burned with that familiar anger, her head going lightheaded. _No... I can't accept this..._

The further she got, the more darker the woods became, leaving her to only be able to hear the crunching and thumping her feet made as she bolted away. _C-curse you, Alex. Curse you to high hell. _

She heard the three clone girls somewhere around, naturally deciding to follow them one soft doorstep at a time, forcing herself to swallow her hellish cackling. At least she knew where Alex's destination was, meaning there was indeed time to regain what she lost before Alex delivered the package. In the meantime, she had to find some allies, and quickly.

Finding the middle three clones after moving about stealthily, Liberty moved in to mold them into her new minions. Liby was tired of running, leaving Lupa to guard center while Lacy helped the Luan clone recover. Lupa stood in between Liberty and the clones when she appeared behind a tree. "And who might you be? You with them?"

"Them, who?" Liberty threw a thumb over her shoulder. "Have you seen them? They're all fighting each other-"

"Cut the bullshit, I saw you lying on the ground-" Lupa stepped back. "You're with one of them, I just can't tell which side yet, but it doesn't matter. Lynn, take Luan out of here!"

"B-but-" Lacy thought only to help Lupa. "I can't just leave you-"

"GO!"

"No, don't you dare!" Liberty tried to halt. "I'm not here to fight!" She meant as she said and withdrew her large knife, relieving herself it to show Lupa. "See? I-"

Lupa had already called upon the darker forces from the supernatural realm to grant her the telekinetic upgrade. The survival knife floated upwards, right in front of Liberty. It stood firmly up, flatly facing the tine traveler. "Liar," was the coldest reply Lupa had ever spoken as of yet, one of the darker moments of the Lucy clone's short life as of yet. Lupa motioned the knife to slash Liberty's throat. Liberty choked and gagged on her blood, loosely attempting to cover up the large slash with both hands. She fell on a knee, being weakened and horrified.

"Hugguhhhhh-" Liberty's hands became engulfed in her own blood, satisfying Lupa in the meantime. The knife was dropped, Liberty was mortally wounded, and Lupa was in the clear. The Lucy clone wasted no time in returning to her escape. "Wait-"

Lupa gasped, halted by Liberty's faint yelp.

The throat-slit albino was still moving to Lupa. "What- How are you-?"

"Regenerative properties prevent me from dying from physically sustained injuries," Liberty explained. "We both have this in common if you weren't made aware."

"Horseshit-" Lupa believed.

"Test it out on yourself if you don't believe me-" Liberty wiped off the blood from her neck. "That really hurt, by the way!"

"What are you, anyway?" Lupa asked, her cold eyes narrowing at Liberty. "A regular person would have died."

"Which makes me beyond!" The time traveler clapped for herself, grinning like a trap-happy girl. "There is no harm in telling you, so I'll be open, no bullshit- But I don't have much time before I'm caught up to."

"Start talking, then," Lupa snarled.

**2062**

Liberty barely did anything in her own room. She sat on the edge of her bed and swung around her legs in a random pattern, waiting for her mother to come back to her. The mother she had wasn't exactly the best one in the whole world, but Liberty was open to having quality time with her- and funny enough, it was just her out of the two. And if anything, it hurt Liberty.

Mother was away on some damn task for the Prime Federation, leaving - disregarding, actually- Liberty. Bethany and Lissandra made it clear they didn't want to associate with her, and in Laika Letenko's own eyes, Liberty was just an amateur, a rookie undeserving of a glance by the current Primers' line-up. In other words, Liberty didn't get a free pass for being related to the fourth and fifth Primer.

How long would it take until she earned her chance to prove her authenticity as a soldier fit for the top dogs her mother was integrated into. Her place, it belonged with the Primers, she very well believed it that she began stating it as fact. Fight with mother, find her place in mother's-

_No, I will prove myself- I will, I can be just as good as any of them! Blood will see it!_

In that very moment, a special guest intruded on her as she had her moment of confidence. Dylan Blood, the aging man of pale skin and black baggy eyes, almost one skin tone away from a full-fledged zombie, knocked on the wall just outside. "I've come to personally check up on you."

Liberty stood up quickly to salute the brain behind the Prime Federation. "Sir!"

"Stand down, my girl," Dylan eased, signalling her to sit back down. "How have you been feeling?"

"Calm, I guess," Liberty lied. "I'm pretty great."

"That's not what I've been told."

Liberty's fake smile began to fade. "Sorry, what?"

"Liberty..." Dylan took his seat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder as if she were his daughter. "The Primers have a direct comms channel to me, this is how I pick up on issues within my own faction. Chang and Mercer told me you've been feeling quite... Bored, as they've worded."

"B-bored?" Liberty winced. "I'm- I don't get bored, sir, you have provided for me and my mother, and I cannot express my gratitude-"

"Liberty, I realize this, but..." He coughed to clear his throat. "Tell me, do you feel the need to go out? What is it that troubles you?"

"Nothing-" another lie from her lips.

"You're here all alone, practically doing nothing, and you want to tell me you're not bored?"

"...Clearly I didn't think this through," Liberty peeped.

"No need to hide from me, I can do my best to accommodate you, to resolve this conflict- Whatever this is-"

Liberty then blurted it all out on the table so easily- Not so easily, it had been inside her for too long, and right away, she exploded. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck, it's her! She's an elite! She runs with the original Primer trio, and look at me! You, you're the motherfucker!" Liberty thought to grab Dylan by the collar of his long-sleeve shirt. "Fuck you for not tossing me into your elite squad when you know I qualify!"

"Yes, I understand your concerns, and you are right, you automatically qualified to be a Primer, Liberty. I wish this of you, but-"

"BUT WHAT?!"

Dylan formed a great smile, revealing his teeth. "I had to see you want it, Liberty. That was the only way you would be given the trial."

"T-trial?" Liberty let go of him, calming down, anger dissipating. "What trial?"

"This day was bound to come, so I took the... Liberty-"

"Why, though?" She rolled her eyes.

"-To include you in a very special mission." He pulled out a folded paper and opened it in front of her face. The picture of the SCX chip took up most of the page. "I need this device, unfortunately it's been destroyed or perhaps it went missing- The point is, I want it and I have the means to acquire it."

"The S-C-X..." Liberty scanned the page. "What does this thing do?"

"It controls every virtual network., so imagine this in the hands of the Prime Federation."

"Oh, that sounds cool!" Liberty scratched her head. "Uhhh, but if it's gone, how could you get it?"

"Time travel, of course!"

"T-t-t- I'm sorry, what?"

**Now**

"So basically I'm doing an errand for my superior to show them all!" Liberty grinned. "My mother will see! I can finally make her see!"

"Talk about family issues..." Lupa heard enough, but still wondered about much of what Liberty had revealed. A time traveler sent by some agency, based on implication, called the Prime Federation. "So, humanity perfected it, did they?"

"Hey, I'm not fucking with you at all, I just..." She went quiet and hummed. "I need your help, at the very least, yours."

"And then what, you fuck off back to your own time?"

Liberty nodded. "Of course, I come back with the prize and take my rightful place among the elites."

"I want my back scratched for this..." Lupa requested. "Tell me, what can you offer that I don't already have?"

"Safety."

**2062**

"Before this new era, it had already been created by a science corporation that is defunct today. My forces raided all facilities, which later became the multiple Prime Federation facilities around."

"Th-there's so much you're telling me, sir."

"That's because I trust you," he firmly said, displaying his trust in her. "Here, come with me so that I may show you the time machine as I begin to debrief you on the situation."

Liberty followed him close behind, being escorted to one of the high-clearance rooms that not even she had access to yet, but if she were a Primer...

This was it, this was one step closer to the dream of hers. There could not be anything more pleasant in the world- and then when he explained the cons, the world tried to wind it back, stripping her away from her joy.

"You're not the only person who will be looking for the chip," Dylan casually revealed to her like it was nothing. "There is someone else. So, if you want to be a Primer, you bring it back to me on my desk. It's as simple as that."

"Huh, okay..." Liberty nodded in acceptance. "I've got competition, that's fair. A Domicile member, perhaps?"

"Critical information cannot be provided at this moment, you'll have to make due with what I've supplied, and that is so you can hone your adaptability to any situation, that's the Primer way."

"An enemy I won't know I have until I face them..." Liberty gave it a thought. "And... You're sending me into uncharted territory in the past... Wouldn't that mean changing the timeline?"

"Well..." Dylan Blood proved to be a true mind-blower. "From history, the device was reported to have gone missing, so maybe it went missing because I had you go back and take it."

"What-? Oh..." Liberty giggled. "Nice! I'm in!"

**Now**

"Safety?"

Liberty turned back once she heard the faint sound of bushes snd leaves rustling, as did Lupa. "I'll take you all into the future, just you three. Hide you from this era, where they're all just going to hunt you."

"Hunt us?" Lupa shook her head in disbelief. "That's what I'm used to, but I still have questions. Lynn and Luan there, why do they look... You know, younger?"

"They're like that because they're not those two," Liberty dropped, "And you're not Lucy Loud. The five of you who just came out of those chambers, you're all-"

"C-clones?" Lupa had somehow made the connection faster than her original counterpart.

"Hahahaha, smartypants!"

"It only adds more..." Lupa groaned. "How much do you know about the real Lucy?"

"Nothing at all, they've said she was a myth, yet here you are, proving that she never died in the fire."

"No, she didn't," Lupa confirmed. "But no way anyone could have ever known that before meeting me, so... How is it possible I exist?"

"You mean you don't know?" Liberty exhaled sharply. "Prime Fed's got a pool on you. They've all had different ideas on how you were created, the details were lost in the wind."

"A pool on that?" Lupa smirked. "Let me guess, you placed a bet, didn't you?"

"Maybe I did," Liberty teased. "I wanted a bunch of snacks and candy and I laid it all out there."

"And what was your guess, hmmm?"

Liberty scratched her cheek. "I figured Lucy's DNA was extracted beforehand. I heard stories that Lisa Loud was a genius totally in love with science and stuff."

"Lisa..." Lupa found the name familiar. "Oh, that Lisa..."

Luna, on the prowl among the woods, pounced from the dark and tackled Lupa down, roaring right into her face in the lizard form she barely got a handle on. The force of Luna's strike had sent Liberty spinning back, caught by Lynn from behind. "Ahh!"

"Don't resist!" Lynn put Liberty in a headlock, straining Liberty tightly. "You're coming with us!"

"Who is this us you speak of?" Liberty forced out. Realizing she was still in command. "ALL UNITS, ASSEMBLE TO MY POSITION!"

"What did you just do?!" Lynn held Liberty tighter. "What-?"

"Lynn, I hear rumbling!" Luna called out, still holding Lupa down. "She called for someone!"

"Or something..." Lynn gulped. "What's that, huh?!"

Meli, floating through the air twenty feet above ground, had come to Liberty's aid, knocking down all trees in her path with both hands. Darcy was just behind her, also managing her way out of the other fight. Lupa and Liberty were both let go aa Lynn and Luna faced the two incoming girls.

"They with you?" Lupa asked.

"They are now," Liberty squealed with pride. "They're our allies."

Luna squinted to recognize them as Meli and Darcy of the X-Elites. "No way-"

_D-damn it, I lost the boy- _Chad's exclusion from the three made her realize that he had been beaten, leaving it down to these two plus Lupa. "You two, attack these two brunettes- Kill them if necessary!"

"K-Kill-" Lynn stuttered.

"I don't like this, dude!" Luna added, keeping her eyes locked on Meli's movements. "Those are usually our back-up!"

Lupa one-upped the telekinetic pheno, roaring through the air to engage her. "You're not the only one who can do that!"

"Are you kidding me with that?!" Lynn grunted. "I wish I could fly!"

"Wish granted!" Alex, having snuck around Luna and Lynn, grabbed Lynn by her shoulders and tossed her backwards into the air.

"Lynn!" Luna was next to go down with another strong punch delivered by Alex, leaving her susceptible for a gut kick Darcy came to land. Luna wrapped her tail around one of Darcy's arms before she took the blow, and ended up flying away from Darcy. This in turn also set Darcy to be tugged into imbalance, taking a face full of dirt. Luna was quick to unravel her tail from the latter's limb and seize her neck, dracting Darcy to claw upon the helmet she wore. It malfunctioned, breaking away so easily before Luna's eyes. "Wait- These helmets-!"

Liberty stomped on a foot to shout at Lupa. "Disengage, I just said she's with me! Meli, do not engage your attacker!"

Lupa punched and bludgeoned through Meli's helmet, breaking it away. "There can only be one of us!"

"H-how did I lose control-?!" Liberty turned to see Lynn and Luna fight off Darcy, landing blows onto her helmet that broke her away from Liberty's mind control. "Wait, no! Stop!"

Lupa succeeded in breaking Meli free,but left her to fall when the removal had left her unconscious. It felt good for Lupa to know she reigned superior of the two. "Sorry, but I had to test these powers."

Alex grabbed Liberty, folding her arm back and pinning her down. "You've had your chance, now it's over! You're over, and I've won!"

Lincoln, Lori and Dylan had finally caught up to Alex, coming across Lupa, Liberty, Lynn and Luna. Meli and Darcy were well down and out for the count. Alex threw Liberty into a tree relatively easily as her Primer Prisoner allies joined up on her. Lupa floated back down to Liberty's side. Lynn and Luna maintained their distance from hoth groups, the three parties forming into a triangular shape of tense hostility.

"The third one-" Liberty stammered. "Where-?"

"Lincoln killed him, snapped his neck like a twig," Alex revealed. "You've lost-"

"Lincoln-" Luna cut in. "All of you, stand down now or you'll face greater consequences. You're already wanted by the whole network-"

"I don't think they care, Lunes," Lynn whispered.

"We can take those three, I don't know about that one-"

"Is it me, or do we keep coming across more strangers by the hour?"

Lupa lifted Liberty off the ground, along with her. "I'm getting rather tired."

"Another telekinetic?!" Luna and Lynn looked on in wonder before Lupa knocked everyone down to the ground with a wave of her left hand.

"Th-thanks..." Liberty still desired the chip, but not like this. Not as unprepared as she realized she was, and not with the stripping of her minions. "Tomorrow, a new battle! Do you hear me, Alex?! Tomorrow, a new battle!"

"You know the chick in the suit?"

"Know her?" Liberty let out a snorting snicker. "It's more than that. That woman- She's my biological mother."

* * *

**AN: Alex and Liberty have a special connection, but their relationship is a bumpy one at that. More to come. **


	52. Chapter 52

"Stand down!" Luna wanted again. "You can't believe to win! You're just regular, nothing equal or above a pheno, that means us-"

"Way to flaunt around an ego," Lincoln poked. "Alex, all yours."

"With pleasure-" Alex sought to attack in offense against Lynn and Luna, but when she went transparent, Luna had somehow become immune to Alex's attacks. It started with the right counter moves, a firm tail sweep, the graceful defeat of the next round between Alex and Luna. "Wait-"

Luna held Alex down with all four limbs, her face of those sharpened, deadly teeth being too close to make her fidget. "I can smell you and hear you breath."

"D-damn you, Luna!" Alex defiantly tried to escape, but the lizard-human proved more powerful at the moment. "Guys! Guys, don't just stand there! I've helped you aplenty!"

Lynn got in between the others and Luna and Alex. "You're welcome to try it if you believe."

Luna ran her claws against Alex's suit, trying to tear it to shreds, but it didn't seem to work. "And just what is this made out of?"

"Your fucking skin!"

Luna headbutted the time traveler square in the face. "We've just beaten you!"

"W-we?" Alex, albeit disoriented, still tried to get away, mocking Luna with a hardened laugh. "Pathetic bitch relying on her ugly side to win the battles! You're nothing without it, huh?"

Luna narrowed her eyes, studying Alex. "And you aren't reliant on this suit?!"

Alex formed a sadistic grin, finally having a compelling reason and drive to escape the suit. "Suit off!"

"Eh?" Luna jerked back when the suit had disappeared, revealing only Alex in an AC/DC shirt and gray jeans. Both of the Mexican girl's legs had come loose to kick Luna right in her chin. Alex quickly rolled over and crawled away from both Lynn and Luna.

"Suit on!" Alex brought back the dark blue uniform over her body and vanished before them. "If you can smell or hear me, then I guess I'll have to-!"

Luna was met with a barrage of rocks and twigs coming at her, followed by scoops of dirt. "Quit it!"

Lori played along, jumping to Alex's aid. Like the Mexican, Lori heaved rocks and dirt at Luna, running circles around them while Alex, relinquishing her task, punched and kicked Luna one strike per lap, ducking and avoiding Luna's desperate counters. "NO, ALL OF YOU!"

Lincoln and Dylan came lunging for Lynn, both of them throwing punches at her without stopping. Rules didn't matter, her status as a female meant jack shit to them, when there had been women wjo proved to be friend and foe among these parts. As for Lynn, she could not handle both of them- She pushed Dylan away as best as she could, but Lincoln delivered a knee into her stomach that took the breath right out of her.

In that instance, she still remembered seeing the future version of herself and the others- and the albino girl she had just seen seconds ago was the very same one that she saw back then, too. The girl she assumed could have been Lincolns kid. What were the fucking odds, right? Thing were just as confusing as she had seen, but her mind, her thoughts, they were only fixated on why her guaranteed powers weren't working. All she had for show was some super strength- which didn't seem to be working right now.

Lynn took the blows hard, both front and back. She plummeted onto her knees, forced backwards by an insane kick to her face. Her nose broke, and she ruptured blood, unable to properly understand the basis and failure of her powers. "L-LUNA!"

Alex and Lori wore Luna down, enough hits having weakened Luna Lizard. She succumbed to her attacks and had fallen on her ass, trying to regain that lost energy. Even with her regenerative properties, Luna had known what defeat looked like...

But giving up-

Not after Luna had broken out. She could not land back in the webs again. "No, no, you'd better think again-"

She didn't bust out of the Vial Corp facility to be beaten here, to be defeated at the hands of these marquees, certainly not Lincoln- if this was the real one or not, still confused her- or these others here. Her allies, all downed around her, putting her at the ultimate disadvantage- Her body flared up with saddened intensity, heat flowing through all veins to fuel her when she didn't think it possible, simply because she didn't consider it in general.

The spike in her body transformed her, turning her into an uglier version of the beast form she had not even mastered as of yet. The skin turned from its dark green to plain black, scales hardening as if they used the fiery rage to add layers of magma for added protection. Luna's size had increased by a foot. Her tail had also followed the protocol, going through an upgraded metamorphosis as well. Luna had hit an ultimate form far superior from the base monster form, witnessed by all around her.

"L-Luna..." Lynn croaked out. "F-fight..."

Lori jumped back, scared of this new and improved Luna,, but Alex didn't let up. "No, keep fighting!"

Luna pushed right through Alex's predictable attacks, flinging her arms and tail around, and grabbed Alex when the reptilian beast felt the adversary. She picked her up and sent her down to the ground fairly easy. The suit had then sustained sufficient damage that it glitched out on Alex, rendering her visible now. "MINEEEEEEE!"

"CRAP!" Alex scattered herself back, dodging the wild swings Luna pulled. "A LITTLE HELP HERE!"

Lincoln scouted the dirt ground for rocks, heaving those he found at Luna. "Over here!"

"I thought you said that suit could easily take such beings out!" Dylan berated Alex.

"Give me a moment!" Alex screamed. "The battery does deplete, you know!"

"What- Battery operated?!"

Luna stampeded towards Lincoln, galloping on all fours. "BROTHEEEEER!"

Alex prioritized the albino man before herself and the others, quickly hurrying to push him out of the way, taking the hit from Luna's great force of nature. She flew back some ten or so feet, doing a few rolls after smacking on the dirt.

"What are you trying to pull?!"

"I TOLD YOU I NEEDED YOU TO STAY ALIVE!" Alex then had an idea. "GET AROUND ME, NOW!"

"Girl, what's the plan?" Lori had doubts on being able to keep away from the berserk Luna forever. "We can't fight that!"

"She'll turn us to cannon fodder!" Dylan added.

"Luna!" Lynn moved around the behemoth of her sister. "The double A guys told us to capture, not kill!"

"ARGH- L-LINCOLN..." Luna stomped out hard, looking around the foes and her only ally on her side left. "All- All of them-"

"Control yourself!"

Luna blinked her dreadful, yellow eyes, and for a mere glimpse of a moment, the Lynn right beside her was the very same Lynn who repelled and threw her out while she was in her drunken state. That Lynn and this one- they were, always, of the same one. The one who humiliated and injured Luna far past the physical way. "LYNN!"

Lynn made an error in freezing, being slow to see the rage shift in Luna. "What-?"

The inhumane beast ran her claws against the ground, scratched up dirt and flung it at Lynn's face. It blinded her, getting right into her eyes. She rubbed at her eyes violently, groaning away in irritation. Luna whipped her tail at Lynn's feet to knock her flat on the ground,

"LUNES, WHAT THE FUCK-?!"

And it was as if Luna had gone off the deep end, a sort of psychotic break to dominate her actions and behavior from this point onward. The beast locked away that had beaten her, to take full control of the persona the others once knew. Luna Loud was leaving the building, mindset being reduced to a primitive being.

The thing attacked without hesitating, but Lynn quickly rolled away from the beast's range. Lincoln helped Alex up while Lori and Dylan assembled to the Mexican girl. "Here- This is one fight I can't win like this-" And she hated to admit it, but- "She's just matched me in power because it's draining, but I have enough for another getaway trick!"

Lori couldn't help but wish to save Lynn when it was already apparent that Luna was trying to kill her. "What of her?"

"Not my priority!"

Lori broke away from Alex, denying herself the safety. "No way I could not unrecognize those two!"

Alex only stated on. "Damn it-"

"You can leave her behind," Lincoln suggested.

"Is there any honor here?" Dylan seethed. "I'm not ducking tail and running!"

Lynn had fallen on her ass, dragging herself backwards as Luna approached her, the size of her that intimidated Lynn. "DIE- RGHHHHHHH!"

Lori covered Luna's attacking claw with her whole body, holding onto it fiercely. "That's Lynn! That is your baby sister!"

Dylan did the same with the other hand, forcing it down. "Look at you all broken up!"

"Luna- Whatever this is-" Lynn pushed herself back, eager to maintain her distance. "Lunes..."

"What the hell-?" Alex began.

"Do you think you'll succeed?!" Lincoln bellowed. "You're all insane!"

"They're both buying us time, Lincoln," Alex whispered. "We need to retreat!"

Luna got the better of Dylan and forced him down to the front, kicking him away. "BLONDIE! LYNN!"

And before Lincoln's own pair of eyes, Luna ran her deadly claws into Lori's stomach, moving them around before tearing her entire stomach apart, revealing the inner contents of the woman's body. A large gaping hole of red dangling intestines and blood came out, leaking and wiggling out of place. Luna endured the smell of Lori's bloody flesh and devoured whatever had come out, and Lori simply fell back in pure horror, the color of her face draining to chalk white. "N-no..."

Above them, Lupa and Liberty had stayed to spectate the entire thing, and Lupa winced at Lori's fatal injury. "Jesus... We should go."

But Liberty only displayed an expressionless silence. _Lori..._

Lincoln rushed into the heat of the moment against Alex's wishes. "LORI!"

"D-damn it, I should have been more prepared!"

Darcy had finally woken up from her subconscious state, finding Luna going postal on them, and Lori dying around the area. "Whoa!"

"No, help her," Liberty suggested, pointing to Lynn. "Don't know what's going on, but- Put Luna's lights out, will you?"

"L-Luna?" Lupa hesitated, but then pushed Luna away from the group with a firm hand gesture. "They'll know we're around. Why the change of heart?"

"B-because..." Liberty's heart did a flip when she eyed the mortally wounded Lori. "I need to."

Alex already gathered that Lupa was around, watching over them like a guardian angel. _So you're both still around..._

Lincoln bent down to Lori, placing himself on her side. "Lori-"

She coughed blood, moaning out in her weak effort to talk. Her breathing decreased drastically, but still otherwise painful. "Luh-Luh..."

Luna went and tore away at Dylan gruesomely, with Lynn still trying to plead with the carnivore. "STOP IT! LUNA, LOOK AT ME!"

Luna ate her two fresh victims, eating chunks out of them, uncaring about who and what at this point. "LYNN LOUD!"

"L-LUNA, COME ON! I- I KNOW YOU MIGHT BE MAD-"

Luna broke into a run and jumped up before meeting Lynn, intending to land on her. "DIE!"

"HELP HER!" Liberty shrieked.

"Okay!" Lupa responded.

"No! Not you- Her!" Liberty pointed downwards to the glitched-out Mexican.

"All for this!" Alex allowed Luna to slaughter Lynn so easily, and when she turned her attention to Lincoln- "You morons, I'm risking being stranded in the past... L-Liberty-"

"Don't even think you'll hitch a ride through my own transportation!" Liberty squealed, falling right out of the tree she stood on, forcing Lupa to give her a soft landing. "Not for free..."

"H-hold on!" Alex knew what it was tje albino girl wanted. "No, not that! I'll do anything-"

"Gimme the chip for the piggybacking!" Liberty bartered. "Lose this to return... And return in shame!"

Darcy dove in and fought against Luna. "WHO'S THE IDIOT WHO THOUGHT TO GIVE HER MEDI-SIN?!"

"Return in shame..." Alex took out the chip, holding it to both her's and Liberty's faces. "This wasn't as important than it needed to be... I don't want to, I really don't want to-"

Liberty smiled with ecstatic glee. "Whatever reason you had to win this competition, you won't have it- You won't have accomplished your secondary achievement."

Alex sent deadly daggers across into Liberty's eyes. "You really don't want me doing this, if you knew what I know."

"Sorry, but I want what I've been offered after presenting this!" Liberty took the chip off Alex's hand, giggling in great joy. "I know you're going to be upset, but this was not what I've been told you came here to do!"

"Yeah, of course he let you in on all the right details..." Alex and Liberty both stared at Dylan Bloo's dead body. "And then some."

"Talk about bloody..." Liberty dug into her sweater and pulled out what appeared to be a watch, strapping it on her wrist. Once it was placed, she raised her finger over the center of the device. "I know you know what this is. Bethany and Lissandra praised one of these."

"Anyone would, but..." Alex crossed her arms. "Of all the things he'd give you, this-"

Darcy and Luna were nearly matched with one another in the meantime, exchanging blows.

"I hate it..." Alex tragically confessed. "He offered you more, and you're- You're just a clone."

"Yeah, but he trusted me with it, and that could only mean that he has the same amount of trust in you."

"Explain-"

"Were I another's clone, I wouldn't have so easily been shared this!" Liberty pointed out. "We're both special to Blood."

"Oh- Okay, I guess that makes sense- Hey, take yourself back before Luna clobbered everyone!"

"Yeah, I know you have to win here, and I'll help you, I've got Lupa on my side already."

"Thanks." Right as Liberty was about to press her finger onto the watch, Alex hiccuped and waved. "Hey-"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell me where it went, and don't ever ask Blood what I wanted to gain from keeping the chip away from you, got it? I've lost, I accept that... And it hurts me."

"Oh..." Liberty felt a degree of guilt. "Damn, I almost feel bad! HAHAHAHAHA!" Liberty then pressed on the button, a large flash of white light then bursting out of the device right after.

* * *

**Timeline X, Chapter Eight: Patriots**


	53. Chapter 53

**Timeline X, Chapter Nine: The Darkest Night**

* * *

**2062**

"Nexus point?" All of the science mumbo-jumbo was to be eluded by Alex, up until now when she needed to learn about this one thing at the very least. "What does that mean?"

"In other words, I'm not just deploying you to the past, but in a point in time where this entire timeline as you see it, did not exist. The intersecting point where one becomes another, that's what I'm talking about."

"Y-you- What?" Alex processed it twenty times, trying to simply comprehend the complex level of what he tried to explain. Timelines, nexus points, alternate timelines- What? "You're sending me to the past- Not this past, but one where it's different? Hold on, but how can I cross into another timeline? I'm bound to this one, therefore-"

"You're going back before the creation of this one," Dylan explained, feet still clamped high on the desk table in perfect comfort. "At the start, it was only one timeline. I just need to throw you before the changes."

"Oh, I- I think I get it!" Alex still pondered it. "So, this is... An, uh- Alternate timeline to the original, and I'm going back to-"

"The original, and you're going to follow Lincoln Loud into the opposite timeline-"

"The... Doesn't- Wait, what opposite?" Alex was confused again. "You just said-"

Dylan, of course, chuckled wholeheartedly. "Alright, hold on-" Taking he feet off the desktop, he moved to open his drawer to take out a sheet of paper along with a pen, drawing a single line for her to see. "Look here-"

Alex dragged her eyes down to the paper, where she saw him put an "A" on the left end of the line, followed by another "A" at the right end. "Uh-huh..."

"This is what I believe of all of this- No way I can be completely accurate but, anyways- This is the original, primary timeline, right? Timeline A."

"Yes..."

Underneath the first line, Dylan retraced it somewhere in the middle, only to deviate it below, making another line separating from the first. "This one is us, Alex. We're here, in A2."

"A- A2..." She nodded slowly. "This is the A2 timeline."

"And you're going back to A to protect Lincoln Loud-"

"LINCOLN- WHAT?!" Alex lost her still composure and jerked from the chair, making it fall backwards. "YOU DARE TAKE ME BACK TO A TIME WHERE HE WAS ALIVE?!"

"Yes, Alejandra," Dylan confirmed, keeping calm to her outburst. "I've received reports of the Domicile members having planned to send their two scouts for an assassination mission. As much as I truly despise the albino man- And I know you do as well- His death does not bode well for this future."

Alex grew visibly angry, folding her hands into fists. "You're asking me... To help him- Him!"

"So that we can be here, young one," Dylan smiled. "It is thanks to him that I'm here at the top."

"Which means nothing to me considering you kept it all confidential!" Alex's face went light red in her rage. "There are classified files not even accessible to the Primers, Blood!"

"Yes, but that is for me to know, and only me," Dylan addressed. "Back to the mission, these two scouts themselves are members of the surviving Loud family tree, assuming you haven't heard it from Chang and Mercer-"

Alex toned down on her anger, but hadn't relieved of it yet. "The blonde and the brunette, I hear."

"Yes, they are both zoomers with the reptilian tendencies just like Mercer, but they're rookie enemy agents that couldn't even dream of treading water in comparison to you."

"Zoomers, huh? Protecting him, fending off a pair of zoomers... You need all five Primers for this, not just me-"

"Letenko, Mercer and Chang have been deployed to the eastern coast as we speak. The Chinese have sent a battalion of their own in a stealth attack, emphasis on the stealth."

"My sister's not with them, is she?"

Dylan shook his head. "Not at all, she opted to sit it out, and that's my personal recommendation."

"Good..." Alex rubbed at the bottom of her nose. "I don't think she's ready yet."

"I don't suppose you would think it a good idea for me to put her on this mission, do you?"

"No, not a chance in hell, sir," Alex decided. "I'd rather be kicking rocks, but you can't spare anyone, it seems. And knowing you, the average simps of the regular foot soldiers could never make the cut."

"Alejandra, this is a special mission that requires a Primer, you're the only one I know I can choose. I just need you to keep a clear head the rest of the way. I do understand the certain hatred you have for him, for your father-"

"No," Alex rebuked. "That man is not my father, he never will be, not the way Roberto Santiago was."

"Right, I'm sorry about that-" Dylan turned in his chair, back to Alex. "Do You remember that such things are necessary in times of war?"

"Y-yeah..." Alex felt herself having cooled down to the bone. "Everything and anything that can be done to hurt the enemy is always to be done, as you've said."

"Yes, and believe me, young one-" Dylan Blood stood up, circling the desk. "Should Lyra and Lynnette, those pheno wretches, succeed in killing Lincoln, I automatically lose all footing I've got! The Prime Federation will cease to exist, and I'll know true defeat at the hands of the Patriots, the Junior Patriots and the Retaliation Corps. "In this game of endless chess, there can be no wrong move. Now... Sending my own Primers to the past... That's the risky wildcard I'm not sure I can afford. What say you, Alex? Care to share your input?"

"You'd need up to eight perfect Primers to have them all back, but your other pheno soldiers- The defected from Grimmtown- can be put in the front lines."

"Yes, I suppose I can, but that gives away my secret surprises- And considering World War III is also the ground of phenos versus their own kind-"

"Dude, you can't be expecting yourself to come up with the perfect strategy to win, even when you want to, when you want to ensure nothing is lost. There's always a loss somewhere, no matter which direction and what tactics are applied."

"It has to be perfect-"

"Yes, but it can only be as perfect as we make it..." Alex took a deep breath. "If you ever think of doing that- Deploying all Primers to the past, fortify the current PF fleet. I know you know this well, but you should stomach the fact that you're going to lose tens of hundreds of your own- And I've also accepted that I'm not invincible, sir. I've got just as high a chance at dying like Laika, Bethany and Lissandra do. They've been at it longer than I have, but don't be fooled when only two of them do."

Dylan merely sneered away at Alex for the truth she imposed onto him. But the Mexican youngling wasn't wrong at all.

"I resent you..." Alex dropped, the bombshell stunning him. "The very idea of you making artificial life out of me just for you-"

"I didn't create Liberty to turn her into expendable cannon fodder."

"Dare you lie to me, sir!" Alex accused. "You just denied it and in exact words-"

"Alejandra, please see reason- You are a perfect combatant here, I chose you because of your skill set over the other Primers. None of them got cloned, not even Letenko-"

"There's no way you could have looked at me and decided I was superior to Laika, there is no way!"

"But there is..." Dylan nodded to, cementing the fact. "You, over her. You."

"Will you ever give me the reason for that?" Alex insisted to know. "I don't feel like I've earned it the way you let in on, and I know I shouldn't complain, b-but if it was for another reason- Not what I've been able to do, nor because of the training here- Then it'll only tell me that I've been imperfect. It's almost basic gaslighting-"

"None of that..."

"You've only used me to perfect a human clone... Didn't you? And one... One that doesn't even look like me! Liberty's genetics are like his... Her white hair and her cold skin, and those blue eyes... All of the cells that come from my mother's side, you incinerated purposefully so that she looked like that."

"Yes, I confirm that is the case..."

"What did you need of her? What was the point-?" She had already begun wondering it when there was indeed a connection to be made. "The past... Deploying the Primers... Liberty- Liberty is not the first albino clone to come out- What is it, sir? What are you truly planning for Liberty?"

"I need to ask you... Do you or don't you care for your clone, the very daughter that has come out of a hole in your arm?"

"D-daughter?" Alex shook her head. "I can't call that thing my child, sir."

"So, that is a no... No, you do not want her to become the sixth Primer."

"Sixth Pri- Liberty, the sixth Primer?!"

"I do need more, but eight, as you've considered... Yes, I wanted to keep it sizeable but small... I've had to have known I'd have more than three eventually."

"And all of them are females- What, are you trying to build your personal harem this way?"

"Harem?" Dylan pondered it, not having realized that the Primers were only consisting of ladies. "No, that's not it, you girls have some potential, a fiery anger that I've helped exploit and direct to the right targets, that means you included."

"I get that, I do..." Alex hadn't noticed it, but she, without any patience, had been scratching her nails around the desk in a random pattern. "It all feels unfair, is what bothers me. Didn't ask for Liberty, nor do I want my sister to be associated with them, down to be on the front lines. All of your- Well, the Federarion's enemies knows about the Primers at this point, when word gets out that the number increased, added by three non-phenos-"

"Foolish thoughts! No one has ever come this close to reaching my original trio. Letenko has proven herself to be a great leader, guiding Chang and Mercer swiftly through the battle. They've become blood sisters in that sense, mean I expected you and your sister to receive mixed opinions about the expansion."

"They're great, I get it-"

"No, they're not great all the time, but teamwork-" Dylan sat back down in his chair. "That is important."

"Teamwork... Alongside the clone and my sister-" Alex gulped at the thought of it. "It's scary., seeing them be shot at- I don't want to picture it."

"It's no beautiful image, no... But that's how real war is. The machine of death."

"The clone doesn't have to be a Primer. You have her among the regulars already-"

"Well... I'll give the decision to her, I have something planned to test her willingness to be one."

"A trial?" She didn't need ask, she knew him this much to know. "I see..."

**Now**

_It's not that I hated you, Liberty... _Alex knew what was coming, right as Liberty pressed the button. She was terribly hurt, in both failing the objective and never letting Liberty know what she now knew she felt. The albino clone, the Linka to her Lincoln, another Alex in a different color palette- the mere reminder that if harmed, only reinforced Alex's mortality. It was this, and that Liberty was fine where she was- no need for Dylan fucking Blood to force her into the Primers regiment. _Maybe I did care about what happens to you. It's- It isn't everyday that I get a clone, someone who understands me and my thoughts- But, it's you-_

There was always that resemblance she had to Lincoln.

_Of all the things in this world, you are modeled after the cursed man who left my mother. He didn't even know- He'll never know who I am..._

"Long live the Primers," Liberty exclaimed at the final second.

"L-LIBERTY, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO BE A PRIMER-!" Alex confessed to the top of her lungs.

**Earlier**

"Fuck you, faaaaaaaaaaag!" Liberty shouted at her mother, running away, chip in tow. "You fucking Mexican! Beanerschnitzel! Wetback bitch! I'll get that chip back, and I'll deliver it to my master! Fuck you and goodbye!"

The very second the white light had come and gone, Liberty stopped running and looked back. Chad, Meli and Darcy, still under her control, were on the verge of coming into contact with the Primer Prisoners. The albino clone jabbed her finger over the earpiece that controlled the trio. "Stand down, stand down!"

The three X-Elite phenos froze in place, staying still before the rival group. Alex had circled the group, confused. "What are you thinking now?"

Liberty pointed towards the woods, right where she had encountered Lynn and Luna. "Two bogies inbound, thataway!"

"...What?"

"Tell them to stand down, Alex!" Liberty requested. "Here-" Instantly, Liberty tossed her earpiece device at Alex's feet. "You can control them, I forfeit my team!"

_Alex... I've heard what you've said, _Liberty thought, feeling hurt. _Why, mom? Wh-why don't you...-?_

"You're playing me, I know it..." Alex believed, picking up the earpiece. "This controls them, right?"

"What are you two squabbling about?" Lincoln cut in, eager to lay his law upon the hostile around. "We were in the middle of a fight."

"Your fight is not with me," Liberty stated. "Alex, I propose a team-up."

"No..." Alex coldly answered. "Return to base, now."

"But I-"

"I don't know what just changed your mind, but I don't like this, and I don't want you around interfering in my mission, damn it!" Alex let her presence be known, and then slapped Liberty in front of everyone, the slap being heard for up to five miles in the quiet place. "You were wrong to come here, you were wrong to take his trial, and you were wrong to have existed in the first place."

"No..." To Liberty, it was words that turned into a cold, steel hand that punched and penetrated right through her ribcage to grab and rip the poor lass' heart out. "Y-you don't mean that-"

"Return to base..." Lincoln reworded. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Alex, are you-?" Lori also began to piece it herself. "You two are from-?"

"Take off your mask, girl, I have to see it myself-" Lincoln made the connection of the girl's physique, questioning why this albino looked like this "Alejandra Santiago." And then, when Lincoln had already begun to go deeper, Alex had totally started looking like that young Ronnie Anne back in the day; he questioned the validity of the Mexican woman's claims.

"Maybe we are!" Alex chortled. "We came from the same place, does not make us allies!"

"What the hell is she doing being an enemy then?" Lincoln had pointed his hand onto Liberty. "Why shouldn't we decide to kill you where you stand?"

"I needed something..." Liberty let out. "Alex and I were-"

_Were? _Alex shuddered.

"-Playing a little game of acquiring a special piece of software-"

"Liberty!" Alex warned, telling her to keep her trap shut. "This does not concern them!"

"What kind of... Software?"

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Alex roared.

Liberty shot her eyes to the woods. _The clones should soon be running into Luna and Lynn right about now. _

"Hey-" Liberty shut Alex down by throwing her hand up into the air, showing off the watch-shaped device to Alex and the gang. "No! Is that-?!"

"The majestic Silverhead Element is the best thing I've ever used!"

"Get her!" Alex shrieked, her voice flaring up in fear. "GET HER NOW!"

"NOT EVEN IN YOUR DREAMS!" Liberty used the device again, only this time, no flash of blinding light came about. She stood there, as she was- with all the others frozen in place. Frozen in time. Lincoln had started running, only becoming a statue standing on one leg. Lori and Dylan hadn't moved to act behind him, but Alex was there, pointing at Liberty, being bothered and angry. The look of hers that never changed.

Liberty moved around them and the bucketheads the X-Elites had become. Victory was hers again... But at what cost? What could she gain here, knowing what Alex had truly felt for her. Trash. Liberty was trash, mothers approval to never exist...

Never exist...

_I need you to know... _Liberty came up to Alex as she was, then fixating the Silverhead Element to the latter's body. "Unfreeze."

"DO IT BEFORE SHE-!" Alex shivered to a halt, seeing Liberty move without having moved, quickly catching on. "Fuck!"

"Too late, time is frozen," Liberty circled around her cell mother. "Actually, we went further ahead than this, but I came back here because you messed up and got these guys all killed by a crazed Luna."

"What-?!" Alex went around, glazing upon the others. "You've come from ahead?"

"Yeah, your suit gets damaged if you go further down there-" Liberty pointed out to Luna and Lynn's locations. "Gotta leave, gotta take Lincoln and them far from here."

"Wait, I don't understand- You're helping me, but what about-?" Alex then checked herself for the chip, which had disappeared from her. "What the-?"

"Looking for this?" Liberty revealed her hand and the chip in between her fingers.

"How-?"

"I saved your ass for this, now you've lost it."

"B-bullshit! I wouldn't!"

"And you did! You're here now, and you should be grateful... You've lost it, there won't be takebacks."

Alex had other ideas. "No! No, I can still get it back!" She went invisible again, going after Liberty. "You aren't supposed to win here! Never!"

"So..." Liberty did nothing but utilize the knowledge she gained from the other Alex. "Why don't you want me to be a Primer?"

Alex stopped dead in her tracks. That very single sentence, derived right out of her thoughts, had come to light, and it had to have been true. Alex, the one head, had indeed surrendered her chip willingly to Liberty. "I did... Didn't I?"

She deactivated her cloaking and removed her mask, showing off reddened eyes, the pre-state of crying. "Why the tears?"

"You and I have the lowest rate of survival among the Primers, you know!"

"Well... Yeah, but-"

"But nothing!' Alex moved in to slap the sense into her clone, but Liberty dodged this time. "Hold still!"

"I have to know why!"

"No! No, you don't!" Alex then started running from the clone. "Go away!"

"You-" Liberty gave chase. "Back here! Back here, La Tropicana!"

"I said go!"

"Never, meine freulein!"

"Enough with the German!"

Liberty caught up to the woman and made a leap at her feet, managing to bring her down. Then, the albino girl jumped right over Alex's whole body. "Dude! Dude, you beaner fuckwit! Don't you knl!"

"G-get the hell off me!"

Liberty grabbed Alex by her ears and tugged her head up. "Dude, no! I love you and I've gotta be right beside you! Surely we share the same thoughts and ideas! Teamwork! We can be a tag-team!"

"No, that's not what I wanted! Not what I want!"

"But... M-mom- Alex- Mother-"

"I didn't give birth to you, you annoying fucking albino!" There it was. "I hate you, I hate that you resemble him, okay?! And-" Alex felt Liberty loosen up on her grip, allowing her to crawl away from her, then standing upright. "I'm not a fool, I know I could die serving Dylan Blood and his Federation, but you-"

Liberty reached her hand out to Alex, making contact with her shoulder, and Alex didn't push away this time. "Mom-"

"Why do you dare label me as if I am just that?" Alex asked, back still turned to her. "I'm not-"

"B-because..." The albino faced it for what it was. "You're the closest thing I have to one..."

Alex never bothered to wipe the tears away. "Trying- Trying to replace her?"

"No, no- I'd never do that, I know how you've felt, but to me... Knowing who and what I am to you..." Liberty shoved her eyes away from Alex. "I chose this because I don't want to feel alone. It was never about being a Primer, but about being close to you, seeing you as a parental figure."

"Parental figure... We've had those-"

"Had... Nor anymore."

"I'm not fit for that, I can't be-" Alex told the clone. "But you can save yourself by not being one. You can still change that, and you can carry on my memory if I should die-"

"You need me-" Liberty got it. "So, you want me to be the platonic next of kin..."

"I need you to fill in for me, you're all that remains-"

"If you cared so had, you'd find yourself a husband and marry him! Have kids, for God's sake!"

The Mexican woman went silent for a second. "You know I can't."

Liberty let out another exasperated sigh, nodding in agreement. "I do... I do know that, so..."

"You use me as an excuse, Liberty," Alex theorized. "You just want to justify dying for them by saying you want to be by my side. This mother shit, I don't know if it's real or mere bullshit, but I don't fancy it."

Liberty moved to the woman's side. "How about this, then? You're the only person who I feel understands me- Not just because we're the same person... You know what hurts me, I thought you'd change and give me this one thing."

"Playing this role?" Alex scoffed. "You're forcing it on me-"

"I'm desperate."

"You are," Alex wiped her face away. "It shows."

"I'm sorry... I just want his, I really do."

"You're an idiot..." Alex berated again. "Obviously, I can't stop you, but this life-"

_Hypocrite. _

"-isn't for you."

_Good going, Alex, you're a hypocrite and Liberty can see it! _

And then, Alex received a backhand slap from Liberty. "You mean us! Now..."

It stung her like crazy. "Ouch."

"I'm leaving..." The albino had made up her mind. "Your hypocrisy, I can't believe you pulled that out. I hate you... So I'll leave with the chip and you can focus on your father here. You know, the one I've been modeled after."

"Go fuck yourself, you!" Liberty turned back time as it was. "I'm heading back to the present, meet you back there!"

"Just as soon as my assignment here is finished!" Alex replied. "Any advice?"

"Take them away from here!" Liberty advised. "The further away from Lynn and Luna, they've beaten the likes out of you guys! My giving you the three bucketheads should be advantageous, but still!"

"Thanks for the warning!" Alex left Liberty alone on that note, scampering away to the Primer Prisoners. Liberty allowed it, accepting the win-lose situation this was. It could have been better, but it wasn't, it could never be so simple. It wasn't meant to be.

**2062**

Liberty jumped right back into Dylan Blood's office, feet sliding against the smooth floor. "Heeeeeere's Liby!"

"Oh, done already?" The overlord himself was present in the room, not surprised of her timing. "Return the Silverhead Element to me, if you please."

"Oh, yes, this watch thingy!" Liberty unstrapped it off of her wrist without a second thought, gently placing it on the desktop. "I really love it, sir."

"I can imagine," Dylan sympathized. "It's my most prized possession that not even I use. For all that I know, you might just be the only person to use it in all of history."

"You lie!" Liberty yelped in high pitch. "You've had to have used it!"

"No, I haven't- Not yet, at least."

"I have trouble believing you!"

"And the SCX, it is in your possession, correct?"

"Ah!" Liberty dug into her pocket and pinched on the tiny device, taking it out slowly. "Yeah, I've got it."

But then, she froze. Right before she could set it down and make it official, she had a slight moment of hesitation. _A Primer... I get to be one of the top dogs, that was what I had to go out and prove... _

The silence that surrounded her turned into hell. She heard and felt her own heartbeat. The heat of her body, spiking up and making her uncomfortable. The respiration through her nose, audible on both ears.

_Am I only giving the real Alex grief?_

"Well, are you going to do it, or not?" Alex was behind Liberty, back leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Go on, prove your authenticity and devote your life to endless death."

"M-mom-"

"Tsk..." Alex turned the other way. "Still on that, I assume? Hurry it up, I've gotta talk to the Prime Supreme here."

"Alex, I can only assume that you have protected Lincoln Loud?" Dylan clapped a few times. "Congratulations are in order."

"No, no, sir- I messed up, sir," Alex revealed. "Lincoln- He found himself a time machine and he went back to 2015. I don't know what or why but-"

"He... Time traveled?" Dylan stood up in alarm.

"My apologies, Prime Supreme, sir, but I lost him. If there's any repercussions, or anything actionable intelligence you need to inform me-"

"Hold that thought..." Dylan pondered it, hand pressed to his chin. _I've sent you to the time before the Nexus Point. This must be it, this must be the galactic law they've said he broke._

"Sir?"

"Do nothing, he is not your mission anymore. You've done well."

"Yeah, but- But he went back in time!" Alex cried. "What if he changes something?!"

Liberty tugged at her white hair, her expression reading poker face.

"Aren't you scared that he will change that he'll change everything?!"

"I would be terrified, but I know what that brings about." Dylan took out the sheet of paper he used to try and explain Alex about the timelines. "Remember this? Look back here again, I've sent you back before the timeline splits-"

"Oh, my God, I don't understand this... Not really."

"This is the outcome, Alex. What do you think made the timeline break away into another one?"

Alex leaned herself closer to the desk, carefully observing the design. She thought, and gave it more thought. _Lincoln- Time traveling back- _And then she made sense of it at long last. Lincoln had to be alive to make a change, and she saw it. She saw him take his exit so that- "YOU MEAN THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN?! HE CHANGED THE-?!"

Liberty was confused.

Dylan smiled and nodded, happy to see Alex finally comprehend it. "This one is now certain, and so it is that the Prime Federation wins, unless an unforeseeable consequence occurs... But yes, you've cemented the timeline's guarantee. However... The Domicile wretches have that card, too, so things are still in danger of changing. I have to believe that we've won but that might not be completely true."

"You're not sending me back to that other timeline, are you?"

"No, not there again," he confirmed. "Liberty, the SCX, if you please!"

"R-right!" The albino coughed it up on the Prime Supreme's desk. "I have what it takes."

"You do, little one, you very much do."

"Sir?' Alex sensed another special mission coming. "What will be the next move for the both of us?"

"The next one?" Dylan approached Liberty. "Welcome aboard the Primers, young clone. How do you feel about taking another trip?"

"Another? Uh, sure, but where?"

"Grimmtown is where," Dylan answered. "I'll go over the details."

* * *

**AN: The adventures of Grimmtown will come down the line. Hope you enjoyed. Final arc chapter drops the next day. **


	54. Chapter 54

**Timeline X, Chapter Ten: Escape**

* * *

**2030**

And Lincoln removed their helmets and killed them. Meli, Chad and Darcy were goners, life choked out of them, reduced to compost for the worms. Lori could have objected, but she silently feared him, as for Dylan, he did nothing but watch.

Lori had stared at him, but turned away when he caught her- and it was awkward if he made the connection, she didn't want him to either. She scratched the side of her head but it proved futile. He wasn't as dumb as she thought, but he was upfront confrontational just the same. "Something on your mind, Lori?"

And there was a thought that plagued her mind. From what Lori knew right up to the point of being captured, Lincoln was in the Freight-hunting business, and that put her, Chandler and Rebekka on the crosshairs, the latter two being dead. And she knew something he didn't, a complete misudnerstanding that had yet to come to light, and this mess had given her a way out of his deadly judgment. Judgment, not even what she could call it, Lincoln was not justified. Even so-

"Yeah, matter of fact, there is," Lori poked, not being afraid of him as he was now.

What Lincoln perceived as aggression from her was not. "Yeah? Spill it now."

"This is about back then, Lincoln," Lori let out, moving closer to him. "The hideout, the very place you brought down."

"You've no right to avenge them, if that's what you're thinking."

"What? No, it's not crossing my mind, but..." Lori had meant to apologize to him, long due for fourteen consecutive years. "I should have gone with you, Lincoln, I didn't know that you had made up your mind about leaving."

"All the evidence was there to suggest it," Lincoln pointed out. "They were evil, some cult composed of nothing but bomb-happy criminals."

"Linc- Yes, I see that we weren't saints, but we had no place else to go!" Lori exclaimed. "They took us in, Linc!"

He turned away from her, still waiting for Alex, wherever she had run off to. "Fuck all of them, and fuck you for... What you did."

"Linc... Y-you don't get it, do you?!" Lori grinded on her teeth. "I chose them because I figured you'd have to choose them, too! I didn't think- I didn't ever think it would make you go berserk and wipe them all!"

He did react, by jerking his body. This was new to him, this he did not know before. "You... You wanted to strip me of having a choice?"

"Linc..." Lori felt just as guilty as before. "This is all my fault... I- I hurt you more than I realized. Fuck, I've abandoned you when you needed me to be there for you-"

"You can shut the fuck up now."

He didn't hear it, but Lori let silent tears fall down her soft cheeks. She was truly guilty, responsible for the monster Lincoln was today. "I'm sorry, little brother."

"Enough of this, your words have no meaning to me," Lincoln forced out. "It's already done."

"Yeah- Yeah, maybe it's too late, Lincoln, but my apology isn't! I'm sorry and I wish- I wish that I had a redo. I'd have gone with you, Lincy. I'd have gone because I love you."

"Better start making up now," Dylan shared, waving his finger in between the siblings. "Don't know what this all pertains to but the tension needs to be resolved. Man, make up with the woman, look at her, she's crying for fuck's sake."

"Huh?" Lincoln turned around to see Lori shedding tears. "Oh, really?"

"I tried to get you to stay, and it backfired on me..."

"You stupid fuck!" Lincoln berated.

"Bro, don't be a fool!" Dylan groaned. "Go on."

"This isn't your affair, you," Lincoln hissed at the pale man. "Stay out of it."

Then, Lori swiftly moved forward, speedwalking to Lincoln. He thought of it as her ready to throw hands, so he raised his own in solid defense. It was just like Lori to fight- but to hug? She threw herself onto him in a wide hug. He resisted, but she didn't let up. "No, don't push me away!"

"Fuck off!"

"Lincoln, you can't push family away!" Lori continued. "I lost my right to call myself your sister, but I want to earn it again! I'm here, I'm here now, and I won't let you go off on your own from here on out!"

"You've forfeited all rights, now let go of me before-" Lincoln spun around, taking Lori with him. He tripped her down on her hands. "I should end you, that's what I should do!"

"Kill- That's all that I've seen that plagued that mind of yours-" Lori toppled over on her back, courtesy of him. "You're full of infinite rage and hatred, it doesn't take long for anyone to realize this!"

"Quiet!" He went down on her, sitting over and shooting his hands on her neck to squeeze the life out of her. "I hate you! I hate you so much, please die!"

"Enough of this folly!" Dylan went and put the albino in a chokehold, pinning him back away from Lori. "We're all allies here!"

"That's not what he sees in me," Lori rasped, coughing away. "Psychotic bastard knows he wants to finish what he started!"

"You too!" Lincoln threw a punch across his shoulder, striking Dylan in the face. "You're next!"

"That's it, Lincoln! Choose death and violence over the better ways!" Lori lectured. "I won't fight you, but if you have to kill me, then do it! Do it as I die begging for my redemption in your eyes!"

The young man returned to Lori, his strong arms reaching back to where they were just moments ago. "Believe I will!"

"I- I should have never-" Lori forced out, "-Rejected your advances!"

It was here that he stopped, hands freezing in place to slowly retract grip from Lori's throat. They stared at each other for enough time for Lori to see the shift of his facial expression. Mad, no longer, but gravely injured on the emotional level. Lincoln was breaking before her, fighting it as best as he could. He needed to deny it, to not feel what it was. To not ever acknowledge the incestuous, romantic feelings he had for her during their time among the Freights.

He loved her, one era- a lifetime- ago.

"Please, please stop," Lori yearned, pressing a hand to his face. "For me...? We can make it all right."

"L-Lori-"

"Lincy..." She diffused the situation calmly, guiding his face down to hers so that she could kiss him, and she kissed him right on the lips, closing her eyes. "Let me finally show you what love is," she said once pulling away.

"Lori..." Lincoln was trapped in her sweet, tender kiss. "I love you-"

"What the fuck is this Alabama shit...?" Dylan sneered.

Lincoln helped Lori up, sitting her upright, where they then proceeded to exchange kisses just as Alex came back from her ordeal with Liberty. The Mexican woman skipped a heartbeat seeing both siblings engage in this affection. She said nothing but made a mental judgment of this, moaning about an incest child between them to be possible.

"You can have me, Lincy," Lori soothed into his ear in her sweet lullaby of a voice. "Please- No more of that hatred. I'll never abandon you again."

"I..." Lincoln fell into it somehow, ripped away from the darker nature of his heart. "I don't know, Lori, I don't- I want this-"

Alex felt disgust and anger at this. _Why not my own mother, you piece of shit? This blonde white, but not Ronnie Anne?_

Lincoln pushed himself off Lori. "We- We have another priority-"

"...Right..." Lori broke visual contact from Lincoln, clearing her throat. "Yeah-"

"Why'd you have to kill those guys?!" Alex screamed.

"Excuse me, but we're down to three- Our three!" Lincoln signaled at Lori and Dylan. "Well, I don't know what you're pulling, but you're not exactly on our side, as you claim."

"It was just you, Lincoln," Alex reminded. "A secret party thinks of you as useful, can't say the same about these two here."

"Yeah, yeah, you don't need to repeat that," Lori scoffed, "but we're just as useful as he is, we have a place!"

"Still wanna know how you are connected to that white-flaked princess," Lincoln wondered, "and how you both just disappeared in a heartbeat."

"I don't know how to answer that..." Alex believed it was then time to leave. "Fuck, hurry up and take hold, I don't wanna be here..."

_Liberty, you gave me a second chance to complete what you know I had to succeed in... _Alex could have never let the clone now of this gratitude. Not yet at least. _Of course... Of course, you have what it takes. That's why I don't need you to prove yourself for me..._

_...Because I've already known you'd be a great Primer._

"Ditto!"

"What the hell was the point of coming here, though?" Lincoln began to narrow down. "This whole thing was a busy, we didn't get any of those pieces of shit that put us in that Goddamn prison."

"Our justice will come, I'm sure of it!" Dylan believed.

"Shut up and touch me!" Alex demanded. "Hell, grope my boobies if it'll get us teleporting faster!"

Lincoln and Dylan locked a hand on Alex's shoulders to silence her, and Lori hugged around the girl's waist. "Ready to go!"

_Ugh, my battery is depleting... How long do I have to protect him?! _Alex did her thing, taking the group away as the suit glowed its bright blue color to signify teleporting. "Don't let go!"

**Elsewhere**

Lana and Lola plowed through an Alliance Association checkpoint of two armored vans a group of six armed personnel, forcing them down to the pavement around them, just another regular weekday in the lives of the twins. In Lola's mind, Lily was riding on her back, breath held and arms tightened around her neck. "Hang on, baby sister, we've almost-!"

Lana could have never said anything about that yet, Lola was a bitch just as she was fragile- no telling how berserk she'd be when in the denial stage, it wouldn't likely be believable or real. Lana had known well, just by seeing it, that Lola truly believed Lily was alive. Whatever Lola saw was just too realistic, but the health in that was depleting mentally, if it hadn't already. Lola.

Lola...

No telling Lola the truth.

"Left!" Lana redirected them from the straight line they ran in, picking up in another direction to lose the guys that would never stop giving chase. "Zigzag maneuvers!"

"Lily, sorry for the movement!" Lola apologized. "We're going to-"

And just like that, things took a nasty turn for the worst in their favor; the third zoomer had suddenly came out of nowhere, running right into both twins, the person's arms extended outwards and slamming right into their heads, forcing them down. Lana was flung backwards into the window of a flower shop just behind her, while Lola got knocked back into the hood of a Trans-Am color blue, windshield cracking on impact. "L-Lily-!"

"I'm fine," the illusion played, defusing Lola's dreaded state.

"Lola, are you hurt?!" Lana staggered back out of the store, brushing away at the glass shards around her. "Hey, get up!"

"Agh, my back! Lana, I've hurt my back!"

"Don't move, let me help-" Lana encountered the unknown foe that cut right in front of her. "-You?"

"Tuh-tuh-tuh-time displaced! Universe displaced! Back to square one!" Lynnette was here, her suit having been torn on the waist all around, but otherwise still lingering onto her skin. The red eyes are there, her vile form- right up to that bullet hole in the center of her forehead, the killing shot by none other than one such Link-A from a world far from this one. "T-time- Universe! UNIVERSE IS CALLING FOR-!"

Lana shook away, taking a step back as Lynnette approached her. "Um-"

"M-M-MOROOOOOON!" The hole on her forehead leaked blood, scaring Lana that she lost the strength in her legs, toppling over.

"L-Lola... Lola!"

"I WILL NOT DIE AGAIN- I WILL NOT BE ERASED BY THE SILVER WOMAN!"

"The- S-Silver-?"

Lynnette flipped around and slipped over her legs, falling flat on her stomach. "HERE- HERE TO PREVENT THE NEXT WORLD DESTRUCTION! SHE DID IT ONCE, SHE'LL DO IT AGAIN!"

"Who, what?!"

Lola pushed herself out from the hood of the old vehicle. "Hey, you! Stay away from my siste4!"

In the blink of an eye, Lynnette-2039 zoomed right up to Lola's face and pinned her down onto the road. "YOU ARE THE CAUSE OF ALL THIS, NOW YOU HAVE TO- YOU HAVE TO DIE!"

"G-get away from me!" Lola was met with a blood-curdling roar right in her face. The beastly Lynnette-2039 showed off her deadly jaws right before biting into Lola's neck, clamping on and taking a nasty bite out, effectively ripping her throat out. _N-no! No, not like this! Lana! Lily!_

Lynnette-2039 devoured the chunk of Lola's flesh down her throat, licking her lips. The blood, the savory taste of raw, human meat satisfied her inhuman appetite, and she wanted more. "Yeeeees! Yes, I will end your life for the restoration-"

The earth's calmer atmosphere went disturbed, the sound of great thunder suddenly stopping the blonde. Behind her, a black portal opened up, barely visible thanks to the streetlights, and coming right out of it were literal lightning bolts, flaying around to grip away at the alternate Lynnette. The strange occurrence worked to grab and yank her into the portal. Try as she might, Lynnette-2039 ran about, but her feet never managed to achieve the escape she wanted. "NO! NO! NO, I DID WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO! LOLA! LOLA, DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

Lana did not understand what was going on, or how this scenery was playing what should have never been imaginable. Lola was there among the ragged, bumpy road, bleeding out through the tear on her throat. Her fingers so weakly tried to compress against the gash, only giving her more painful grief as she tried to stop the bleeding. She struggled to breath, her breaths coming out all shakily and broken.

"LOLA!" Lana came to her and fell before reaching her, head right close to her face. The wound. The wound... "Lola... Hey, you're going to be okay! We can heal!"

But it wasn't like Lana believed; Lola's superspeed was not accounting for the regenerative properties here. Not like this, not when the wound was too great. Lola was dying here, right before the poor tomboy. The diva herself, hands already bloodied enough, gripped right onto Lana's left hand as tightly as she could. In her eyes, the tomboy could see the fear in her twin's soft blue eyes, the fear of the infinite unknown and the dimension beyond. Lola did not want to die.

Never.

"Wait, no-" Lana broke into inevitable tears, already understanding it by force. "D-don't you dare! Don't you dare leave me!"

"Lily-" Lola forced out through a croak, already beginning to lose conscious. "Lily-"

"Don't talk!" Lana instructed. "Save your energy!" She thought to help Lola, clamping down both hands on the torn throat. "Oh, my God... No, please, not you! Anyone but you!"

Lola redirected her hands to Lana's cheeks, her breathing declining rapidly. "Save- Save her-"

"Don't leave me! You're all I've got! Lola-!"

Around her, in both sides of the street, Lana was cornered by the forces of the Alliance Association heavily. The forces took their stand and aimed down their anti-phenos at Lana. Meanwhile, Lola was dying, leaving her distraught, and dreadfully angry at all and everything. "DONT LEAVE ME, LOLA!"

"OPEN FIRE, MEN!" the order came, allowing the two lines of armed forces to open fire upon the two. Where Lana once was had now been occupied by the shredded corpse of her remains. Bits and pieces flew out of her, shot clean through. The left hand barely dangled on, but beyond that, the poor twin was unrecognizable. Her face, reduced to slopping meat and blood spilling out until it would be all drained. But they died together, Lana falling over Lola, welcomed in her arms as they crossed into the welcoming arms of the heavenly afterlife. And where they went, Lily would be there, having waited for them.

This was always Lana's dream. For her and Lola to one day meet Lily up there. And now was the time. Now, the twins were done and out of the world's hellish playground. They were done, now able to be at peace. _I'll see you soon... My sisters... I love you all. _

**Vial Corporation Facility - Washington, DC**

Allie Taggart kept her shorts on for the most part, but the damn inconvenience had her on edge. How dare Alejandra Santiago, the woman in that cloaking suit, interrupt and humiliate her in front of uncle Peter, the U.S. President? The time of war was coming already, talked in silence. The criminals contained in Site Prime were busted out, leading to the containment protocols to be initiated, and guess what? The X-Elites not only failed, but were gradually beaten by the prisoners. And Allie was one of them, having fought them with her crew.

Her true grievance was being relieved of the battle. She proved her weakness, that she had more to learn and undergo in terms of training, just like the others. The phenos on the team. With Dana having fallen, no doubt they'd replace her, find another useful candidate, maybe another pheno. And even if it were the case...

_Damn it, at no doubt are we going to be taken off of this. No, we didn't come all this way just to be told to fuck off and have more downtime. The prisoners- _

Again, Allie scoured her eyes on the monitors, keeping everything and everyone in check. Nothing was happening, a total place of cooperation and no insurfency from within. This base, and plenty of more to go, as per master's orders.

_The Prisoners are our matter to deal with! Damned if I lost my whole team, but I'm still in it, and I have to finish it!_

Matter of the fact was that McMahon had been scared by Alex greatly that it provided him incentive to push Allie away from the frontlines. She had ideas already, and it involved phenos. Recruiting a few and leading a charge, and her best bet was to break into a facility and release the phenos for her control. And guess what? Allie was already inside a gold mine.

To go AWOL and lead her own unit of phenos against the loose prisoners, why, it would undoubtedly get her into trouble, but nothing was too much, nothing was overboard in these changing times.

"Ma'am?" The regular guard was there with her, on her left with a fresh cup of Joe. "Is there anything else?"

"Hmmm?" Allie turned to him. "Oh, no. It all looks to be in order."

"It is all under control, ma'am," the surveillance guard nodded firmly.

"I do have a question..., Allie slowly moved out of the room, leaning right under the doorway. "Who do I talk to about the cells? Suppose someone takes the place hostage and tries to bust out the phenos. Who exactly is it that they need to to through?"

"No one," the guard revealed. "The panel at the end of the room-" He then sensed the mistake and shut his trap. Of course, Allie declared takeover, flicking out her sidearm and firing away at the guard. It wasn't necessary, but she saw a man. And what was a man to her but a beast of sin?

Allie raced out, hurrying to build herself the team she wanted, planning to free them all to turn into her slaves. For the price of freedom, leadership under her. _Ready or not, here I come! The one and only Allison Valeria Taggart! _

**Elsewhere**

"I still have to know more," Lincoln desired, looking over the vast city of Los Angeles. "Who my enemies are and how to put them down."

"Twerp, it's literally the entire government!" Lori filled in. "We've all seen McMahon and Leak throw us into the hole, it's them."

"We're not exactly the good guys here," Dylan added in. "But then again, no one is. They saw us all as menaces lest you forget. They'll be after us, unless we wipe them out."

"Agreed."

"The man's right, we need more information," Dylan continued. "We know it's the Alliance Association but who exactly? Names, contacts, connections-"

"No, is that really necessary?" Lori had another idea. "What they're doing is illegal, I say we should expose them. Can't we try that?"

"Exposing them?" Lincoln winced. "Okay, Lori, tell me how exactly we can do that?"

Alex coughed to make herself visible again. "I do have one idea if you're down for it."

"You, an idea?" Then, Lincoln shared a laugh. "Of course you do. The so-called time traveler-"

"Why is that hard to believe?" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Time traveler...? What do you mean by that?"

Alex felt sweat just about to run down from her forehead. "Hey, that was between the both of us-"

"You can't be fucking serious, there's no way-" Lincoln insisted, believing that Alex was pulling his chain the whole time. "Not without us knowing."

"Right, because if you don't see it, it doesn't exist," she scoffed back. "It's hidden from the world, but what do I know?"

"Never mind that, tell me what you had in mind," Lincoln pryed.

"In this world, Kapacity Korp and Vial Corporation are linked together, operated by Peter McMahon, Jordan Leak, James Shepherd and-" The fourth one, it didn't matter if she told them, they didn't know, or maybe they did. Keeping track of the scorecard was virtually impossible. "There are four big dogs at the center of all this, and each Vial Corp facility has phenos. They kidnapped and turn people into those like the freaks we've been fighting."

"Hmmm..." Lincoln pictured the X-Elites. "That explains them, doesn't it? Granted..." Oh, how he wished he hadn't been stripped of his own pheno abilities. "I was one of them, too."

"I don't know about that," Lori shared, "but if we get into one of these facilities, we can capture it. Point the blame to them this way, right? This is what you're suggesting?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded. "It'll all go downhill from there. It has to."

"Hmm, so no attacking but exposing-?"

"It'll be clean, Lincoln," Lori snapped. "No need to turn this into a carnage show."

"It's tactically smart," Dylan agreed. "We defeat them without taking away any of the opponents. Genius move!"

"I'll humor you three," Lincoln reluctantly accepted. "One chance, should we fail..."

He knew what he wanted to do, needed to do. Always.

"Ugh," Lori groaned. "Get over yourself."

"After you."

"So, where is the nearest facility?" Dylan took to the skyline and shot his eyes in a clockwise position. "And do we have to go on foot?"

Alex left the ledge side and walked to the center of the roof- where she then folded her arms over her chest and made a high jump right over the window pane beneath her. She fell through, making Lori and Dylan quickly huddle around the busted glass hole. "We're already here!" Alex shouted from below, having landed at the top floor. "Here, jump down, I'll catch you!"

**Near The Black Network**

Luna and Lynn walked out with nothing and nobody. Alex and crew were gone, Liberty had departed with the SCX chip back to the future, and the three clones of Project Link had left the scene. Luna came across the open hatch that led inside, looking down into the darkness. "Should we?"

"I don't hear anything," Luna noted. "No heartbeats like out here, but... I smell blood. Actually, blood and flesh-"

"What- Down there?" Lynn twitched at the revelation. "I'm not going down there."

"Clean-up crew is right for this."

"You sure you can't-?"

"No," Luna moved away from the hatch. "Only an unknown amount of corpses... They've hit this place and eluded us, but just barely. Too bad about the other three..."

Lynn looked back to the direction of the three X-Elites' corpses. "Yeah... We were too damn late."

"We won't be again, damn it!" Luna announced upon the dirt, hand folded and slammed to her chest. "They'll answer to us."

"I hope so..." Lynn prayed.

"Don't start doubting this," Luna remarked. "It's a bunch of them versus so many of them, do you think they can get away?"

"It's not that..." Lynn shook. "I had a code of my own before. I never believed in cold-blooded murder, not the way it's looking to be all around me."

"Murder...?" Luna looked down past the hatch again. "We are not the ones killing here."

"Not us, Luna, but the guys... Those others, d-don't tell me you never got the deadly vibes from them."

Luna nearly narrowed her eyes. "We don't work for psychos."

"What if we did?" Lynn brought into question. "Luna, I was onboard because you were, but I get the feeling- I just really get the feeling that we're only being used, and I can't shake it off."

"Then..." Luna began to growl. "Force it out, Lynn. No way, no way are we being fucked with. The Association has given me a chance for freedom if I gave my life to them."

"Y-you what?"

Luna hadn't yet told Lynn of the past day's events, but that didn't matter. "Nothing, Lynn, just know that I have a second chance and I won't fuck myself."

"Luna-" Lynn placed a hand on Luna's shoulder. "Y-you're working with them... Because you're afraid?"

Luna jerked Lynn's hand from her. "Don't say that."

"I don't get it, Luna. Why are you afraid?"

"I said don't-" Luna swing away, only for Lynn to block and redirect the attack. "Hey, no need to be defensive! Please, Luna, just tell me..."

"Why should I?" Luna went back to the bodies, trailed by Lynn. "We're not exactly the best of sisters, are we?"

"L-Luna, come on, don't be... Like that right now," Lynn solemnly pleaded. "I love and care for you just as I have back then. I've trusted you, but you can't trust me? Why are you being like this?"

Luna stopped, pressed back by an invisible barrier. "You wanna know, do you? You wanna know what the elephant in the room is?"

"Oh, so now there's an elephant?" Lynn raised her voice. "Luna, what are you on about?"

"You have no idea, do you?" Luna retorted angrily. "That one day, Lynn. That day you helped her exile me-"

"Exile-?" Lynn wheezed before breaking down in laughter. "Exile!"

"Why are you laughing?! You all cast me out-"

"Luna, you can't seriously be mad!" Lynn preached. "That happened years ago, and I just know you've changed. You... You did, right?"

"Suppose I have, Lynn... It doesn't mean this has, what Aunt Rinn-"

"Aunt Rinn saw you as a destructive alcoholic!" Lynn claimed. "And frankly, the others and I were worried about your habits. You were getting out of hand, what was done had to be! Don't be mad at us for washing our hands free of you, Luna! You pushed us to it!"

"YOU DARE LIE!" Luna gurgled out, whipping her tail to play. "EXCUSES AND EXCUSES FROM YOU!"

"Luna-" Lynn could see that the reptile-human hybrid was losing control of herself. The anger was becoming strong with her. "Luna, all of that is over! It's in the past, please-"

Luna abandoned her base human form, already transforming as she fell on all fours. "THE PAST- THE PAST IS ALL I'VE HAD LEFT!"

"Where are you?!" Lynn pleaded. "Where is that Luna who was more calm and rational back there?! You found me and you never truly lost your cool! Why, Luna?!"

Luna came back up on her hind legs, the yellow pair of deadly eyes fixating right on Lynn, the only life around for miles. The one that dealt that blow that ensured Luna's fate. All in all, and deep beyond the surface, Luna blamed Lynn and Aunt Rinn Reagan for how her life turned out. It was on them just as much as the others. Luna has forgotten this at first, and how did she? All the happiness to see Lynn again, it eluded her. "Lynn..." Luna growled in her deeper voice. "Lynn, y-you..."

"Luna, don't be crazy!" Lynn circled around Luna to maintain distance. This time around, Lynn had no help from anyone else. "I did it so that they could be safe! For Lily! The twins!"

"I will make youuuuuu..." Luna waved her claws around in the air. "I will hang you."

Lynn tripped over a stump that stuck out of the ground, instantly falling back hard. Luna crouched, and then made an insane jump of great height, coming in hot just like a true carnivore. Luna had lost in, intending to kill and possibly consume Lynn at this point. Her mind, broken down by the instability of her emotional state, thanks to the memories. Those hard memories...

Lynn wasn't prepared to go out like this, not in the hands of her own sister. The troubled one who held so much grievances in her heart. Hsd she known... Had Lynn only been able to detect it- "I- I'm sorry..."

Lynn pounced back up and caught Luna, who lost her train of thought after Lynn had let out her whisper. The ex-FBI agent worked to hug it out with Luna, consoling her. "Please... I am sorry for all of this, the pain this put on you- Everything, Luna."

"Why... Why didn't you side with me, Lynn? Y-you made me feel alone-"

Lynn's breath broke upon hearing this. "Sis... I didn't know- I didn't... I wish you came home, after Luan-"

"You... Wanted me to?"

"I did..." Lynn's eyes twinkled about. "We lost her, we weren't eager to lose you, either. Auntie had cooled down a lot by then."

"Maybe now, Lynn..." Luna forced herself back to her human form. "Maybe it's time you can bring me home."

"And Lily and the twins will be waiting for you, Luna," Lynn believed. "They'll be happy to see you."

"Do you think so?"

"I do... I do, Lunes." And Lynn ended her statement with a smile. "We can make it better, together."

"Together..." Luna repeated. "I like that. Together!"

**San Francisco**

Alex, Lincoln, Lori and Dylan took over the control room, having the drop over the team of guards on watch. Alex was the one who beat them into submission, then rummaging through the monitors. "There, sub-level one is where the phenos are housed. Check it out!"

She introduced the three of them to two rows of captives contained in cells in the similar fashion they've experienced by force. "It's as you said, they're-" Lori knew. "They've created-"

"This... All of this- These are crimes equivalent to war crimes. Kidnapping and turning people into guinea pigs..." Dylan rotated his head clockwise. "So many of them..."

"Will it be enough to simply get footage?" Lori suggested. "What if we release them?"

"Release?" Lincoln crossed his arms. "We've agreed to expose them-"

"It's still the same thing, but on a bigger scale!" Lori proposed. "We didn't know how big this would be! Look, if this place, just one facility of a hundred, has this many of these... What did you call them, phenos? We're dealing with maybe half a million."

"You're not proposing wasting my time to bust out strangers-"

"No, this idea is actually not bad," Dylan seconded. "Why should we do the work when we can free them and reveal the truth unto them? They'll all go and fight the battle that the three of us can't win, not even with invisible girl's help here."

"I can handle the board."

"But the genius in winning a fight isn't to depend on sorely muscle, but tactics and strategies. These phenos can rally together and march down the gates of the fortresses of these fiends and attack in groups. An army of them, up against the commoner!"

"Well, that's not entirely a bad idea..." Lincoln agreed. "But what comes after for them?"

"Relief centers, Lincoln," Lori answered. "There should be mercy, they're victims."

"That is truth."

Alex was the only one who kept watch- And had a mini heart attack when Allie Taggart came into the picture, teleporting into the facility along with a horde of other strangers around her. "Hey, I don't mean to interrupt, but we've got company!"

"What-? Not them again!"

"Isn't that the girl we've seen before?" Lori squinted.

"The last one out of those brats," Lincoln nodded. "And who are these guys behind her?"

"We've got trouble..." Alex stormed out of the control room. "We're going to fight our way down!"

Allie had already taken the main floor with the help of her newfound friends. "All of you, kill anyone not in a security uniform or a lab coat! There's well over five, last I've checked!"

She led the charge, running rampant alongside the dangerous phenos of various gifts and curses, going around in her own key effort to hunt her enemies. First thought was the control room- and the immense satisfaction of the next battle filled her with glee and everlasting wonder when the four of them ran out into the main lobby of the place. Allie drew her sidearms and raised fire upon them, yelling amidst the loud bangs. "OVER THERE! BRING ME THE HEADS OF THE SCUMBAGS!"

"The stairwell is over there!" Lori sighted the only entrance to the lower level past the waves of phenos. "Can we make it?!"

"Not without me!" Alex already started engaging the new opponents, punching and shoving aside. _That's right! Feel the power of the anti-pheno suit! _

"TARGET THAT SLUT IN THE SUIT!" Allie fired upon Alex in akimbo. "I WANT THAT THING SHE WEARS!"

"Not even in your dreams!" Alex locked onto Carly's shoulders, grabbing and spinning around, momentum picking up so that she threw the young Asian girl right into Caroline Pingrey, knocking her off balance with a hard "oof". Next, Lyle Jefferson swung his arms around, trying to gnaw at Alex. She moved back for half a second, then rushed in and punched him square in the face, then did a leg sweep to cut him down to size. "Keep them coming! Give me more phenos to beat!"

"Right here!" Lindsey Sweetwater did her thing, absorbing the element of the floor into her body. "Can you match this?"

"Let's see for ourselves!" Alex challenged, meeting the young girl in the heart of the battlefield. Swinging a punch from her left, and with Lindsey doing the same thing, their fists connected only to exert a massive force that flowed around, shattering the windows and pushing the phenos around them down. "You, I like you!"

"Did we just become best enemies?!" Lindsey pulled back and kicked away at Alex, but not in a perfect swing. In turn, the older girl tugged her leg forward then upwards. "Dang you!"

Alex punched right into Lindsey's stomach, feeling her fist shatter the hardened skin of the minor. "Not so tough as you thought, huh?"

Lindsey threw both arms over her stomach, folding them with pain. "Ughhh..."

"Stay out of this, shrimp."

Lindsey toppled over on her side, defeated with that one single blow. "I want my mommy..."

Allie picked herself up, head shaking to brush away the sensation of dire dizziness. "What, can't you do anything right?! You're all upgraded with the perks to that of gods! You are literal superiors, yet dare to be beaten by a bitch of a nothing underneath that?!"

Alex had over nine phenos swarm her, all of them paying no mind to Lincoln, Lori or Dylan. In that, they carefully maneuvered around, sneaking to the other end.

"Don't just stand there!" Allie reloaded her guns one at a time. "Get her! Grab her, kill her! There's only one of us-"

Alex performed a back flip, landing behind a pheno and kicking them in the back.

"USE YOUR POWERS, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!" Allie wailed.

Samantha Sharp pushed to the front and opened her mouth, emitting a red beam of scorching heat that engulfed Alex in its center, to also burn a few of the phenos at the oppose side, setting them ablaze. Alex's suit changed color when being hit by the beam, but the fabric didn't catch fire. "Fireproof, blondie!"

Sam grunted, feeling less hot and confident. Try this!" She shot out her second beam, mouth opened wider this time.

"THAT'S IT!" Allie cheered for Sam. "TAKE NOTE, ALL OF YOU!"

Lincoln and Lori caught sight of Alex looking like she was in trouble. "Have they forgotten about u"

"Lincoln, you have to help her," Lori chittered. "We'll go free the others, then it's game on!"

"Sounds like a plan..." Lincoln waved them away, heading back to Alex and the group of phenos. "Hey, you! Hothead!"

Sam closed her mouth, turning her attention to the albino. "Hothead?"

"Over here!"

"NO!" Alex rammed into the distracted Sam, shoving her down and delivered a headbutt. "Fiery bitch!"

Sam went out cold as fast as she had come in attacking, the flame that was put out, moaning in her unconscious state. Allie tried again shooting away, this time at Alex's head, but to no avail. "Fucking bulletproof! You're nothing but a pussy behind that mask! Take that off and show me an honorable formidable foe!"

Alex met the mustard-green haired girl directly, placing her hands right onto Allie's face. "Feel this!"

The suit had absorbed Sam's fiery rays, built up and stored for Alex to expel it back as a special. She unloaded all the heat right into Allie's entire head, melting it away. The poor girl screamed her most agonizing screams yet up until the end, when the falling skin and the coat of lava-like substance covered her mouth, muffling it out. In the end, Allie was reduced to a headless body with a burnt stump right on the neck, ashes of her skull scattered around much to the horror of everyone.

"You... All of you can be granted amnesty!" Alex voiced. "Your leader here was nothing more than a child blind of ambition and anger!"

Lincoln stood in place, calculating around the scene. It seemed to him that Alex had the situation under control- maybe she could actually turn all of them to their side if she thought of it. And, as luck would have it, she was already preaching it. _Interesting woman, this one... _

"I realize she promised you something, but I have a better offer!" Alex was a damn brave Mexican woman at that. "I know who you want! Matter of fact, I've come here to free the other phenos! You're all in need of dire justice! There is debt that must be paid back to you by the criminals on the high throne! Stand with me, stand with the Primer Prisoners, and you will be led to the golden path! The golden path to righteous justice!"

She brought them down, made them go silent. And in the length of their silence, in the turning of their allegiance, the beasts of nature that only had one collective goal at the moment. She worked for it, to get into their vulnerable minds just as Allie. Only, Alex offered more to them. She'd win their hearts and minds.

"We'll take over, all of us! All of you, and all of them!" Alex hailed. "Your countrymen created you, now it's your time to take over!"

And they cheered for her, swapping out the dead Allie for the fierce Alejandra Santiago. Lincoln had no reason to provide aid at this time, laying witness to Alex's power and influence up close, and it was a grand spectacle, and that was it. That was her handling the phenos, and not through utilizing her fists. Not with violence. _Well done, girl, well done. _

"Out these doors lie the other facilities that hold captive numerous people! Take them all, free them, and kill those that stand in your way!"

Lori and Dylan came back up with this facility's own experimented phenos, leading them all to the main floor. "We've got them all, Linc- What is happening?"

"This way!" Dylan led the phenos behind. "To freedom, to victory, to avenge the dead they disposed of, and yourselves!"

Both groups of phenos hurried out into the world, a marvelous stampede, causing havoc among the entire floor, knocking everything down, crushing everything beneath their feet. And to the four, this first step vast exceeded their expectations. Even the ones that Alex had beaten attempted to follow the crowd with no hesitation, to quickly leave the place empty apart from the four and the corpses of the staff and guards all over.

Lincoln spat upon Allie's body and looted it, taking one of her guns. "Perfect."

"Is that it?" Lori scratched her temple. "Tell me that was it..."

"I believe it was..." Lincoln decided, heading back up. "If you don't mind, I'd like to know more now that we've concluded our business."

"Know more what, Lincoln?" Lori asked, confused.

"Everything we can acquire on them," he answere, intending to leech out all information- and more than he knew he'd find. This place could be a damn gold mine for him. "A playbook will be made here."

"Best bet is the office," Dylan assumed. "Check their database, clean them out."

"Damn right we'll do an info wipe."

"We don't have a lot of time here," Alex suggested. "Reinforcements are always certain, and they've got more than I can handle! We've all been lucky that the minimal of forces have come into contact with us! The next guys might introduce us to our own Waterloo."

"How many times will you keep adding?" Lori exhaled wearily. "The second we finish one thing, you shove another mission down our throats!"

"This isn't another one, Lori! Package deal, we've made extra time!"

"We don't even have five minutes!" Alex roared at the albino.

"Twerp, the girl's got a point-"

"Not here!" Alex then threw in. "Not here, but I know where you can get it! Here, just trust-"

The red light started outside, filling into the darkness before them. Lincoln, Lori and Dylan, all three mesmerized by the sparkling layer of red light that covered the ground, over the parking lot and the vehicles, the fields too, even. And it only went brighter, followed by a high-pitch sound. Alex broke into a run, trying to evade the beam strike with Lincoln. "HURRY, GRAB- GRAB ONTO ME, LINCOLN!"

"What is that? What is that, Alex?!"

The Mexican woman tackled him with a hug, then teleporting them both away right before the strike laid waste to the entire building, vaporizing everything in its path, killing both Lori Loud and Dylan Blood in seconds.

**Kapacity Korp Facility - Elsewhere **

Alex let go once sensing the pair had escaped the danger. She hit a call too damn close for her taste, and with no Liberty to provide another handout...

"What- What the fuck was that, Alex?" Lincoln looked around. "Where are the other two?"

"They- They're dead, I'm afraid..." Alex revealed. "That was a laser strike from just one satellite of many."

"A... Weaponized satellite?" Lincoln went into awe. "They have those?"

"They have so much, unlike me right now..."

The night breeze passed through Lincoln, blowing away at his long hair, making him brush it out of his face. The city around them, quiet and dark, filled only by dimly lit streelights and neon signs of stores. "Where are we?"

"Kapacity Korp, the only place I could think of."

"Only?"

"We'd best enter in quietly, or they'd incinerate this place as well!" Alex turned invisible, taking charge and entering through the staircase on the roof. "Let's go, this place might have a brain appetizer for you!"

"Whatever you say-" He followed her, bursting into the top floor where Alex had already started ghosting on the patrolling pair of guards fast and swiftly. "You're not bad, where'd you learn to fight?"

"Weeks of training, actually!" She flipped the last guard to the wall hard. "Hey, I'll go around covering you, try not to be seen!"

"Read you loud and clear," Lincoln brushed away, not feeling eager to be confined from the violence.

Alex wandered away, leaving Lincoln to do a sweep of the rooms. And from front to start, there wasn't of anything useful to him. Not until he came to the near-end, the room on the far end left. He saw it and he didn't understand the significance of the large mechanism, this metal contraption. A grand scientific creation that took up most of the room, save for the average desktop occupied by a computer monitor and files.

He looked upon the files to learn of it. The name of it, an Ulti-Matrix Portal.

Temporal displacement, it said. Time. Time travel.

_A time travel machine...?_

The files, both the explanatory notes and the blueprints-

_What is it? What has to be changed to make this a better world? _

The blueprints, the literal recipe to brew one of these bad boys up was right there. And surely it had to mean something. And he made it mean something, and fast. When Alex was busy, while she was, he turned it on, blueprints now folded and tucked beneath his arm, stuck in between it and his side.

_Jordan Leak... Your humble patriot was president years ago. Him, he has to go first... One fine day in 2015 sounds nice... Back when you were in office still..._

And the Freight way had helped him in that regard; the way of the bomb, homemade.

_Yes, that has to be it. The future must be cemented properly... One fine day in 2015._

Lincoln set the date coordinates into the screen pad. The machine did its magic, activating on a whim, the large, swirling oval of perfect blue. It was there, right at hand's reach, all he had to do was enter-

"Stop, Lincoln!" Luna held him back, pulling him away from the portal. "You're done, you and your ragtag buddies are all done."

He lost his footing and the blueprints, having them fall out into the floor. "Urgh!"

"Little bro..." Lynn shot her hand out and helped him up. "Is it really you?"

"Little-?"

"Get him down, Lynn!" Luna boomed. "Keep him down!"

"Lynn-" Lincoln slapped his sister's hand away, stumbling back up. "No way-"

"Where are the others, Lincoln?" Luna demanded, tail whipping out again. "Don't make me beat it out of you."

"Geez, Luna, I thought you had super sense of smell, what gives?"

"He's the only person I picked up on!" Luna tried sniffing the air. "Yeah, just him."

"What is this thing?" Lynn circled both Lincoln and Luna, observing the time machine. "What were you doing?"

"No, not now!" Lincoln raged. "Not here!"

"Lynn!" Luna had to grab Lincoln herself. "Shut that thing off, we're cutting our losses!"

"They wanted all of them!"

""This is the best we can do for now," Luna accepted. "But we'll have the rest soon enough!"

Alex returned with a glass base of acid, applying it right into Luna's face. It shattered away, the liquid splashing right into Luna's face. The fragments also got around, sticking into her face. It burned her entire face in a matter of seconds, her vision deteriorating rapidly. She screamed like never before, the peak of her high pitch presented upon the audience. Next, Alex worked and slashed Lynn's throat with the broken handle, then repeatedly into her abdomen.

Lincoln made a dive for the blueprints. "Damn right, you're good!"

"MY FACE!" Luna's hands, twitching right in front of her melting face, didn't care connect upon it. "I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T- LYNN?!"

"L-Luna-" Lynn drooled and gagged on her blood, helpless to help Luna. "Hang-"

Alex led her on a spin and directed her right onto Luna. "Know defeat through me!"

Lincoln made a break into the portal. "Thanks for all your help, I'll take it from here!"

"What-?" She saw the portal and lost. "NO, WAIT, WAIT, DON'T YOU DARE!"

He went in, disappearing into the portal, leaving the color of her face to be drained. "NONONONO, COME BACK! COME BACK HERE!"

_Luna... _Lynn pulled her older sister close to her. _Your face..._

"What's happening, Lynn?!" Luna was lost, shifting her head frantically. "I can't see anything- My eyes, my eyes hurt so much..."

"You're okay, Lunes, you're fine-"

Acidface.

"LINCOLN LOUD!"

**2015**

Before Jordan Leak would enter his office, before the explosion and untimely death happened, blame panned on the Freights, there was that very special guest who snuck in and entered into the White House. This was a younger Lincoln Loud, the one still embedded within the Freight faction, of a fresh scar, the one and only, that was engraved onto the side of his forehead. This very one set the bomb, ready for the future to be paved.

This was how the fated Lincoln Loud came to be.

Except... The other Lincoln showed up- Specifically, the one ahead from the same timeline. The one where Luna, Linka, Leven and more have died. The one where Dylan Blood had become the victor, besting the Louds through bloody means. This was the one the Timeline X Lincoln was here to stop. And when the first two Lincoln were arguing about this, about changing the timeline/keeping the timeline without their intervention, the third Lincoln- Him- Had come into the party.

This Lincoln, from a timeline just as bad as the main one, eager to ensure there would be a better timeline. Why couldn't it be possible?

* * *

**Timeline X's main story arc has ended, but the Timeline X special is all that's left. Three Lincoln Louds, meeting in the very same night as shown on the first chapter. **

**Next arc is American Albino, the complete eleven-chapter arc that will reshape the main timeline. You'll come to see. **


	55. Chapter 55

**Timeline X Special: Her Name Was Leni**

* * *

_Somewhere, somewhere in a faraway land, I'm happy._

The house wasn't hers, but it paralleled her own in many ways than met the eye. It waa sturdy, but creaky. And lonely without her, so she felt obligated to keep it company. This was something like a haunted house- Only she was the ghost that placed that status on it, because she was reported missing, maybe dead for all she cared. Dead was the blonde, broken, once ditzy and slow.

_Not now, and not today._

The night was dark, but young. The air flowed its breeze through the broken windows, smacking against the doors, blowing them open or closed, and then causing them to rattle back and forth. The hollow of the house was perfect and empty. Perfectly empty.

_Why isn't anyone here? Where are they?_

Leni tucked herself away on the abandoned bedroom, sitting down in front of it. Sad and alone. Same old song that never changed for this playlist. Sad and alone...

_I miss you, Lori..._

Nothing to cling onto. Their voices, their faces, vastly fading from memory. Any single day now, she'd forget them all, right down to their names. Currently, Leni needed a change in clothes. The sweater she wore, one of Lori's, had been smelling like gym clothes for a good while. No, all of her clothes, actually. The sweater, her bra beneath, which made her cold at nighttime, the green shorts, her bikini and the small white socks were due for a laundry day.

_Why didn't you come back?_

And Leni was shattered from within.

_I'm a symbol of all your failures, my existence yet-_

The place was still lonely, devoid of life. Could she, frail, skinny and in poor condition, say she was alive? The life of a broken doll who knew what suffering was, she was the idea. Starving again, stomach rumbling, and her arms, from a body that fit an anorexic type, too weak to move. And that other girl, the one who had found her and had been coming around, leaving various types of food- The non-perishables and hot meals wrapped in tinfoil, and if this girl made those killer milkshakes, then those were good as well.

Men's guardian angel was a teenager of tan skin, not too much, not too light, just about right. The stranger was a basic hipster, so implied by her fashion choices that betrayed her. Tour average casual one with her brown hair tied back in a ponytail, save for a layer of bangs sticking out. The angel was due her return right this second, and Leni could have been extra happy for the latter's arrival; Leni was that hungry right now.

_Come home, come home..._

Still creaky, wooden steps looking like they would crumble apart. She dared not move back down to the first floor.

_I'm not home._

Nothing to do. Contained. Confined. Condemned.

_I am far from home._

The cheekbones, too visible for her own good, became exposed to her empty, silent tears again- And Leni stuck her tongue out to catch the driplets to lick and swallow, and they would always be salty and distasteful. It wasn't ever enough, yet she insisted. She wanted to, the basic function of an organism, and the main one, was to live. It was built in her before she came out of mother's womb, and yet...

For all the time that she was alone, she brought it into question.

_Why am I still-?_

Her, but not her, the others. Mom, dad and Lucy, lives consumed in the fire. The abandonment by Lisa, Lincoln and Lori. The banishment of Luna. The dissembling of the family when it tried so hard to pick itself up from the remains. It tried, they tried...

She wanted it to work, for the empty gaps to be stretched by themselves and filled into, and she tried.

She failed... Or was it on them? Was everyone a failure?

Who was to say?

And then, downstairs, she heard the kicking-in of the dusty, dirty door. Someone came in, not the sweetheart angel, but a new person, the second stranger in her life entered the fray, footsteps closing in, echoing through the house. She could tell they were coming up because of the sudden creaking that followed along.

With no will to fight, no energy in her body to even remotely get up, she let out powerless moans and tilted her head from one side to the other. The state of decay showed no mercy to her, the sunlight had yet to shower her from head to toe; Leni was afraid of the world before, the lie it presented.

The world's most beautiful lie was that of which she lived for the first half of her life, up to sixteen, that was so long ago. Barely able to be grasped. She could blink, envision and recollect it... And nothing. In the end, the bittersweet nothing that prolonged her life, leaving her with nothing. Voices faded, the faces were already too blurry, damped up in a foggy spectacle. Forgettable.

Forgotten.

Maybe it was death itself coming to finally end her sad, miserable life. And it came in, to greet her, a quiet, deadly welcome. The entity, an actual man, appeared in. He, of muscle and a height that dominated hers, looked like a ghost. His skin was cold and pale, moreso than hers, and his hair- It was white and long, of which she knew he needed a haircut. Funny, he was freshly shaven, presenting no beard at all.

Hair white... Why was that familiar to her?

He studied her, but his eyes, they were hidden away, locked from view, as if that wasn't strange enough. The silhouette put himself in front of her, head rotated downwards. Leni hadn't noticed it before, but on his left hand, firmly placed alongside to his side, there was a funny-shaped object in the near shape of an L. Leni might have been a sweet cinnamon roll once before, but she knew a handgun when she saw it.

A handgun, one such physical embodiment of death- And him, the handler.

If it meant what she thought it meant, she had it solved. One single bullet to wash it all way, to drain the dreaded sorrow from the soul. Here, Leni could only draw a perfect smile.

* * *

**AN: You know how this ended up from the original source material, it only ended one way, the only way, for poor Leni. Additional scenes will continue from here later on. **

**I made an oopsie in the previous chapter, it seems. Ugh. **


	56. Chapter 56

**For the next eleven chapters, things will be different and heavily Lincoln-centric, a thing of its own. You are no longer in main Dawn territory. **

**Lyrics to If You Want Blood by AC/DC and Army Of Me by Chimaira**

* * *

**"When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, you are being ruled by criminals."**

**-Edward Snowden**

* * *

_It's criminal_

_There ought to be a law_

_Criminal_

_There ought to be a whole lot more _

_You get nothin' for nothin'_

_Tell me who can you trust_

_We got what you want_

_And you got the lust_

_If you want blood, you got it_

_If you want blood, you got it_

_Blood on the streets_

_Blood on the rocks_

_Blood in the gutter_

_Every last drop_

_You want blood_

_You got it_

* * *

**2015**

_Realities can be rewritten, timelines can change... This I came to find out for myself. I did it once as I've come to realize him, and I did it again by stopping what it was I altered in the first place. Can you imagine it?_

Lincoln did it again. He time traveled to the same point in time of the past, the very night the life of current president Jordan Leak had been claimed by the Freights, as suggested by the message left behind. Lincoln was shocked once to find that the very assailant behind it was no other than himself, a younger version of himself the first time around. That version was the one he managed to stop in belief that the Freights wouldn't get the attention of the nation as big as they've gotten it, which meant their crumbling from within. But you know how that timeline went. One spared president made for Timeline X, a nastier future where Alliance Association existed instead of the Patriot Division, and the whole high-up infrastructure were the evil madmen far worse than Lisa. President Peter McMahon and his men, the pheno resistance, and the public likely living in fear of both sides.

That couldn't happen. They were as good as dead, and would have been permanently. No, he decided it wouldn't be, and so it was that he went back in, stopping the second Lincoln from keeping Timeline X intact.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lincoln tackled the would-be savior, the one intending to save Lily, keeping his hands away from the youngest Lincoln there. Three Lincoln Louds of different times in the White House, not even you were expecting that, right? "Let go, you stubborn fool!"

"Leak has to die!" The youngest Lincoln there never broke away from his own beliefs. "Freights have to rise so that we can rise from their ashes! Don't you see that?!"

"This life isn't what I wanted!" Savior Lincoln protested. "Luna dies! Many die! We will be forced to kill a kid, is that what we rise to become?!"

The current Lincoln had news for them. "I understand that... I don't want anyone innocent to die, but this won't help! Where do you think I'm from?! You there, you had to have been the one who created a worse mess!"

Both other Lincolns went silent, the Savior Lincoln ceasing his struggling from the main one's arms. "You- No, you can't be from there! There's no way you've come from-"

"It's worse... Leak and McMahon exterminate most phenos. It's a war zone in America, you don't want that, I would rather stay in what we've had. It's no worse than whatever it was you've seen."

"Then... This is pointless..." Savior Lincoln sighed, feeling hopeless. "Time travel won't be invented in awhile... Not around today."

"No, but I have this for you..." Lincoln pulled out his blueprints and handed it to Savior Lincoln. "You go back to your own timeline now. Make this and live with the life you have..."

Timeline X Lincoln had planned to use it for himself... But here, seeing what had been tried- That this wasn't the first time altering the timeline as he believed, it made him consider applying a very special punishment onto himself. And that punishment in question? Lincoln give up his one way ticket to the present- A dead present from a timeline that would no longer exist. By that logic, by all of thi, it only ever meant one thing- It it were accurate.

"I guess you will too, won't you?" Savior Lincoln asked.

"No, I'm... I'm going to stay here, actually."

_That one will go back to his present, after the death of Lily had passed, this I'm sure of. As for the younger version of me-_

"What about your-?"

"If you go back to the present, it will erase the place I'm from- And I might be erased... So go..."

"I trust you can manage," Savior Lincoln told his younger counterpart, and to Timeline X Lincoln, "be wary of Dylan Blood, that's all I can say."

"We can handle it," young Lincoln confirmed. "Get going, both of you, I got a place to rig."

_That's how we left off; the Lincoln who sought out change returned to live in the timeline where Luna, Lily and others remained dead. The one where Dylan Blood was destined to reign in, and we were all doomed there. I hated to think, to know that it was going to come back to me full circle. I only had one punishment for trying to ensure that we'd all survive, and that was to be stuck in the past, aging and watching the events unfold a different way, but I had some advantages through intuition. _

_Now, I didn't know how time travel really worked, but I made a theory that I would be bumping into that Lincoln I sent packing. And if that was going to happen, then things would definitely be weird. In any case, the fun would double... And just maybe I would get to do it right, changing the right things this time. Let's see how that goes. _

* * *

**American Albino, Chapter I: Whistleblower**

* * *

**Days Later**

And he'd be fucking drinking at bars over the next few days, and in those few days, he felt alone, condemned to a hell far worse than death. He was around to know that the year's version of Lincoln lived in 1216 Franklin Avenue with a lot of normal sisters, none of them suspecting how fucked up the turn in their lives would get them. This, he could not wish to try and prevent, for the outcomes were as unpredictable as a mist. It wasn't even that reason where he deemed it the main one to justify his reluctance to change how they lived.

The cold hard truth was complex as it was simple; Lincoln had felt his eyes were open to the real estate of the world. In simple terms, coming from the Freight ideology he'd remolded to fit his own, the concept of a normal, happy life was a false one. It blinded, it deceived, and it played with one's heart, this was how he rationalized it. The darkness that was in his head was liberating just as it was ugly. His life had not been in shackles leading him astray to that beautiful lie, so there was that. He sensed that he knew all because he simply understood what there was in the darkness, how hardened his stomach and head was due to all the killing, and just how soulless he had become from then to now. He might have been truly gone if anyone were to look at him and make a wild guess, but still...

Still... The birth of that darker Lincoln Loud would only be born on the seventeenth of May next year... Assuming that he hasn't existed in traces beforehand.

Lincoln took to a stool at the bar counter. "Gimme the hardest thing you've got tonight."

"Coming right up, Loud," the male bartender nodded, wiping his hands with a small towel.

He could use the nice dose Forget-Your-Troubles milk, and he sorely needed it. "Thanks."

And there was a girl nearby who had her eyes on him. This girl, somewhere in her early twenties, had seen him a few times already, carefully gathering that he was some stray, a poor bastard with overly sufficient thoughts on his mind. There was usually a tale to tell behind every guy's face, whoever it was to show up. And Chloe Binsley was keen on guessing what troubled them.

Chloe Binsley was American-Italian, a light brunette with a pixie cut that was near identical to Luna's, but only longer and messy. Not to mention her own threads screamed out rave party girl, laid out perfectly in a leather jacket, black leggings with torn jean shorts, and heavy boots. The girl was as classic as they came in. She turned on her back and stepped backwards, smoothly smacking her arms on the surface of the counter. She turned her head to the side, following his direction. "Hiyah."

The bartender delivered Lincoln's drink, eyeing him and the lady yearning for his attention. "Uh, sir-"

"I know," Lincoln informed the employee, grabbing his drink to take a long sip of whatever he was having. And he didn't like how it burned into him, going down his throat. It was strong, but so was he, and the face on him didn't break for shit. "Ahh, that's good, man."

Chloe pretended she had not just been ignored by the likes of him. "Hey, mister albino man..." She closed in on him, decreasing the distance between them. "Where can a girl like me-" Her voice went calm and purely seductive, a horny moth to a flame. "-Get a hair job like that?"

He never batted an eye, even when her pair of lips were close to his ear, and the faint smell of bourbon reeked out from her. She had too much to drink, she was dead drunk, and Lincoln didn't want to leave, that being said, he also wished to not stick around Miss Drunk Pants. He turned to her and firmly went, "I'm not interested."

"Oh- Oh, well that's okay, honey boo! That's okay, I want to give-" She burped into his ear without so much as a hint of shame. "-I want to give you a good time tonight..."

Lincoln went back, minding his own business with another sip.

"H-hey, come on..." Chloe was a persistent woman where it counted, and tonight, it surely did. "I've seen you around these past few days. You never walk in with someone, never leave with a girl either. Why's that? Huh?"

Lincoln had been getting annoyed by the big mouth. "I just want to be alone."

"For...?" Chloe slammed her hand on the counter area in front of him. "No, I don't buy that! Come on, I am- Guilty, I'm totally into you... Just one night, you, me, and all our clothes are thrown to the side."

He merely raised an eyebrow. "You come here to get laid every night, do you?"

"Wh-what- No!" Chloe denied it, shaking her head violently. "I just want the special ones. The interesting ones-" The bartender had gone to serve other patrons at the other end. "Oh, well, he could vouch for me, I'm a regular-"

"A regular drunk," Lincoln poked fun at her. "Either way, I don't want sex from random women."

"Hi, I'm Chloe!" The pixie-cut girl sat herself down next to him without permission. "And you are...?"

"Under the impression you're not going to let this go, are you?" If it was fated to be, Lincoln surely rushed it, drinking up his only drink he'd have tonight.

"What was your first clue, baby boy?"

Next thing you'd know, Lincoln left the bar in the same fashion, no longer pestered by the Chloe girl. That's frankly because he said yes to it, albeit reluctant. She wrapped her arms around him like any lucky-go gal would with her significant other, giggling away at the thought of fucking the albino man.

And for the first half, once he had returned to the crappy motel a pair of blocks down, she had him where she wanted, in bed and completely naked. She had no way of knowing his muscly build until she saw for herself, and she surely loved what she saw. In that very second, Chloe was riding him hard as if there would be no tomorrow to wake up to. Her pussy wpuld hurt in the next morning over, but right now, the fun and warm, genuine pleasure of his penis filled her emptiness, marking it closer for him to try and spray and fill her with his seed, not that she sought to get pregnant, but that direct sensation of bursting cum that erupted into her spot- it was the best thing she had never been used to feeling. "Oh, God- Oh, God yes!"

Lincoln let it happen as mother nature had written him. He blew his load into her, and hoped it was over by then. He wasn't counting on female company, and not this close. He could have done without it, another night without passion, another night being the lone wolf in the world without a care in the world. He saw Chloe as nothing but a joke dealt to him by the cards of fate, and these types of jokes were the ones he despised the most. All she represented, mockery to him.

Chloe laid down on him after pulling off of him, remnants of his cum dripping from her vagina and onto the bed. "Ahhh, you surely know how to show a girl a good time!"

"I didn't do anything except lie here," Lincoln sassaed, rolling his eyes.

"Don't be so modest, mister albino man," Chloe laughed, poking the tip of his nose. "Tell you what, I'm gonna hit the shower, cause you know..."

_She said something I couldn't hear, my state of mind had fled reality, once again thinking over my current situation. It was here that I realized something that might be critical; I am technically the Lincoln of the alternate timeline, and that means I am unbound to the rules if we're going by DC Comics. Yeah, that's right, I'm familiar with Flash comics, read them in my underwear, would probably still if I read them today. Honestly, I'm not a hundred percent sure, and it fucks with my head. I wonder hos shocked my sisters and others will be when they meet me, older Lincoln, when I return to the proper time. _

_If it doesn't drive me insane._

"Hey, what's with the look?" Chloe grabbed her partner's arm to lure him out forcibly. "If you won't shower-"

"Mmmm..." He got up, swiftly moving to the bathroom to shut her up. It made her smile, and snicker when she eyed his buns. It might not have been necessarily a bad thing tonight, but the company of a lively human... "What did you say your name was?"

"Cuh-Chloe Binsley, sir," she firmly answered, love twinkling in her eyes. "What's yours...?"

"Li-" It hit him, why would he have to be truthful? Case in point, it wasn't necessary for him to give his info out like this. What was it, what was the name of that alias Clyde McBride had laid out on him to use? Jerry... Jerry something- It clicked back. "Jerry Cruise."

He got into the shower, turning the faucet of the showerhead on. Chloe didn't make it over, left confused by something. "B-but that bartender called you Loud, and I know he didn't mean the word."

"What?" Lincoln didn't turn around, letting the water shine and flow onto his face. "You coming in?"

Chloe stuttered for a second before joining him, closing the shower. She neared him to get her share of water and took it upon herself to grab the soap and rub it on the albino's body. "M-may I?"

"Knock yourself out, Chloe," Lincoln allowed.

There were those soft, slow brushes from the girl shorter than him were drawn with ease. It was as if she moved majestically- No, she was- Careful to not make it an uncomfortable experience for him. She seemed to really care, giving it her all to clean every part of his body. His eyes were closed, but he didn't have to see to know how calm tranquil she felt to be, and once she was done running the soap bar, she let it fall on the tub. It made a medium thud, making a splash on impact. Chloe moved to wrap herself around Lincoln, hugging him and laying the side of her head against his muscular chest, saying nothing.

All he could do was give it to her, to let her have it. Maybe this wasn't a joke after all.

**The Next Day**

He zipped his pants, another step in getting dressed. No plans to stay the next day over, but he could have. Problem was, the extra time he gained here, it was a hard, heavy weight that had yet to make him ravenous. He made his choice already, whether or not it was a horrible decision, and had to accept the consequences of his actions. This, he had to live with. Literally live with, and no outside contact from those he knew. There was no issue in doing so, he believed. Not yet, at least. "Thanks for the hospitality, Chloe, I'll see myself out."

Chloe walked around in a white top and a thong, heating up breakfast on the microwave. "Wait, you're leaving so soon? Mister albino man, why the rush?"

"Gotta see something about a man..." His lies weren't well thought of. "Today's a hard day."

"You sure you don't want some breakfast?" Chloe tapped on the fridge. "I've filled up on hot pockets-

The knocking on the door spooked Chloe quiet, driving her to retreat further into the kitchen, pulling out a knife from the drawers. It grew louder and fiercer, becoming banging at this point. "BINSLEY, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

"No, no fucking way-" The pixie-cut woman silently moved to the bed in her tiptoes, lifting the covers on the edge and planting the knife downward. "Hey, please- Please don't talk-"

"Chloe, who is that?" Lincoln sensed trouble incoming. "Hey, talk to me-"

The person outside broke through the door, barging in with three other men behind him. A closer look from Lincoln had told him he was looking at a pack of Neo-Nazis, skinheads with white power ideals, which somehow Chloe was involved with. They were all bald, heavily tattooed and brandishing handguns for show. "Oh, Chloe, you... Dirty, little slut you."

"R-Rex-" Chloe was betrayed by the fear in her voice, giving the leader of the pack a cruel smile as he approached her. With the gun in his hand, he smacked it across Chloe, striking her head. She fell with a hard grain, bleeding from her forehead, lying on the floor.

"Hey!" Lincoln's hatred reached the surface as it would, body moving on its own to make an attack, but the guns on him prevented him. "Goddamn it!"

"Uh-uh-uh, don't be a hero, you bastard," the leader warned. "You try, I shoot you dead."

Chloe had begun sobbing from below. "Rex, p-please don't-"

"This is your final warning, Chloe! I can't kill you yet until I get what you've taken from me!" The brute leader aimed his gun at Chloe, thinking to shoot her. "You know what to do, you know where to go. Come tonight with the package or you die."

"Y-yes... Yes-" Chloe agreed fearfully.

"Boys, head out..." The skinheads took their exit, the sadistic leader keeping eyes on Lincoln as he walked out of there freely, smile on him never fading for a reason. And that was the reason that made Lincoln decide that maybe, just maybe...

Lincoln reached out to Chloe, helping her up. "Hey, you okay? What the fuck was that?"

"It- It's nothing, Jerry, I'm fine- I'll- I'll be fine-" But the tone of her voice suggested otherwise. The tone, akin to the lifeless. The lifeless. "I'll-"

"Chloe..." Lincoln placed her down on the bed, and himself next to her. "They just held guns to my face and hurt you, that shit doesn't sit well with me, so talk..."

"I can't-"

"Talk or I call the cops, I didn't come here looking for trouble, Chloe!"

"No! No cops, I beg you!" She wiped herself free of the tears. "Okay, okay, I'll talk- I'll talk- Just d-don't...-"

_So she told me everything right down to the bone. She was a troublemaker of the bad kind. She admitted to doing drugs, drinking, being a completely crazy woman for her age, and It was almost surprising for me to hear it, to take it in. She was also a definite sex addict and I was the latest victim to fall to this lustful siren. As for what happened next, she came across Rex Rick and his gang, trading her body for product they had. It went well for a bit, but she forced herself clean, or tried to, and wound up breaking away from them. Only issue was, she took a cocaine package from them for herself. Here was where it got worse; she insisted on forcing herself that she could be clean, so she made herself dispose of the drug, emptying it out inside a dumpster. She didn't have it, but they assumed she did, and Chloe obviously could not reveal that fact. She had until tonight to deliver the drugs back to them, but I knew better. I knew that her life had been on forfeit already._

_And I could not back out of this now. _

"Where is this place, this hideout of theirs?"

"South side of town, eastward, there's an abandoned psychiatric ward, that's where..." Chloe shook her head. "Don't ever think of going there, Rex has more guys than what you've seen. Please, don't do this-"

"Chloe-"

"I don't know, I don't know how they found me! I fucked up... I really fucked up by not leaving."

He sought to correct the chaos. "Hey, it'll be okay. You can make it out, can't you?"

"No..." Chloe sobbed. "Now they know, they'll be trailing the both of us if we're together. I'm- I'm trapped-" Her voice trembled like an earthquake, the fear being too much for her. "I don't wanna die..."

Lincoln lowered the iron walls around his heart, reaching out to Chloe by giving her a kiss to remedy her blizzard of fear. He felt her calm dramatically, unsure of how fast her heart had been beating. This had to calm her down, make her relax. Not what his ideal getaway from the present mess was, but at least he started down low again. If only the world was at peace... The world, at... Peace...

Pulling back, he went over to cover her cranium injury, seeing to it that he'd take care of her, and then plan something.

**Later**

It had to be him to go at it alone, and on his way out, he surely saw a purple low rider classic vehicle that had all the right signs to be affiliated with the wrong people. Inside, two gang members of dark skin, undoubtedly allies of the skinned, turned their eyes on Lincoln from across the street they'd been parked at. Lincoln sped-walked down the sidewalk to the right, and the low rider ignited on, pulling out to make a U-turn just as Lincoln noticed.

They followed him instead of focusing on their real target, how foolishly idiotic, but it was what he hoped on if anything. He broke into a run, racing down the next block before turning to the right to lose them. He entered an apartment complex when he found one, stopping the vehicle right to where he'd been lost. The two affiliates had to exit their whip to keep up with Lincoln, giving chase after him with Uzis being carried around.

Lincoln entered the laundry room of the apartment building, ducking behind the last washer on the end while the gang members passed by, sprinting rapidly but quietly, ready to kill. But then, so was he, and after they had passed, Lincoln followed, sneaking out of the room and quickly tackling down the member closest to him, one arm around his neck and the other taking control of the Uzi. He sprayed all the bullets it had onto the other gang member, letting a ripping noise take the air by surprise. While that was an easy kill, this next one wasn't.

Lincoln had to choke the last one out with his bare hands, which he did, taking long for it to happen. The strain, the pressure applied to squeeze, it all seemed to sting his eyes and head when he made contact with the man's face, it having been red, gagging for dear life, a fresh breath of air. This could not be, the killing had to happen, all he had to do was avoid his face and keep pushing harder. And then, the life went away in the gangster, depleting and leaving the corpse.

These two were down, but the check-in would be missed with the skinheads, putting them on alert. He walked it back, leaving the bodies and guns as they were.

Regarding Chloe, he had to get her out of town as fast as humanly possible. Save her, and that was the end of it. This was more isolated than the Alliance Association shit he put up with. Still, challenges galore. When he went back to her, he had her in his arms to comfort her. She was a lifeless doll, beautiful but stripped of emotion. Chloe's grazed scar had to heal, and he helped by keeping a towel applied to it.

And here, with her, alone and confined to the motel room for the time being, the iron walls were no more. His heart, it felt funny, it felt weird. It felt the same sensation all too strange for not having enough time to be felt by him, and familiar because he felt the same way before. He felt these butterflies. With Ronnie Anne. With Rebekka Letenko.

With his own sister Lori, the incestuous feelings of romance that plagued his sinful soul.

"I'll get you out of here, Chloe," Lincoln swore on her soul. "I'll do it for you, I'll kill them all."

"Jer-" She thought he was being humble, locking hands with him but never turning her eyes to him. "They're all hardened neo-nazis- You can't- You'll die."

_If only you knew..._

"I know a place," she opened up. "I know a place where I can lay low... Will you help me get there?"

"Yes, of course I will..."

_So she told me where they were, and she felt trapped, needed to escape town. They'd find her and kill her even if we did relocate, that was a possibility. Knowing me... I knew a great deal of people would have to die just so Chloe could live- And this poor girl was scared, no doubt about that. I've just killed their two scouts, that created a closing window. _

_I stopped being silly, and I decided to go to this psychiatric ward. _

He picked her up and laid her back in bed. "I'm going out for something-"

"But Jerry-" Chloe turned her body towards him, pulling his arms. "You just came back."

"I... Tend to feel cooped up in small spaces."

"Jerry- No, I don't-" Chloe leaned up and wrapped herself around him. "Don't leave, don't leave..."

"Chlo-" She cut him off by kissing him, desperation and incentive to keep him here.

She pulled back and sniffed, closing her eyes, head buried upon his chest. "I love your company, you- You make me feel safe... Jerry-"

He hugged her back. She needed it, she felt rather broken.

"Don't leave-"

"I won't," Lincoln whispered back. "I won't leave."

**Later - Clandestine Psychiatric Facility**

He arrived by walking it when he should not have. The window was already closing faster than expected, the cops were to arrive and respond to the shootings earlier- He did just kill two of this Rex person's lackeys. It was empty, a place of desolation, forgotten by time but not by the meth cookers that turned it into a lab. The natural drug cycle, or just one part of it. Ever seen Death Sentence? It was almost as if Lincoln has stepped into that realm. The rectangular building, shackles caving in, moss upon the wall, dirty windows when they weren't cracked. They had to be in there, they just had to.

And then, if they weren't-

Lincoln came in through a window on the left side of the first floor, sneaking into a room occupied by several of the skinheads. Steel operating tables around, full of chemicals and some weapons like nobody's business, and the odorous smell of it-

A beautiful sawed-off shotgun awaited him right on the corner of the table, having gone neglected by the skinheads occupied over another table, snorting in the crystal through their noses. Gladly, he picked up the weapon and approached the gang of four.

_None of that superhuman shit anymore..._

He used the shotgun as a melee weapon, heaving it right into one's head. Left one knocked out cold, but the challenge came when they panicked, screamed and attacked him. Lincoln did as he could, swinging the shotgun at them like a baton- At one point did he toss it right into one of the skinheads' chest and threw a punch while they grabbed it. Lincoln spun around on the third one after picking up the shotgun again, blowing away their face in point blank range. The fourth guy broke into submission and knew to retreat- Had no chance to run from him when he fired again into his legs, immobilizing the skinhead.

"AGH, MY LEGS- MY-" Lincoln jammed the barrel into the downed thug's mouth, shutting him up.

"Where is Rex?"

"Mmmmmfff-"

_Yeah, I fired away and basically alerted the complex. Here they come..._

And indeed, the rest of the skinheads rushed to the source of the gunfire, weapons drawn out for this battle. Handguns, shotguns and compact full-autos loaded for firefight. This was his MO, the home front for Lincoln. The place of red and black. Death, bloody death he was adjusted to.

He pulled the trigger again, turning the skinhead into messy mash potato up close and personal. The top of their head, barely lingering on, hanging so lowly and droopy, another bloody kill for the count.

_Death is welcome with me! Death is defined by me!_

The gang thugs came sprawling from the upper levels, yelling orders and giving each other the repeated orders. "Protect the product!"

"Kinny and Johnny-Boy are so dead!"

Rex Rick, the one they had all answered to, shouted from the third level down. The Uzi at hand swung around with his arm, white shirt hanging out like a drape, being long and awkwardly for his physique.

Rex Rick shouted to the crew. "WHOEVER HAS THE FAGGOT'S HEAD BROUGHT TO ME WILL HAVE A TEN PERCENT INCREASE OF THE NEXT SALES!"

Lincoln relocated quickly, heading upwards via the stairwell. Three of the neo-nazis came down to greet him with their loaded bullets. Bullets that could've been meant for Chloe if not for him being here, here to say no in the deadliest way possible. He threw the shotgun up, unloading the rest of the buckshot shells, rupturing the plank stair steps and the three goons unlucky- or maybe they were, to have quickly been blown away by him. The rounds on his weapon quickly went empty, so he dropped the boomstick and scavenged the mutilated corpses. One large Uzi and a simple Beretta popgun for his amusement, when he was wishing he had brought himself a better weapon back from his timeline.

Yeah, that happened, and there was just no accounting for future fights until they came. Like now.

They'd have heard the next firing session, running around to follow him. He could circle it, lead them like a train, and maybe if he was further ahead, he could attack from behind. The environment could also be of help. Up the second floor, he was introduced to a messy floor of dirt, glass and other material scattered about. Glass- He saw glass and a gas canister up on a table. Wait...

Gas canister plus glass- _Bingo!_

Seven of them entered after him, slowly creeping up like a jungle unit during the 'Nam campaign of an era long ago. You know, the war that had the homeboys pull out of the foreign country? Still a loss that dared leave some generals and friends kicking in the dirt- And those young veterans that remained were almost grateful. The group of thugs separated, taking the entire floor- the lunchroom- one step at a time. Lincoln himself hid in the corner of the kitchen, Uzi readied.

They closed in, moving around the table holding the gas canister and the glass shards Lincoln quickly set around. This may have been, to them, some silly gangland shootout on some regular weeknight, but not to him. Never to him. War was war, the unspoken zone where the mud got into your eyes when they were then bloodshot. You could have seen it if you were there once. The screaming and the crying. The endless struggle to fight for survival, to end the enemy before they did you in, shot you in the face for an easy kill, battered your skull in with three or four strikes with the gun they've been issues. Grenades and tripwires rigged to blow when you set them off.

This was just that, war. Another case, another small battle in the heart of another war zone. They'll say otherwise, this was homeland soil, and no war hit home. Well, they were wrong, and he knew it as the truth. This was war, and he was merely the stroke of death, working to return the devil's pawns back to hell.

He lunged out of cover, pulling the trigger and releasing the mag's rounds right into the canister. He blew it up as they fired back, dismantling the horde of criminals. The glass shards flew into their bodies, and a few only had the privilege to be lit by the incendiary blast radius, engulfed in flames. The screamed in agony and they burned- But Lincoln was only as merciful as anyone could have believed. The downed ones, all of them alive but wounded, were the ones then executed one at a time, with a single round of the Beretta to the head.

_Which one of these was that Rex person? They all look the same when dead like this. _

They were a lot, had to be one or a few left around, hiding in cover, protecting the head honcho. Had to be.

Lincoln reloaded and moved inbound upwards, storming the stairs. "REX, YOU'RE LOSING YOUR JUNKIES REAL FAST! GIVE YOURSELF UP WILLINGLY-"

And someone had the funny idea to tear upon the wooden steps with an Uzi from above, free-firing about all over. It only sped things up for Lincoln, making him run up the steps faster. He made it to the third floor, but there was no way of circling around now.

Rex Rick was quick to castigate the moron who ripped through the planks. "NO, YOU'RE GOING TO GET US CORNERED!"

"I- I shot the-" the goof skinhead tried to reason, "I mean-"

"Get- All of you, with me!" Rex clamored. "We're taking the south staircase!"

Lincoln hurried up, trying to get his target before the closing of the window. And, believing Lincoln to be able to hear him, Red did scream back. "I KNOW YOUR VOICE! YOU'RE THAT MAGGOT WHO SHACKED UP WITH THAT BINSLEY BITCH, AIN'T YA?! TELL YOU WHAT-"

Lincoln reached through the floor just as Rex and his crew were over halfway to the other end.

"I'LL SKIN THE LITTLE PRINCESS ALIVE JUST FOR YOU!"

The albino pushed in, aimed and fired the Uzi and Beretta at once, hitting at the final pack of thugs his eyes had spotted. Down fell three of the final five there were, and none of them were Rex. The handgun was dropped, leaving only the auto in his grasp. Lincoln followed the last two, running full throttle, losing air and dispersing out energy to waste. He dare not blink as he faced the devil in his prime, considering Chloe's safety.

Chloe.

The chase had him go back down to where he started from. Right now, Rex had the advantage, having jumped into his whip, a Camaro of the late 70s with the only other member of the gang. They sped, passing from the side to the front of the old hospital- and drove into a trap. Lincoln had burst out out of the main entrance and sprayed upon them as they drove by. The passenger was struck upside the head with three rounds, and the car had lost itself, the wheels of the right side popped flat, and Rex lost control. "No-"

Lincoln jumped to align himself behind, now taking aim at Rex himself. _That's it... You didn't see it coming, you didn't see me coming. Best to tell the devil who sent you. _

Rex swiped for his own pistol and whipped it out of the window, screaming for bloody murder. And his arm, his head, and his chest received the mercy of the Ungodly Stormbringer, carnage for the forensics crew to analyze and clean up. His destiny was on a steel table, written for the crematorium.

And that was it, that was the end of tonight's massacre, and not a single bullet had struck him, not a single blow or scathe attack. A lucky feat that wasn't, and proved to be, dependant of his superhuman durability and strength. Missed it a whole lot less, but the albino was still a mortal.

Still human.

Not a human.

_There... There you are, Chloe. I've scratched that itch on your back..._

It brought him a genuine satisfaction to know that he had saved her, the warm feel that burned the fire in his heart. Chloe was out of harm's way, safe until she got old.

Or so he thought.

* * *

_You can't, understand I still have a lot to say_

_To you, a fortune nothing has left no time or place_

_My life, upon my life there will always be lies_

_No more, I won't believe in this hypocrisy_

_You are, parasitic bottom feeder_

_All you, maggots, you're one in the same, you all make me sick_

_Guilty, especially you who justify your rational lives_

_Killing, you're killing in the name of God almighty_

_Cowards and crooks_

_Surrounded by liars, killers and haters_

_I'm surrounded by filth_

_Army of me_

_It lives in us all_

_Army of me_

_It will avenge me_

* * *

**AN: Forget everyone main fom the past chapters. This is purely Lincoln territory, centered on him coming into a new war zone where he'll learn that he can't always depend on simple guns and knives to defeat an enemy. A hard lesson at that, textbook real-world. New characters, a contained plotline, and some romance for him through the new girl Chloe. On a side note, I did make Chloe Binsley before the show introduced that other one as Clyde's love interest. This chapter was written before Timeline X's entire arc, as well, but only this one. **

**Confession, spoilers for an Act Seven chapter is out there, and an Act Six chapter is nearly done as well. I wouldn't look for them, there's the fall of a fan favorite.**

**Yeah, I end your heroes. I am hero-ender man. **

**American Albino roster;**

**1\. Whistleblower**

**2\. The Blacklist**

**3\. Martyr**

**4\. America's Most Wanted**

**5\. Tactical Deception**

**6\. Extraction**

**7\. Enemies In High Places**

**8\. Town Siege**

**9\. Scorched Earth**

**10\. The Ungodly Stormbringer**

**11\. Dawnbreaker **

**Act Six will return in the fic's regular format after this. **


	57. Chapter 57

**American Albino, Chapter II: Martyr**

* * *

_She knew a place where she had three friends. These bunch who could keep her safe on the low in the meantime this fuckery cleared up slowly, like acid dissolving a bone. We went and drove there, heading to a quiet town in Colorado. This place, Dadetown, was your average shithole. In between a city and a town, you could not truly know which one it was. _

Lincoln, the albino who had hidden his true identity, using the alias of Jerry Cruise, had pulled up to the driveway Chloe Binsley had pointed to. This driveway was empty, but the lights that came from the window told another story. Occupied by people, notably the three men who lived in there. These three men, Jason Chang, of American-Chinese descent, almost to his thirties; Christian Leznik, early twenties, a real habdsome devil of nice facial hair and a tall, fairly strong physique; and last but not least, Alex Ribbons, the shortest one, with a chubby build, a noticeably bug nose and glasses. The one guy you could so easily think he was related to Danny DeVito at that. Penguin bastard.

The three were friends of Chloe's, Lincoln didn't know how it blossomed but he gave no two shits about it and shut the engine block off as she got her phone and dialed Christian. "Yeah- Hey, hey, I'm here, I'm outside- Okay, yeah yeah, thanks." And she hung up on him.

That was it for him, he'd assume. Done deal, transported her out of danger and had now nothing to do but to wait until it was 2030, the second chance to change the game, if it could be helped.

_Back in 2026, good old Darcy and I busted in to a Vial Corp facility and turned ourselves into augmented toys. Obviously I had no trouble the first time around, but taking another risk for that... Do I want to become super again?_

There was much to think about, much to calculate and process, all of which he hated. It was never so fucking simple.

"Jerry?" Right, that was his alter ego. Lincoln snapped out of his mind and faced sweet Chloe. "I said, thank you."

"Oh-" He didn't smile back to her own. "You take care now-"

He only confused her terribly. "Huh? Hey, no, you- You are not leaving me, you asshole."

"Chloe-" She cut him off with a quick kiss.

"Jerry, don't do this to me, I..." She grabbed his hand and opened it up to press upon her cheek. "I really like you, I want you to stay with me." Something about her voice did him in, a funny tone, yet it was a begging one. Her eyes were glittering when it should not have been possible, they were in darkness, but he saw it again. That same face and mood he felt radiating off of her back in the bed of the shitty motel. She wasn't playing him, she was being legit. She was telling him she might just have been in love with him.

_What am I supposed to do here?_

The skin on her cheek, it did feel rather nice, was warm at most. Warm like her heart appeared to be.

Christian, the tall dude with medium brown hair, came to Chloe's side and opened it up. "Oh, my God, you're okay!"

She detached from her belt, jumped up on out of the car and hugged her friend, crying away. "It was so horrible, Chris! They beat me, they wouldn't stop until- Until-"

Lincoln felt like he needed a smoke, and he never touched a cigarette before. He never smoked, but he smoked them scumbags of all sorts.

"Hey, boss," Christian addressed at Lincoln, "thanks so much for bringing her here! Y-you're welcome to come stay with us for a few days if you have no place to go. Chloe said-"

"I'd best be going," Lincoln decided. "I trust you can keep her in good care, and get the police involved now."

"Wait-" Chloe broke away from Christian's grasp. "No, Jerry, you can't go- Please-,

"Brother, it's late night, you must be tired from the drive. At least stay the night over, yeah?" Christian was nice, welcoming Lincoln into the house like a very special guest, and not like the stranger he was to him. "It's the least we can do for you, brother."

Chloe was teary-eyed from the emotion, but she continued to stare at Lincoln with her puppy eyes. "Please..."

_Getting caught up here, like this... Ah, well- What was some time to kill off while I waited? Sure, it shouldn't be that hard to be out of the spotlight. Rex and his maggots were gone, who can peg me, the time traveler displaced from a defunct timeline, to the crime? And then, my stomach rumbled again. I was hungry. _

Lincoln exited the borrowed Mustang GT, one of the rides from the skinheads, keys removed from the ignition. He closed the door behind him and took to the house. Chloe smiled with content and hurried after him, Christian being the last to come in.

**Later**

A nice plate of vegetable stew awaited him, and for his stomach, he gobbled it down, even sipping the bowl itself when the solids were spooned up inside. Christian, Jason and Alex studied him, being silent around each other while Chloe, sitting on Lincoln's left on the round table, groveled at him with warm admiration and affection. She found solace and comfort here now that Lincoln, Jerry to them all, had changed his mind.

"So yeah, Rex had me trapped around town," Chloe revisited again. "I just, I couldn't get away from him. I couldn't get what he wanted, I was as good as dead."

"Jesus..."

"You poor girl..."

"I'm sorry this happened to you-"

They pitied her like some dying animal, it was a show of kiss-ass, somewhat cringy a sight for him. They cared so much yet they didn't do shit, it was how he interpreted it. He wanted to say something, but perhaps it was fine. Chloe had a long day- No, longer. A week. Weeks? How long was this going on for?

No more of that now. He finished his bowl, only barely satisfied but not too inclined to fill himself at full tank. He wiped his face from a napkin, crumpled it up and placed it inside the bowl. "Thanks for the stew."

"Thank you for bringing our friend back safe and sound, mister... Uhh?"

"This is Jerry, Alex," Chloe reminded the penguin.

"Chloe, give me a break, I got off work an hour ago-"

"Then go sleep, Alex!" Chloe shouted with a laugh. "We can discuss things tomorrow-"

"Wait a second, Chloe, this isn't something to just shrug off," Christian stated in a serious tone. "We have to go to the police, right?"

"I- I don't even know what I wanna do," Chloe openly shared. "Going to them means I have to confess my... Filth. I've not been clean, I've been sleeping around Rex for that good-good."

"Jesus, Chloe," Alex scoffed. "You were doing well in rehab, what the fuck happened to that?"

"I... I'd rather not talk about it," she lowly whispered.

"Well, we've gotta do something!" Jason boomed. "Chloe, I can't believe you risked your life for some shit drug, you're better than that."

"I'm sorry, i... I had some withdrawal, man! You know me-"

"Were you two followed?" Jason wad strangely paranoid right away, but who could blame him when Chloe had thugs with no concern over others chasing her? "Any car on the way-?"

"What?! No, we've had no trouble coming here, Jay!"

"That is fact, I've been looking over the mirrors while the girl slept." Lincoln eyed Chloe, her returning a smile.

Jason went silent.

"You three boys have anything to use as a weapon? Gun, knife, anything at all?"

"What the-?!" Alex was terribly offended. "We do not believe in violence, sir! There is no need to defend ourselves if we don't seek out trouble-"

Lincoln was talking to a pacifist, how generic. "What, no self defense? How will you fight off invaders?"

"Easy," Christian answered, "silent alarms around this place."

_You've gotta be shitting me. _

"Great, police trouble," Chloe sighed. "I am not eager to face legal trouble again, you assholes. That's it-" Mind concluded, she stood up. "This was a mistake, you guys aren't going to help-"

"Hang on," Christian halted. "Guys, we don't really need the alarms active, do we? We haven't had any crimes going around the neighborhood since forever."

"C'mon, Chris! Better safe than sorry!"

"You can be safe," Chloe nodded to, but I'm not facing-"

_How? All this paranoia I see before me. They're all afraid of being targeted by the scum, the very same I had wiped off of the face of the earth. That was to simplify and solve it for her... But even in death, Rex got into her mind and infected her already. Had her this frightened, and you know what the kicker was? _

Chloe dropped out and retreated from the kitchen table, taking to the backyard to destress and gain a clearing of her mind.

_I could simply tell her what I did, and it would fix her. But, would it? Would it take off that weight on her shoulders, or only have the fear redirected from Rex unto me? _

This, an enemy that he could not fight. An enemy born from the shadows of the tainted mind, and he had them.

The three lads were discussing it, but Lincoln was the one who decided to to after Chloe, to make sure she was fine, or to put her back and soothe and calm her. It was the fear. He told himself just that, it was the fear of death taking control and making her act, she was a puppet of strings. And the night was just as cold and dark as any given night, but Chloe feigned being bothered by it all. She occupied one side of the porch steps, trapped by the monsters. Lincoln filled the space next to her. "Hey, they can't possibly find us, Chloe."

"How do you know, Jerry?" She spat against him, refusing to believe his word. "Those types do have connections, and they could have friends here. It wouldn't be too long for them to find me. And no, I really don't want to go to the cops."

"You've been this much in trouble before, have you?"

"S-something like that..." Chloe visibly shook her head. "I felt like I was on my own, and I don't want that. I wanted to be saved back there. Back in that fucking bar, and then you came along. Ha-"

_Her laugh was of a nervous laugh, she was breaking down and I knew so._

"You, out of all the men- I fucked you and you got me here, I- I feel like-" She laughed again, harder that time. "I didn't use you, I swear on my life, but I was desperate. I want to live..."

"Hey, I don't regret coming to your aid," Lincoln dropped. "That Rex guy hurt you, I would never stand for that a million times over. You're here, you should be safe, Chloe. No one could know-"

"I want to believe that, Jer," she confessed. "I do but... I've never been lucky my whole life, I just want this one thing now."

"You're here," he addressed, so weakly trying. "These three will have your back, even if they are unarmed and whatnot. You can't just wander away, I've brought you here to stay."

"And you won't..." Chloe grew hopelessly sad. "I thought you'd be the guardian angel who would never leave."

And suddenly, someone else did the talking for him and let out what she wanted to hear tonight. To this day, further in the future, it baffled him. "What if I stayed long enough for you?"

She studied him, looking into his musical blue eyes. She saw her out, the safety he presented. She let herself have it, taking it and then leaving in to kiss him. The brunette of a pixie cut was too vulnerable not to take advantage of, but for him- She closed her eyes and kissed him, and he dared to kiss back, hands slapping onto her waist. The sounds of their lips outclassed the noisy crickets. Sloppy, sloppier than Ronnie Anne's old kisses. Rebekka Letenko's.

Lori's.

This girl had chosen him as her protector, no way to simply leave like this. Okay, he'd tell himself, don't fucking leave.

Chloe jumped over onto him, giving him all her loving affection like a yandere. Embracing him, cuddling and snuggling him. Holding his hand as if they were an item after they had stopped their love-making, if that was what he thought to label it. She wasn't hurt as much, he did that to her. Together, they both only eyed the infinite darkness, silent for a bit until Chloe opened her mouth, fighting the silence, breaking the silence.

"I was only fifteen when I had my first drug," Chloe unloaded. "Los Angeles was a cesspit of junkies and gangsters, so much of it everywhere."

"Okay, so you have an addiction, and the guys said you did rehab."

"Better word would be trying to, actually," she corrected. "Tried to go clean, it just didn't work. I'm lucky that it didn't take its toll on me. It's like-"

"You look so clean," Lincoln had noticed. "It's like you're not one of them."

"I don't know what to tell you, I guess I'm lucky. But it can only go so far, it'll catch up to me."

"They weren't lying, Chloe. You are better than this."

"I really try to be, Jerry."

"So, a literal package, Chloe? Shouldn't your teeth be falling out?" He found reason to laugh, and when he did, Chloe lightly slapped upon his shoulder playfully.

"I'm not a homeless bum, man!"

"Now that I think about it..."

"Don't you dare!" Chloe shook him, joining in laughter. "Okay, maybe! Maybe, you hear me?"

"You basically are, aren't you?"

"S-so what if I am?"

_And it hit me then and there. _"Well... I'm homeless, too. I have nowhere to go, I guess that makes me a drifter."

"A drifter..." Chloe rested her head on his shoulder. "Well, whaddya know? We might just be more alike than I thought."

"Maybe."

"There's something about you I can't simply put my finger on. You're... An entirely different type of person, yet..." She touched his face, rubbing a hand down his cheek. "I don't know, broken? A very silent type of broken. The type that does not whine or cry about it, but you move forward-" She leaned her face close to his, then leaned in his ear. "You're dragging it behind you, and you don't even look back. You just don't give a shit anymore, and you turn it, turn all of it-"

_Into hate. Always into hate, the fiery rage that fueled me, helped me to mangle and murder. _

"S-so yeah..." Chloe rubbed her head about. "But that's my inference, I don't even know if I hit the nail on the head or not, not that it actually matters. I just want someone to relate to- And here you are."

"Tell me about yourself, Chloe." He took her in his lap, her head resting upon his legs. "Your life before all of this shit."

She half-closed her eyes. "Well, there's not much to tell, I wasn't the best daughter to my parents, and they did wind up kicking me out. Troubled youth years, I hated most of my life, but..."

He gently rubbed a hand on her hair for added comfort.

"There was this dance club in Los Angeles, right? It had eighties nights."

"Eighties nights?"

"You know, the era. A throwback to that decade-" She told him she liked the eighties like this, and he was albeit surprised to learn this fact. "Don't judge me, but I like the eighties for their rock music."

"Now you like rock, too, huh?" All the more similar she was to Luna. How uncanny. "This dance club, is it your favorite place?"

"Well, of course, mister Jerry!" Chloe said joyfully. "I was always excited to go. Between you and me, I really, really like the sixties just as much as the eighties, but I can get down with anything from the fifties to the nineties, you know?"

"Oh, you're old school, that's pretty classy," Lincoln complimented. "Never would have imagined you as that type of girl."

"Surprise!" Her excitement then faded. "It's been so long since I've been in the dance club, and with my... Partner."

"Left a boy, have you?"

"Erm, no..." A sly snicker eluded her lips. "Left my girlfriend Kristen back home. I loved her but we broke it off because of me and my bullshit."

"Sorry to hear that," he simply thought to say. "You're really open with me, you sure it's wise to assume I'm truly open-minded?"

"Heyyyyyy..." Chloe went with her gut, gut telling her that Lincoln was someone of no trouble. A fellow with her best interest at heart. "You haven't started questioning shit, I doubt you would now."

He wished it were mutual, but for her sake... You knew what the deal was. "I have a sister who loves-" He stopped to correct himself. "Loved, she loved to play rock."

"Oh?" Chloe smirked. "Mister albino man, you have a sister?"

"No, many... Big family."

"How big are we talking, baby boy?"

"A few sisters," he vaguely, but honestly answered. "But anyways, this sister, you two would have gotten along well, I feel."

"The way you talk of her-" Chloe lifted and waved her finger about. "Is she...?"

"Dead?" He dared say the word she hesitated to. "No, she's alive-" He thought of this timeline's Luna, the current, teenage one. "It's just that complicated."

"Complicated... Sounds about right, Jer." She shivered when getting too cold, the cue that it was time to head back in. "Hey, where are you gonna sleep? This place has only two bedrooms-"

"I'll couch-bunk- Or if they don't have enough space, you can take the couch, and I'll take the floor."

"What- Hey, we- we can share the couch!"

_I've had a tiny room, not a tiny bed- If at that, I would not have objected. _"I don't think my body will help."

"It- it's a long couch-"

"Okay, but you've had a long day," Lincoln insisted. "Go on inside, Chloe."

"I can't change your mind, can I?" Chloe got up, moving away from the porch. "Better sleep near me."

"As you wish," he silently accepted.

"Hey..." She stopped right before entering. "I have to know. The bartender called you loud. Or... Called you Loud, as a name? Were you being true with me, Jerry?"

"He meant something else," lied the albino. "You've missed the talk."

"Alright... Come back inside, you're going to catch a case of hypothermia."

"Sure thing, mom," Lincoln jokingly waved.

_This night was cold, alright. But it was calm, calm and not filled with live gunfire. No screaming corpses. No dying innocents. Nothing, not a flame in sight. No one around. It... It felt a little too lonely, my darkened soul amiss._

**The Next Day**

"Bless you and you having a car," Jason grinned at Lincoln. "We usually take the bus, we're unable to even afford our own car at the moment-"

"You're joking-" Lincoln turned on the ignition of the hot ride, letting it rumble to its warmth. "You three, the same house, and you all work-"

"I know-" Jason closed the passenger door. "Okay, wait, we are trying to save up here. Gas is expensive, and a car, and insurance, it's all-"

"You know what?" Lincoln's decided, facing him with grand steel balls. "You're all idiots, that's what I think. Leeching off of me to... Sorry, where did you want me to go?"

"The town hall, good sir," Jason directed. "I've got a meeting with one Patrick Matthews."

"I... Don't know who that is," Lincoln rubbed. "I'm guessing the mayor?"

"No, he is one of the town's officials, he's good people and he's a close friend."

"An official, huh? Like what, politics?"

"Exactly, he is good folk, maybe I can introduce you to him. Any financial trouble, he can help."

"Oh, a rich one?" Lincoln raised an eyebrow. "You have high-end friends but don't take advantage of that?"

"I'm no beggar!" Jason yelled back. "Motherfucker!"

_Talk about short-temper. _

"Hey, he hears what you did with Chloe, he'll eat it up, right up I tell you."

"No need for that," his humble side let out. "It's not like I saved the president."

* * *

**BADUMTSS.**

**-Linka**

* * *

He backed away from the driveway, taking off with Jason to town hall. _I didn't want to bother with Jason, so I made the ride a silent one. If there was anything about him that rubbed me the wrong way, it didn't show up on my radar yet. Chloe's friends were... Interesting to say the least. _

_And then I found myself sitting next to Jason, across a big man of long, black hair of glasses. The layer of fat upon him, and the million-dollar business suit- This was that Patrick Matthews aforementioned in the car. _

"Who's this man you bring before me?" Matthews grumbled.

"A good citizen, Pat- Jerry, come on, don't be shy."

"You say that, Chang, but such a statement is to be authenticated by me. Excuse me, sir, but might you give me your name-"

"Why is my name important?" Lincoln felt bothered by the man. "You wanna see if I have some record? I can assure you that's not the case with me."

"I cannot afford to associate with criminals these days. I wish to run for mayor here, I know you understand."

_Didn't like him already. _

"I can wholeheartedly vouch for him, Pat," Jason spoke. "He's not from around here, but he came giving an old friend of mine a ride when she needed to get here. If not for him..."

"A ride means nothing-"

"No, it does not," Lincoln agreed.

"But he helped anyway-" Jason defended. "Come on, Jerry no-last-name-needed is a friend. He can be yours, too."

"Jay, you are too hopeful when it cannot count," Matthews quaked. "Never you mind, vet him out of my office before we discuss the private matters at hand."

"Sir-"

"And what's with that white hair? How old are you that you've got that, huh?" He laughed, and it was just like some fat sack of pure shit. "That's not real, is it?"

"Uhhhh," Jason stammered.

"Get out of my office-" Patrick Matthews grabbed his phone and dialed. "Hey, calling for Mr. Bart, please bring him in now. I've got Jason Chang down here-"

"How fucking rude-" Lincoln used his arms to support his stand, but Jason kept him there. "What?"

"Hold on a minute-"

Matthews set down the phone. "What, are you fucking deaf?! Get this trailer trash out of my office, Chang!"

_I've already had it with this arrogant bastard. This the one you wanted to run the show? How disgusting- _"How about-" Lincoln was on the verge of throwing his hands over to the other side to give the official what for- And the miracle that dared to change everything had taken place instead.

The uninvited guest had come kicking into the room, chased by the front desk receptionist behind them. David Khan, an Asian that came through a United States terminal with a Visa at hand, having come from Kuala Lumpar of Malaysia, came in with a grand grievance against not Matthews, but Jason Chang himself. "You there-"

"What on earth...?"

"Who-?" Jason was alarmed. "No, no! No, you fuck off, you stalker!"

Lincoln's anger subsided, switching off just like that. _Who's this asshole?_

"Your grandma's had the fortune of dying, you fucking faggot!" David Khan was in a large hooded jacket, almost a trench coat, right over long faded jeans, and sandals with no socks that made him look like a joke more than the hoodlum he acted like. Not a menace, but his shouting and barging in had the receptionist trail him, telling him he needed to follow protocol. "Jason, you little homo!"

"Sir, if you don't leave the building-" the fair redhead receptionist tried to coerce.

David Khan revealed his hidden hand, occupied with one snub revolver that he then used to smack right into the woman's face.

"J-Jessica!" Patrick Matthews was horrified and triggered to see Khan having attacked his childhood friend. "What's this about, man?"

"ON YOUR KNEES!" Khan aimed the revolver at Jason. "DO IT, YOU COCKSUCKER!"

"C-coward!" Jason insulted, "daring to shoot an unarmed man? You are no honorable-"

And the Asian man fired off a round upon one of Jason's kneecaps, subduing the man down to his knees. Jason seethed through his teeth, crying about after stumbling onto his good knee. He bled onto the office floor, Matthews then going scared and immobile. Lincoln backed himself up to the desk, arms moving to his behind in a slow matter. "AND DON'T WORRY, MATTHEWS, I AIN'T WANT YOU!"

Khan aimed the gun at both Lincoln and Patrick Matthews, arm shaking frantically.

Jason was hunched over in fetal position, grieving over the pain. "Bastard! You're a piece of utter shit, Khan!"

"BACK TO HELL WITH YOU!" Khan locked sight of the revolver to Jason's head in point blank range, and right before pulling thr trigger again, Lincoln grabbed a pen from Matthews' desk, gripped it and attacked Khan, forcing the pen right into his jugular vein on the side of his neck. The Asian had dropped the tiny weapon, but he scampered out in pain, retreating from the scene the moment it went south. Lincoln picked up the gun, then tended to Jason.

_Wound isn't fatal, but it needed tending to. _"Get a fucking ambulance here, now!"

"Uhhh..." Patrick stuttered briefly before going to the phone to call 911.

Lincoln left the three, giving chase right after Khan. _What kinda shitshow did I walk into?!_

Khan pushed past the people inside, trying to make his uneasy escape with the pen still lodged in his neck. It hurt him, he groaned, but he'll tend to it later, only after he made the clean break. "Bastards!"

The albino man was not far behind. _He was fast, but so was I._

Khan made his way out, running down a layer of steps from town hsll, and the cops have already begun to show up, cars in tow right down the street, sirens going off. Khan booked it across the street, diverting into an alley. And Lincoln followed, stopping and aiming when the assailant tried to escape to a rooftop using a ladder. Lincoln fired one upon Khan's legs, which brought him back down to earth to land upon a pile of garbage bags backside first.

Khan cursed him in his own dialect, angrily squirming about upon the pile of trash.

_I knew what to do, but things managed to get the better of me, so I just had to know. _"What was all that about? Who is he to you?"

"Nothing- Nothing but a fucking little thief!" David Khan revved. "You, friends with that Jason Chang?! He won't be for much longer! He backstabs and he takes friendships! You'll be the one after me!"

"You're wrong..." Lincoln fired for the headshot, executing the stranger without a flinch of his eyes. "i am not a friend of his, nor am I of yours."

Cops then surrounded the alleyway, boxing him off strategically. "Hands up, drop your gun!"

Jason Chang and Patrick Matthews, along with a horde of onlookers, watched in amazement as the cops worked to cuff and arrest Lincoln, putting him into one of the cars.

"Aw, shit..." Jason moaned, still supported by Patrick on his feet. "He's my ride home."

"That's not the least of your worries?!"

"Shit..." Jason kept moving with the official. "Get him out-"

"The man is clearly a psycho- You saw him shoot Khan!"

"And Khan wasn't?! You owe Jerry just as much as I do."

Lincoln lifted his cuffed hands, staring down at the metal as the cop car took him away from town hall. It wasn't the ideal schedule to start the day, but it sure beat fighting the supers that would come. What was he to do? Just how would he get out of this?

_Well... At least Chloe's safe, and that dude is on his way to shovel coal for the devil right about now. I win, I fucking win! You hear me? I..._

Silence.

* * *

**AN: Two out of eleven done. Next, Lincoln meets Wheete-Glass, the town sheriff. **


	58. Chapter 58

Nelson Wheete-Glass was the package deal, the right stereotypes of a racist man cramped in. He was the sheriff of Dadetown, twenty plus years and still counting. The moustache on him, and his short height and aging skin could only inform Lincoln that the man was on his way to his fifties. The short man with a heavy beer gut had Lincoln in the cell, staring down at the seated albino with a cup of cold brew at hand. "Well, boy..."

Lincoln looked up from the ground, not keen to talk to the lawman.

"Ran your fingerprints," Wheete-Glass croaked away, "but found only one match, and it isn't even right- No siree bob, that shit don't look right. Who is Lincoln Loud to you?"

_What- The- Damn it! They just had to be this smart! _Lincoln would kick himself for being such a sloppy person trying not to be.

"It might just be system error running ground, this Loud person is not even a teenager yet, and you're clearly a man. I ought to see the tech guys about this, I reckon."

_Fucking Christ, this close to a heart attack. _

"But you have nothing else," Wheete-Glass continued. "Not a damn thing we can tag you with. You, you're a ghost. Government plaything, maybe?"

"It would behoove you to release me, you cannot hold me-"

The fat sheriff broke into a laugh of great wheezing. "That's where you're wrong! You've shot a man in cold blood, numerous witnesses have written the statements, it's all here-"

"Beg to differ," Lincoln countered, standing up and grabbing the cell bars, meeting Wheete-Glass face forward. "You don't have the full story yet. I can certainly say I feel justified, the man comes in and attacks a close... Friend of mine while we were in Patrick Matthews' office. You know the town, so you must know him. Talk to him already so that you can let me out and on my way."

Wheete-Glass only stood observing him, trying to catch him break contact, a sign that he was bluffing- But no, Lincoln was being a truther, and the sheriff had nothing on that. "Alright... I'll call my friend Pat from up-top-"

_Friend?_

"He and I go way back, he'd never lie to me."

Lincoln narrowed his eyes with faint suspicion. _There would best not be any lying..._

"Hang in there, ghost man," Wheete-Glass eased. "I'll get you a book or something."

_Huh... I've never been to jail before. I mean sure, Site fucking Prime the Alliance built was a prison, but this was authentic jail, the real deal. Nothing to do, it was like that time we've been on quarantine for COVID-19 in 2020. Oh yeah, that shit is going to happen again, and the same people are going to die. I can't do anything about that, but I know the outcome of that pandemic. _

In the cell next to him, a burly black man rested upon the bed, barely waking up from his nap. The man, Mike Packer. "Urgh... Oh shit, a new guy!"

"New guy?" Lincoln fell down onto the bed. "What happened to the one before?"

"That's Munchies, they took him away," the black man explained. "Raped two young girls in a motel, from what he's told me."

_Sharing a bed with a rapist... I was covered in filth right about now. _

"Hey, boss, you did ask-" Mike sneered, then yawning to wake properly. "Where are my manners? Sorry, name's Mike Packer, and I'm guessing you are one of those anime fans with that white hair. Let me guess, they got you in for some "weeboo" type shit."

"Hate to break it to you, but this is all natural!" Lincoln ran a hand through his hair swiftly.

"You're lying, boss."

"Why would I lie about not being a weeaboo?" Lincoln reasoned. "Read my share of manga, watched anime, but this isn't dye, Mike."

"You legit?" Mike eyed around the block. "Where's that racist sheriff, boy?"

"Racist?" Wheete-Glass returned before the albino was supplied with answers.

"I see that the nigger is awake-"

"Whoa, man- There's no need for that." Mike was a voice of reason, calm and sincere but vocal. "This is just a misunderstanding-"

"Yeah?" The sheriff showed off another side to Lincoln, the one that believed dominated over the colored folk. "So it wasn't you I caught loitering around a 7-11?"

"I wasn't loitering, and you know it- Not even a phone call, man, you're way out of line."

"I know my place, chocolate," the racist sheriff further insulted. "Dare you to keep talking for a bonus night here at the precinct."

_This humored me. What's a sheriff wearing a uniform if he was this much of a piece of shit?_

Lincoln laughed maniacally, having a sudden urge to break out and give the racist what for. Just like that, and he had no such liquid that powered him. Things could be so simpler if he hadn't been robbed of the pheno gift. "You're a disrespect to the force! Speaking as if we Americans are all high and mighty, the dominant race deserving of first place!"

"Excuse me, motherfucker?"

"Nothing but a racist joke, you punk bastard," Lincoln scolded. "Dadetown's the shithole it is because of you."

"Is that a fact?" Wheete-Glass was injured, one simple thought away from coming into his cell with a baton. "How's I come in there and give you a whuppin'? You like that, do ya? A nice dose of proper punishment?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lincoln goaded. "Come in here and give me a whooping, officer dipshit."

"Why, you white-haired prick-" The sheriff dug around his body for the keys, yanking them out from the hold on his hip, jangling them about. "I'll take care of this! And Matthews wasn't picking up, don't expect his help-"

Patrick Matthews had wasted his own moneymaking time to come save some ass, under some very odd circumstances, too. "Nelson, old chum!" he yelled from the front.

The sheriff dropped what he was doing, but eyed Lincoln with a newfound sense of hostility before taking exit to see Matthews. "You best behave."

Lincoln wore himself a trap-happy grin.

Wheete-Glass met the visitor behind the counter. "Wonderful, what's a man like you coming to the precinct for?"

"I understand that you have a young man here- One with an interesting set of white hair."

Wheete-Glass's own brown eyes did widen, and for a moment, he was intrigued. "Yeah, so maybe we've placed one. What's this man to you?"

"How much for bail? Have you processed him yet?"

"I asked first, sir," the sheriff so cockily huffed. "What's your connection to him?"

"I never met him before today, this is that idiot Chang's doing, Nelson." Matthews took out a thick envelope from his suit, slamming it on the counter. "I'm going to assume you didn't start the file work on him. You didn't, didja, Nelson?"

"Damnest thing about him, I tell you," Wheete-Glass sipped again from his coffee. "He's a ghost, can't find anything on him."

"What, no record?"

"No anything, he's a non-existent fellow. Only thing I've gotten back was a child in Royal Woods in Michigan."

""Michigan?" Matthews cocked a smirk. "There could be a connection."

"I don't know, these computer things aren't as great as they used to be. So..." The sheriff took the envelope and opened it up, checking its contents. "A bribe- God Almighty, the great and powerful Patrick Matthews wants something I can do for him. What is it this time, old chum?"

"I want this man released back to the public as fast as you can spin hay into gold."

"Why on Goddamn earth would I dare to?" The stubborn sheriff was adamant on keeping Lincoln in jail for a few days if nothing could have been done. "A murderer is off these fine streets of Dadetown-"

"Let's be real, David Khan was a piece of shit," Matthews snorted.

"Wha-? Our friend of white hair killed that Khan menace?"

"Didn't you read the statements?"

"Give me a break, I skim through them, I get twenty at least on a daily basis." He gave it thought. "Alright, alright... I'll take this here cash-"

Matthews was promptly led by the sheriff to the cell block after the money was tucked away within the pocket of his pants. He met the same man again, trapped behind metal bars. "I take it you are having a good afternoon."

"Oh, I'm just dandy-" Lincoln hadn't bothered to get up yet. "I take it Jason's already at the hospital?"

"He'll be fine, and it's thanks to you that he is. That maniac was asking for it."

"I would not stand for it," Lincoln drew out. "I have no regret in having done what I did, and therefore I just might be guilty."

"Well, shit!" Wheete-Glass was pleased with this decision. "You can stay as long as you'd like, and hell, I'll even humor you and treat you like a king for... An hour or two. It ain't every day some stranger comes and shoots a junkie in the head."

Mike processed the revelation from his own cell. _This college-aged dude shot some druggie?_

"I've never witnessed a person turn down his residual freedom..." Matthews was most confused, intrigued by this unconventional nature Lincoln presented. "I would not reject this offer, I see fit to have you released back out there. Nelson, go on and open the cell."

"The guy made his choice-"

"And I paid you to liberate him, curse you!" Matthews slapped Wheete-Glass towards the cell. "This is my decision, not his."

"Dagnabit- You political motherfucker-" The sheriff mumbled and cursed under his breath, proceeding to let Lincoln out of his cage. "No funny business whatsoever- And Pat, this is on you now. My part is done now."

_And just like that, the closed-minded officer had let me go without incident. Whatever this was, I had felt that there was a price to pay, a debt to be owed. Not even I was some sort of dumbfuck. _

"Okay..." Lincoln cracked his knuckles firmly. "What do you want me to do?"

* * *

**American Albino, Chapter III: The Blacklist**

* * *

**Later**

Patrick Matthews carried out his first assignment; to simply be a silent bodyguard for the man at the meeting that had to be moved. The man himself had been expected to meet someone in the earlier daytime, but thanks to that miserable Khan, shit was delayed. This was with a few of Matthews' friends, job-related, Lincoln assumed. There they were, in a luxurious mansion, right in the long dining hall, and Lincoln sat on Matthews' left, a handgun concealed underneath his shirt for a precautionary measure.

Somehow, the official had seen Lincoln as some sort of soldier. Oh, how fun things had worked for him now. Spotlight.

"Behave, and do not speak unless spoken to."

Lincoln gave a slow nod, eyes then flying around the room. The crystal chandelier above. The fireplace at the end. The large oval windows behind him. This was how rich the man was- Maybe if Lincoln got on his good side... Freebies.

This meeting in question belonged to Matthews and a man with the funny name of Skip Bart, as Lincoln would come to find out.

Skip Bart, led by the butler of the place, had come into the room in casual clothing, sporting a Hawaiian shirt over some dangly cargo shorts. He was in his early thirties, an Irish-American with red hair, and a buzzcut too synonymous with the military. "Well, if it isn't the almighty Pattycakes!"

"Hey, Skip, you cash fucking cow, you!" Patrick expressed wholeheartedly with his greeting. "Come, take a sit here!"

"I see we've got a guest here," Skip observed Lincoln questionably. "This is a first time, who might you be?"

"Hey," Lincoln forced out, talking with little emotion. "I'm Jerry."

"Jerry...?" Skip guffawed. "Your parents hate you, man."

"Jerry, this is Skip Bart, he is... Sort of like my private funder. To make it simple, I guess you can say he invests in me so that I can have my place where I am today. Now, Skip here is the reason I can ascend to the title of Dadetown mayor. This is as big as can be-"

"Well said," Skip laughed.

"An investor?" Lincoln calculated the equation. "So... All of this-"

"Is money that comes from this man, yes," Matthews confirmed. "And please, don't ask me why Skip doesn't just do it all himself. Oh, he can, but..."

Skip Bart cleared his throat. "Don't be lying to the man, Pat. Jerry, let me explain it thoroughly. I had a chance, but no longer. You see... I lost my wife and daughter to a drug dealer. Rumors got out, my wife was an abuser, imagine the Bart name being so tainted that I could not touch foot in politics. They thought, if my wife did it, who's to say I might have touched that shit as well? No, no, I could not."

"But he saw potential in me. I was half of a nobody."

"Behind him, it's me, it's always been me."

"Skip has this much money to afford a mansion?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, no," Patrick denied. "This has been in my name since the passing of my old folk."

"I'm appalled that you bought a mansion, you piece of shit," Skip joked upon Patrick.

"Oh, hush, you!"

"Alright..." Lincoln shrugged it off, uncaring. "Condolences about your family, though."

"Appreciated..." Skip remained silent for a minute. "Actually-"

"No, no need to tell him."

"Hey, you brought him here as a friend, it's only fair I tell him."

"You are too honest for your own good, Skip," Patrick moaned.

"Tell me what?"

"How open minded are you? Would you judge me if I confessed something?"

"Uhh..."

"Wait-" Patrick pointed at Lincoln, still facing Skip. "This man is on your level, Skip. If he didn't know the hell that you do, he will since today."

"He...?" Skip faced Lincoln with surprise. "You've killed a man before?"

_It was how he said it- So casually, like it was almost nothing. So then... Mister Skippy Bart here has taken the life of another. Judge? Let's see how it went down..._

"Oh, I have," Lincoln confirmed, treating it as nothing. "From my understanding, you have. So, tell me about it, Skip."

_Hey, my gun was still at grasp. Skip was giving off all the wrong vibes for some reason. Best case scenario, I could shoot him and Matthews for having a murderer for a friend. Bet they weren't counting in it. Still, I wonder why Patrick had given me a gun. He clearly had trust for Skip, why did I need to make sure it didn't go south?_

_Then, I had an even funnier feeling._

"The dealer- I got the dealer, found him. And with both of my hands, I grabbed his throat-"

_Skip took his revenge..._

"And killed him."

And then, Skip and Patrick turned to Lincoln, serious faces drawn. This radiated as a powerful red flag in that second, and if not for his second nature, the beastly impulse that he felt in the back of his neck, Lincoln would have been dead for sure. Skip had drawn out a revolver quickly, but Lincoln grabbed and flipped the table over on top of the redhead. The gun-toter fired as he fell down hard on his chair, and by then, Matthews was running out of the room. "FUCK YOU, JERRY!"

"Lincoln drew out his gun and cocked it back to load, standing over Skip. "What the fuck is this?"

Skip made a grab for the revolver he dropped- but Lincoln denied him by stepping over his hand. Skip screamed bloody murder, cursing the albino. "You son of a bitch!"

Lincoln applied the firearm to Skip's head and pulled the trigger once. Click, no bang. "What-?"

"H-how did you see through us?!" Skip demanded to know.

"You two froze, and I caught on right away. Secondly, Patrick gave me a gun-" Which he didn't bother checking. "Now I see why I was invited."

And just like that, Lincoln grabbed the revolver and executed Skip point-blank, brain matter and blood gushing right out. _Miserable piece of shit... Fuck! What the fuck was this about?! At least now I had a weapon. _

Lincoln jumped out through one of the windows, glass scratching upon his clothes and skin. Things were lost on him, but he had enough to know that he was being messed with in such a shady manner. What kind of friends did Jason have?

A black Sedan was pulling right out of the mansion, which could only be Matthews behind the wheel, revving away. Lincoln fired the revolver, trying to puncture the vehicle's tires. "MATTHEWS!"

He missed the first three shots, but the fourth lodged right into the left-rear tire, making it wobble and sway about. Patrick definitely panicked, doing his best to steer the car on main road. "FUCK!"

He wound up crashing into the statue placed at the exit right before the long driveway led into the street, head banging hard and right off the steering wheel.

_I've got you, you weaseling bastard! _Lincoln opened Matthews' side of the door, yanking him out fairly easily, tossing him right on the curb. "What was the goal here?"

"Hey, I heard a gunshot! That means Skip is dead, right?" Matthews was laughing like he had won. "You've done it now! G-go on and kill me, JERRY! Go on and make me a martyr!"

"Martyr? What are you babbling about?"

"My death will cement me in the papers!" Matthews boasted. "I will have my legacy in the end, and I will be the martyr of Dadetown! Ha, can you see it?! My life taken away, and they'll look at it as a politically motivated assassination! I am now big, I am that big! Go on, Jerry! Make my afterlife!"

_The crooked son of a bitch was ready to die! The trick here was that this would make some noise as he thought, no way he'd be forgotten. Political propaganda by his death- Smart son of a bitch, he made me conflicted now._

Patrick Matthews took in his victory like a breath of fresh air.

"You can kill me or you don't- But I'd suggest you run! You run like hell, you're going to be wanted for the deaths of Skip and David Khan! This is my failsafe, mister fugitive!"

_S-son of a bitch! He thought this through, meanwhile I was being this fucking careless. _

"You're dead either way!"

"Why me?" Lincoln shot at Matthews' leg before the gun had been emptied of bullets. "WHY ME?!"

"YEAOWWWW GOD!"

"WHY ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT?!"

"N-NOTHING PERSONAL! IT WAS GOING TO BE JASON CHANG, BUT YOU CAME ALONG! YOU WERE A MUCH BETTER CATCH THAN HIM, SO I CHOSE YOU! BAILED YOU OUT SO THAT YOU COULD BE THE SCAPEGOAT OF THIS STORY!"

These words were enough incentive for Lincoln to strike the butt of the gun against Matthew's head, knocking him out. "I won't be a pawn in your games."

The sirens were quick to echo about, giving him no time to think the next step. Killing the man would not help, and he wanted it to be of an advantageous grab. No, it was as the man said, it would make him wanted-

_No... I'll be chased regardless. Fucking Christ. Okay, Matthews... You'll love another day._

Lincoln booked it into the street, running away from the large mansion, cutting through the houses in the neighborhood. He didn't see the drone flying overhead, monitoring him as he ran. It circled around the streets, following his every step. Three streets through from the mansion, and a few backyards layers, Lincoln lost enough energy that it slowed him down. He took a breather before forsisng the next street- only to be met with a large truck speeding and stopping right next to him. "C-come on-"

He expected a gunfight, of awful shit luck as he'd have gotten today. Instead, the driver honked at him, hand sticking out the window. "Get in! Get in, you don't have long!"

The drone came flying back down, landing right on the back as easy as pie. Lincoln hesitated, not trusting the unknowns inside. "Why should I?"

"We've been watching!" the driver explained. "Come with us! Come with us if you want to take down Matthews!"

"You...?"

"GET THE FUCK IN BEFORE THE STREETS GET CROWDED WITH COPPERS!"

"NGH!" Lincoln jumped right into the back, forced to make the decision. "GET US THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

The truck pulled forward, accelerating into drive. "AND DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT US! WE'RE FRIENDS OF YOURS, ALLIES IN THE SAME SINKING BOAT!"

"SAME-?" Didn't take long for him to figure out who these people were.

"MATTHEWS WANTS US ALL SILENCED! DIVIDED, WE'RE ALL VOICELESS AND DEFENSELESS, BUT TOGETHER, WE FORM THE BLACKLIST! WE FORM AS THE ENEMY OF MATTHEWS AND HIS COLLECTIVE OF FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS! WE WILL FIGHT THEM ALL!"

Lincoln's hair blew violently with the breeze as they drove far from the area.

"YOU TOOK OUT SKIP BART, THAT'S A MASSIVE BLOW! WE WELCOME YOU, WE WELCOME YOU TO THE BLACKLIST!"

* * *

**AN: A battle of all sorts has begun, and has already been set in stone for the descendants to unearth from the graves of the fallen. Many will die, but can Lincoln make it out alive? **


	59. Chapter 59

**American Albino, Chapter IV: Tactical Deception**

* * *

_It wasn't even the Goddamn evening and this day was already the utmost of shit. And I hated it. Fucking Matthews, that political scumbag. _

Lincoln Loud was introduced to the members of this so-called Blacklist, the old friends of Patrick Matthews that he proceeded to backstab and betray for his title that played with the town's tiny law and politics; the man was a basic sociopath. The Blacklist took up their base in an abandoned steel mill, where they set up shop.

Members included Johnny Remender, a journalist who printed an antagonizing piece about Matthews not long ago, which got him fired of course, and at no doubt Matthews paid money to his superior for it to be. He was quite young, and devilishly handsome from head to toe. The designated leader of the Blacklist gang. Next was Michael Ramirez, a public speaker whom Matthews saw as a threat. Even before, Ramirez and Matthews were not truly the best on terms, it was only natural that Matthews dare attack Ramirez via public shaming, and also brought to light some pedophilia from under him. Plot twist, they were fake accusations, Matthews needed to win that desperately. Dale Jennings was a college student in Dadetown, a firm believer and supporter of Matthews right until the very end when the town official thought of Jennings as a pest and planted a leaking scandal onto his feet and cried out. Yeah, you know how that went.

These three were the main members, with tinier followers behind them, but only just. And nothing more, they were too few in comparison to Patrick Matthews and his connections.

Lincoln stayed and listened, gathering all the information on the big players around Matthews. He learned of them. He received names and occupations. William Philip Mausse, mainly Bill Mausse, a junkie you could identify with short blue hair, a scrawny little shit who carried out the planting of false evidence, mainly because Matthews would pay him for. Aleksei Rostovich, the hothead Russian, ex-Spetznaz currently a mercenary. How Matthews got a mercenary, Lincoln did not know. But Rostovich really sounded like someone worth blasting away with a 12-Gauge. Victor Morales was another friend of Matthews', a photographer and only that. Other friends included Darren Raymonds, ex-military and a championship swimmer. Howell Spice. Josue Mendez. Too many names in association, too many of these scumbags.

Targets. Targets to shoot, targets to kill. All he wanted, all that made sense for him again.

"What the hell did I do to Matthews anyway?" Lincoln found himself asking.

"Nothing," Remender shrugged. "Its what he does, just like all the others. You really can't think anyone is good nowadays. This world is fucking lost."

"Tell me about it-" Lincoln stayed lensing against the wall when there were plenty of scattered chairs- and bean bags- all over. His mind had raced back to Chloe, and now as he was going back, he realized that since the car he'd stolen from Rex's boys, they'd track it down and make the connection that Lincoln was the one behind the massacre of neo-Nazis. That meant that Patrick Matthews would know. Here, to these guys of the Blacklist, he made it known and confessed. "Hey, I'm not new to the world of death."

"What- What do you mean?" Jennings inquired.

"The man is a killer," Remender surmised quickly. "Skip wasn't the only one, I'm sure."

"How can you tell?"

"For starters," Remender pointed out, "you were the first one to make a move. We've been watching you but I was quick to notice the right signs. You knew what it was before we did, and you decided to act on it."

"Nice observation, I suppose," Lincoln complimented platonically. "Ugh, I didn't need all of this."

"Yeah?" Remender scoffed in a laugh. "Neither did we, but here we all are!"

"So, the goal is to get the info that proves what he's done?" Lincoln wasn't completely onboard with the plan. His one and only MO was sending all the poisonous putrid scum right into the gates of the underworld. Patrick Matthews and friends have all automatically earned their spot to burn forever- and when Lincoln died, when his own soul was damned there, he would be making them suffer even in death. "The man tried to take my life-"

"Yeah, but not with us," Remender burped out. "Didn't think he'd take it that far."

"Yeurgh-" Lincoln sighed, looking around for any weapons, or that which he could pass off as one. "Yeah, no, I'd rather have his head on a platter."

"What-?"

"Hey- No, we need to to this legitimately!" Jennings implored. "His death will make him a martyr!"

"Not if you collect and release the info out into the public!" Lincoln fired back.

"We aren't murderers, man!" Remender shut down. "We are not like him, not like either of them-"

"This Russian guy's a merc- Why does Matthews need a merc?" Lincoln hit the spot. "Because, at no doubt, does he make enemies on a daily basis! A man of politics will have too many a people that disagree with him! Of course he needs himself some sort of bodyguard, when in light, the regular type meant too little for his taste. A top dog, a master gunner who could make all the noise he wanted as long as it was away from Matthews. "A paranoid one?"

"Shouldn't be too hard to figure it out," Remender laughed nearly broken. "Lord knows how many enemies he'd made in his career."

"And you're wrong about one thing..." Lincoln moved around without a plan, looking at all that the Blacklist had accomplished. Nothing. Nothing but collected files, articles and newspapers- doing it all by the book and not like some backhand CIA goon.

_I'll get a gun and I'll come gunning for everyone involved, how hard can that be? The guy was right, this world is lost, but only if you don't sink down, drown with the animals- become one yourself. In this world, it's survival of the fittest, and not one ounce of flab is recognized in my body. Sure, I may die, but not today. Not this fucking decade, ha. _

"And what might that be?" Remender played along.

"You guys might be clean, but I'm not, and I'm accustomed to the death," Lincoln stated, filing the room with this edge.

"You some veteran from Afghanistan?" Remender crashed down and fell upon a green bean bag. "Come on, tell us about your exploits. Surely you have some history around the way of the gun. Bet your best friend is a concealed Colt tucked behind your back on a regular basis."

"Bad people, countless guns," Lincoln shared. "That's all there is to it."

"Wow, what a vaguely cryptic answer..." Remender brought himself to smile, albeit in the dark. "I don't like that answer, I wish to know more about who we let in onboard this... Alliance."

"What, paranoid I'll defect on you?" Lincoln eyed the man Johnny Remender with observant eyes. "What was the point of coming to my aid if you were just going to ask these questions? You saw me kill that Bart person, was that not much of a red flag for you?"

"Nothing of the sort, I'd just like to know who my friends are and what they've done prior to this-"

"And you won't like what I've got to say..." Lincoln looked down upon Remender, towering right over him. "Bad reputation that means nothing right now. I won't dare bullshit your head with false lies and stories, I've murdered and shot people, but these guys, all of them before Skip Bart- They were all of the monstrous variety. Waves of scum and maggots who've lost their right to live."

"What-?" Remender signaled to Jennings and Ramirez. "Dale, Mike, we've- We've got some vigilante up in this place! Can you believe that?"

"What a pointless crusade," Jennings scolded. "Yo, man, you can't kill crime! You can kill criminals all you want, but it'll never end. Crime is not people, it is a concept, an idea that continues to spread! So long as there are people, there will be evil, and one man cannot possibly succeed, let alone make a dent!"

_I didn't need to rid the world of evil, I knew that it was pointless, but this here- Matthews and shit- This pointed me, the living gun, right at them. No, I'm no Goddamn vigilante, I'd never dedicate myself to fire away at every piece of shit in the world. But... _

_There were people like the old Freights. Brought harm to them. Never cared for what they did, only doing what they did so that they could benefit from it. And looking at Patrick Matthews, it was looking too much like that. Just another criminal, but one who utilized his word and his people to do his own bidding._

_A spineless coward, you are, Pat. _

"I don't know who you think you are," Remender spoke down to the albino, "but you're no Punisher. That's all fiction, man, let's be real. And don't even get any funny ideas, you aren't some hero. You killed Skip Bart, that is good for us all but in general? You're going to be wanted, and they've seen your face, they'll be looking for you now. Matthews and Sheriff Wheete-Glass are on buddy-buddy terms, of course that'll earn you an ABP."

"Yeah, thanks for telling me."

"Want my advice?"

_No. _"Sure, what do you have?" Lincoln gave in.

"Cut your hair, get some dye. They're looking for some anime faggot, so let's make you a blond man."

"Come again?"

"Do-"

"I've gotten arrested before I came to Matthews' place," Lincoln revealed. "Met the sheriff, he knows my face- And he's a real piece of work, that one."

"Oh, so you've met him up close and personal, huh?"

"What the fuck?!" Jennings went noticeably berserk. "You mean you got yourself arrested?!"

"This very fucking morning-"

"Hang on..." Remender rubbed his chin. "Reports about a shooting across from Town fucking Hall... Y-you mean...?"

"Guilty," Lincoln confirmed for them. "Killed a guy who attacked a friend while we went to visit Matthews' office."

Remender was quick to exchange glances between the other two. "Two today? That's...-"

"Don't you dare come after us," Jennings warned, expressing worry. "I mean-"

"Well, don't let me sniff the fear off of you," Lincoln teased. "Both events are unrelated. You come in and attack someone in my sights, damn right I'm not gonna sit that out. It doesn't sit well with me."

"I see..." Remender got back to the point again. "Listen, there doesn't need to be bloodshed for this. Matthews can fall without falling, I- We want him to lose everything he's worked hard for. That's our mission- None of that pointless shit-flinging, we're legit."

"The drone we've used was to capture and record viable footage we can get, to turn into dirt," Jennings added in.

"So, again, are you or are you not ex-military?"

"Nope," he answered simply. "As if you needed a veteran when you've made it clear you don't want the easiest solution to be pulled out of the hat."

"And I stand by it," Remender stated. "We can win back our lives and maybe get praise for this, too! Matthews has wronged us all but we'll turn the tide! We're not cowards, we're not spineless fools whom we'll let be walked all over as if we're nothing! He thinks we'll take it like good little boys and that's it! Him and his friends, they're all insane, and they ridicule us as if we are losers!"

_And he vented off as much as Matthews had given him that hate-boner. I didn't want to, really but he needed to- These three strangers were fucked over just like that, and they had enough of it. I wasn't part of all of this so I felt the least affected- And the most eager to shoot Matthews in the fucking face because of that, I gave no remedial shit about their politics or the game. _

_Nope, didn't matter to me, but to Remender, the condescending, Jennings, the rager, and Ramirez, the open-minded. First off, I needed to get ahold of a gun- Any gun- And have it loaded. Next step- Well, I'll figure it out._

"Right, I never explained my idea here..." Remender cleared his throat. "We need someone to sneak into Matthews' mansion. A simple grab-and-go mission for the hard drive. His computer is a basic gold mine worthy of being exploited. That's it, that's how we do it! That's how we win! I'm sure he has dirt in there we can make, I can feel it! I can feel the tide on the verge of turning!"

"Break in and out with the computer's hard drive?"

"We've got that covered, too!" Remender proudly pointed to Jennings. "He can provide with the tools to transfer-"

"Transfer, download, whatever you wish to call it," Jennings tossed it. "It's that simple, we've done the groundwork and discovered the times routes his private guards take. We've been at it for weeks, watching them all rotate, move and maneuver at- You know, the whole nine yards! Come over here, let me walk you through it."

Lincoln took a tour of the monitor station, gazing upon the setup they've established for themselves. Jennings was eager to be nerdy and show Lincoln a blue square-shaped device, port of it connecting to the computer's hard drive. "I humbly introduce you to Sprocket-3. This baby is high-tech. All flash drives in existence can only copy or transfer files, but Sprocket-3 is destructive. Plug it into your computer and press this button here-" Jennings held a finger above a red button on the device. "It will take all the data and pour all out into the internet, just like that."

"Sounds even more simple," Lincoln thought. "Plug it in, and press that button?"

"That's it, man," Jennings nodded. "That simple."

"Simple..." Lincoln nodded, but did not like it, planned not to resort to it. "I like it."

"Of course you do!"

"In the meantime, you can just relax or whatever you wish, we're bunkered down for a season," Remender insisted, flashing out a thumbs-up. "We've got stuff aplenty, knock yourself out."

"That drone-" Lincoln looked to Jennings. "I'd like a turn on it."

"Oh..." The man scratched his head, somehow looking rather guilty. "Uh, yeah, sure!"

"Stop being weird, Dale," Ramirez went. "Give the man a turn."

**Night**

Lincoln took control of the drone for the rest of the day. He flew it all around town at a high angle where it appeared overhead as a bird to the latter population. The plan here was for him to locate the police precinct, and he did. And he watched and waited for hours, introducing himself to the officers of Dadetown, Wheete-Glass' friends and comrades, but the main objective was waiting for Wheete-Glass go sign off of his shift- And Lincoln had finally seen to it that the racist copper leave.

And Lincoln guided the drone after Wheete-Glass, trailing him to the man's house, getting an address. _Bingo..._

In between, there had been no further contact from Matthews yet, but word had to have been out. The inevitable manhunt for Jerry Cruise to go underway. There was a joke in there somewhere.

_Time to go hunting now..._

It was too easy, just as easy as the Blacklist members were planning. Exposing the political criminal with no blood being shed- And that was never the method he would have chosen.

_Yeah, how do you know the man won't just rebound and start over again? You can only stop someone for so long until they rise from the ashes again. Those three are wrong, death is the only way to resolve this. My way. Returned the drone and these guys gave me no lip about draining the battery. No one was really watching what I was doing, guess they were under the impression I did further surveillance on the mansion. Yeah, that's more better an answer than what I've got. Steal me a police car or at least a CB radio. We'll see if I can turn this around. _

_So much for not making noise._

Lincoln walked around in the dark, following the address where he knew the sheriff lived. Twenty-one streets upward, seven blocks to the left, and the fifth house after one right before the crosswalk. Sturdy little house of a tan color, one floor, wide backyard. All he could see until he was up close and personal, and he was by then.

_Better have you a gun somewhere, sheriff cocksucker. _

Lincoln came into the front, knocked on the door without a word.

_First rule of thumb, and contradictory to popular belief, you don't have to break in to a home you've set in your sights. You can come into the front door so damn easily and in a welcoming manner if they do not know you- Now, Wheete-Glass knew me, makes this ineffective for me-_

The second the sheriff, in a tank top and shorts, opened up, Lincoln said hello by punching and pushing him back into the house and closed the door with a back swing of his leg.

_I beat him silly, had him down on the rocks._

Lincoln dragged Wheete-Glass down to the kitchen, where he then proceeded to load his hands with a pair of kitchen knives as the sheriff bled away over the kitchen tiles. "Now then..."

"Y-you again! How dare you...!"

"Shut up and beg for your life, worm," Lincoln spat, driving one of of knives right above his left kneecap, making him scream wildly in pain. "What are you doing in my name?"

"What!?"

Lincoln dropped down to bend, facing Wheete-Glass closer on ground level. "What is Matthews pulling here now? What's the deal with me?"

"You- You motherfucker, we'll find out who you are, and we'll lock you up! One or the other, if not both!" Strangely, the man laughed through the pain, and the blade was still stuck in his leg. He dared not move about now, but the man found something gravely amusing. "You're going to lose! It doesn't matter if you've been framed or not, you're fucked as it is now!"

"How so?"

"Have you not considered that we anticipated this move?"

The atmosphere changed, and Lincoln was soon facing the balcony, seeing how wide it was, and how exposed the inside could have looked from the outer angle. And when he looked down to his chest, he saw the red laser. _Son of a bitch!_

"It was strategically smart of you to come for me!" Wheete-Glass complimented. "Guess what? I made no move on you just yet! You coming here, breaking in and trying to kill me! Doesn't that just scream-?" Lincoln kicked his face in, shutting him up.

_Damn it! I walked into a fucking trap! Now they've got what they want out of me, they can play it out A, B or C and I'll never look good. Damn it, why didn't I consider this?! How did I-?_

Whoever the shooter was, they fired and hit Lincoln right in the chest, blowing him back into the fridge, spiraling downwards right across from the unconscious sheriff. Not a kill shot, but one where he was needed alive. Alive for their own gain, for them to have a greater advantage. As luck would have it...

Heather Eleanor White, the pale-skinned teenage girl older than any of them, came limping out of the dark. A doll-like grin of great joy formed her face, and hef smell, sniffing away like crazy, had led her to the scent of spilling blood. The vampire girl was delighted that her captor, the pedophilic sheriff, had kept his half of the bargain made. "Oh splendid! A fresh corpse to ravage!"

"What- What the fuck-?" Lincoln kept his hands to the gunshot wound, eyes shooting back and forth between the hole and Heather. "A daughter?!"

And Heather grabbed Lincoln by his feet, dragging him with a secret amount of super strength, taking him into the basement. "A girl's gotta eat..."

* * *

**AN: Who could have expected the deadly Gloom to enter stage? Four of eleven done, seven more to go. **


	60. Chapter 60

_Hey, I've come across some stranger shit- But this beats the cake! What kind of shit was this sheriff running here?_

Lincoln had kicked what he thought was a sick cannibal down the stairs, seeing and hearing her body tumble down. She moaned and cried, yelling for meat. "This isn't supposed to be hard!"

Already, Heather had been sinking her teeth into his leg, which led to her landing down to the bottom. It raised a hell lot of questions, but if needed to, he'd go and try to fend her off- And the bullet hole had yet to be patched up after the extraction. He hadn't the right tools, and led poisoning was still a thing. "Grgh..."

Heather, in her black dress, rolled back up to her feet and began moving up the stairs, sharp teeth revealed, but barely due to the dim lightbulb on the top. "I'm coming... I'm coming for you, my sweet!"

And Lincoln dared to defy Heather's carnivorous state, making a powered jump from the stairs, ramming right into her, rocketing back to the bottom. This time, Lincoln added more blows unto Heather, not hesitating to hurt her, despite being an obvious minor. "What is he to you?!"

"What is who to me?" Heather became dizzy from the sound, staying still, facing the ceiling with her hands stretched wide out. "Owie, do you like hurting little girls?"

"Little girls?" Lincoln supported himself with a knee. "Little girls do not go biting strangers' legs! You are no normal female. You gonna tell me who you are?"

"I'M FUCKING HUNGRY, SNOW-HAIRED MAN!" Heather freakishly shouted, drooling away like some rabid animal. "STAY STILL!"

Lincoln rushed around the basement and found himself a sledgehammer, swinging it when Heather advanced fast and swiftly, hitting her in the face. He almost felt bad about it, but this girl was being too... Psychopathic. Could this really be justified, or did he go overboard? What did it matter anyway? He was deep in trouble with the law as it was, as Matthews had made it.

Heather fell to the side, bleeding mercilessly from her face. The head of the sledgehammer also being stained in her blood. Lincoln let the head clank to the ground, dragging it against the cement floor as he approached her. "Are you done being stupid?"

"OW! OW, YOU KNOCKED OUT A TOOTH!"

"All that, and just one?!" Lincoln stammered. "Next time, I'll go for more."

"A-a-a-and you didn't even hesitate to hurt me!" Heather wailed. "You're a madman!"

"Says the cannibal," Lincoln hissed. "A child freak like you belongs in a mental institution. Fucking child services won't help you like this!"

Heather covered the ugly portion of her face, the one side where her skin was bloodied up, going red and purple at the same time. The layer of blood had done her in, and the tooth she claimed had been knocked clean out, fiddled in between her fingers for show. Amazing how that didn't kill her or have her out cold at the very least. The little girl had more to her than being a mere man-eater.

"How are you still standing?"

"Look at you and that fucking bullet inside you!" Heather breathed hard, still persistent on eating. "I don't understand why it wasn't a headshot, but I appreciate this fun we're having!"

Slowly, Lincoln had begun to notice the bones behind Heather- A messy pile of them nearly hidden from the light. Her victims, and that made the sheriff a literal accomplice. Suddenly- _My heart started pounding faster than I could track. All of this has gotten too scary for my taste, and naturally, it got me spooked. I was not in the game of fighting tough-as-nails female cannibals. _

"HEATHER!" The Russian accent that rang from the top of the staircase could only belong to Aleksei Rostovich. "NEED THAT MAN, DO NOT BE EATING HIM!"

"...What, why?!" Heather had taken her hand off her hand and cursed Rostovich with a middle finger. "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

The Russian man, a bulking man of almost a full six feet, descended calmly with a Dragunov sniper rifle, modded with a suppressor. "As a heart attack! He is needed alive, ge-ruhl."

"What the fuck for?!" Heather scratched at her neck in retaliation. "But I'm hungry! I'm starving, I need another fresh body, not another rotting corpse from the morgue!"

"Fat pig deal with it," Rostovich brushed away, "is not my problem! Go see for help!"

"Guh- God, you're a useless spic!" Heather insulted, crying her way from the basement, stomach greatly growling.

"As for you-" Rostovich jammed the sniper rifle to Lincoln's head. "You come quietly or die- Make call."

_I left the steel mill with Sprocket-3- And just where was that device at? Right on my back, tucked underneath, and I've only just remembered it. Tell me I'm not s dumbass, I dare you. _

Lincoln raised his hands in the air, feigning surrender. "Have it your way, boss."

_Hello, soldier-for-hire! It'll be an honor breaking your neck-_

Lincoln ducked down and took out the Sprocket-3 device, swinging it upwards Rostovich's chin, making his head bob upward as hard as the strike could deal. The device shattered at hand, forcing Lincoln to let go of the remains. Secondly, the rifle had come loose out of the Russian's grip, falling right for Lincoln to catch it and turn it on him. _Or maybe I'll save me the time._

And shot Rostovich right in the face just the one time, splattering blood and brain over the basement floor and walls. He faced back up, presented with the challenge in the form of Cannibal Girl again. Accursed Cannibal Girl and her high bloodlust, having been told to tend to Wheete-Glass. Here was the compromise Lincoln quickly thought of. Armed with the sniper rifle, he confidently rushed up and found Heather trying to wake up the sheriff, blowing air into his face like crazy up until she had become face-red. "Hey!"

Heather had quite a jump scare from this. "Ahh! Oh, you!"

"How hungry are you?!"

"I'll swallow your fingers!" A bullet ran past Heather's left ear, the gunshot ringing so heavily in her eardrums. "AGH!"

"I'll have you all the food you can get, starting with him!" Lincoln pointed to the unconscious sheriff. "You work for me now, and I can give you all the work with a better pay!"

Heather ran a hand onto her legs, rubbing the edge of her clit. "Hmmm... I'm sick and tired of being fucked by this guy..." She did admit, contemplating the new offer. "He's the only one who's given me a home and brought me human meat... Bodies for my body-"

"Come with me," Lincoln insisted. "I have no mind to touch or rape or whatever is done to you here. Take him and follow me, I need to torture him-"

"B-b-but food-"

_Told her the Russian merc was dead down there- And she ran at full force to claim dinner, and the way she moved, how fast she moved- Don't ever starve Cannibal Girl or she'd rip your throat out when she sees you down the street. Whatever the hell happened to her, I cared a little less, but I was happy in general to have this advantage. A living weapon who displayed some freaky-deaky pain intolerance. Seriously, how can she still be standing after I swung the sledgehammer?! That's... That's fucking amazing._

Heather came back to Lincoln, her whole mouth smeared of foreign blood. "If that wasn't the best meal... I thank you kindly for this, stranger."

"Does that mean-?"

"You have my allegiance," Heather nodded, grabbing Wheete-Glass by his tank top. "I'm not walking."

Lincoln scavenged the house for car keys, and promptly headed out. "How do you feel about grand theft auto?"

"The... Games?" Heather confusingly asked.

_Idiot..._

"Hurry, I don't need this place swarming!"

Heather tossed herself and the sheriff in the backseat as Lincoln started the cop cruiser. "I've never been in the backseat before!"

"Buckle up!"

_Cannibal Girl took the knife out of the sheriff's leg, literally licking the blade for the blood, and then sniffed all around the blood. No, I haven't forgotten about the bullet wound in me, and I hadn't stopped bleeding yet, but here, I finally thought to apply pressure- And then I had alrrady begun feeling lightheaded. Blood loss. Shit. Drove back to the steel mill this way, and by driving back, I meant-_

Lincoln crashed the car into the building, and Heather flew forward into the metal grate cover, breaking her nose now. "YEOW! BAD FUCKING DRIVER!"

Lincoln opened the door and fell back first onto the dirt. _N-no, I'm sure as hell not dying this way. Fucking Rostovich, fucking-_

"Hey-" Remender and Jennings had come out to inspect the noise, both alarmed to find Lincoln lying on the ground, bleeding out. "Get him up! Come on, Dale!"

Heather punched the window to shatter it and helped herself out, opening the door from the handle. She exited the car and dragged Wheete-Glass out, throwing him to the dirt. "Hey, you can't die on me yet, snow-hair!"

"Hey, who the fuck are you? And why are you bloody?!" Jennings was one sight away from vomiting.

"Take..." Lincoln bobbed his head down. "Take it out!"

"Oh, God- You've been shot!" Remender yelled in realization.

"TAKE THE BULLET OUT OF ME!"

"We're- We're not surgeons!"

Heather faced Lincoln and dug two fingers into the bullet hole, the nails connecting to the fragment. Blood gushed out harder as Remender and Jennings kept Lincoln held upside on his feet. "Keep him still!"

"We're trying!"

Lincoln screamed greatly during the quick extraction. "DON'T YOU GET ANY FUNNY IDEAS!"

"I'VE ALREADY EATEN!" Heather screeched back in a high-pitch. "GOT IT!"

"WHY IS THE SHERIFF HERE?!" Jennings had noticed Wheete-Glass at long last. "OH, GOD, WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE, JERRY?!"

"SHUT UP AND FIND A RAG!" Lincoln howled over him.

"YOU GUYS ARE LIKE BABIES!" Heather insulted. "STOP YELLING AT EACH OTHER!"

"DALE, GO FIND ONE!" Remender ordered.

Heather took Wheete-Glass into the steel mill after Jennings. "You are all noisy, I'm outta here!"

Lincoln had trouble staying awake, fading out. Blinking. Fading. Weary of it all.

_No... I need- I need-_

And he could have sworn he saw Chloe again, just for a faint second. Chloe... Where was she now?

_Cuh-Chloe..._

They closed.

_Why am I...-?_

* * *

**American Albino, Chapter V: Extraction**

* * *

**AN: Fast chapter, and Lincoln's won one small battle- And lost another. I spare no shortage of Gloom.**


	61. Chapter 61

**American Albino, Chapter VI: America's Most Wanted**

* * *

Patrick Matthews oversaw the next meeting with Victor Morales, Howell Spice, and Josue Mendez. Bill Mausse, the very special connection in league with the gun-types such as Rostovich and Raymond, was not part of this meeting, but was hearing it go down on speakerphone, call by Matthews. "I'd hate to put Wheete-Glass as bait but that is a man I could afford to cut loose if he is turned by that fiend Jerry Cruise. Now, regarding our friend, I have only told him he is to act as bait, but he does not, and will never consider himself as an expendable pawn-"

The others laughed in unison, mocking the sheriff from afar.

"Settle down, settle down. Now, I have Aleksei stake out Nelson's place until activity hits. Best case scenario, this Cruise man attacks and Aleksei can arrange it in our favor. Cruise kills Nelson is no issue if Aleksei kills him after. Murder-suicide to drive away what this damn Blacklist group could pull at any moment. Old news, fake news, fuck the Blacklist faggots."

"Soup's hot!" Morales sneered, glasses being readjusted back to face. "We should not worry for the Blacklist members, Pat."

"The fatass is right," Josue cut in, receiving an angry glare from Victor. "It's just three of them, who's gonna listen to three people? What could they have that proves fatal to your campaign? Why, nothing, I could say! There exists no such piece of evidence that is obtainable by them in which could very well dismantle your career."

"That is exactly what I want to hear," Matthews delightfully said. "All they'll do is harass the public with these truths that have no evidence. They're all to be lies, nothing more than that."

"Right."

"When the call arrives, the next phase can advance with no issue," Matthews stated. "It's enough for Cruise to be a man featured in America's Most Wanted, or at the very least, a Dadetown-exclusive fugitive. Oh!" Matthews lifted a finger right up to his face, forming a flabby smile. "I've dug up a little juicy detail that turns it more my way. Get this-"

Matthews had a folder on the table, of sheets faxed from Wheete-Glass. Photographs of the dead bodies of Rex Rick and his gang, all of the struck by Lincoln, and Chloe Binsley's police file. "Our man is some good Samaritan, it seems. This girl here, this Chloe Binsley, had some ordeal with some skinhead fucks. Had to have been like that- All of these guys were killed by Cruise, an effort spare this Binsley woman the death penalty by them."

"How admirable," Morales laughed. "Good old Bill at work."

_"I've run into Rex a few times, when I found out about it..." _

"And these two stepped into Dadetown as that idiot Chang explained it, if that isn't some luck..."

"We've got enough for a case, what's the next step?" Mendez asked. "Do I need to ask? I'm sure you've got it figured out."

"I had Nelson hold off putting it out until we had enough. At this point, we know he's killed, both within and outside of Dadetown. Feed it all into the papers and the networks, and we'll have people eating it up. I'm counting on him to go after Nelson. He knows he's innocent and will try to plead with the man. Now... I let him out myself so he knows Nelson and I are close enough to make him suspicious-"

**The Steel Mill, Dadetown**

Lincoln applied a shard across Wheete-Glass' chest as the sheriff hung upside down, dangling from the catwalk. "You're gonna scream and exhaust yourself before I can even let you tell me whatvI want to know."

"Y-YOU SADISTIC FREAK!" Wheete-Glass moved about as much as he could. "LET GO OF ME! LET ME DOWN!"

Heather Eleanor White was licking the blood that dripped onto the ground like some dog yearning for water, much to the disgust of the Blacklist members. "More blood... More blood for me! I love the taste!"

"Not a chance in hell," Lincoln denied. "Not until I've finished what I've started."

"Um, is- Is anyone gonna talk about the fact that there is some minor running her tongue right there?" Jennings winced.

"I've seen horror movies galore, but now..." Johnny Remender gulped in place, staring helplessly as Heather swabbed the spot clean of blood. "I feel like I've stepped in one."

"Oh, as if you haven't seen stranger things before," Heather accused, growling upon the men. "Dare judge me and I'll bite back!"

"Enough of this," Lincoln warned at the others. "All of you, show that shit."

"Stow...?" Remender became discontent. "Hey, asshole, this was not part of the plan! Do you really dare bring the sheriff and some sick random girl here?! Why in the fuck would you dare to do that?! You're messing up our plans!"

"Yeah, yours!" Lincoln shot back. "This isn't how I would dare. Fuck you and fuck your Sprocket toy, too."

"S-speaking of..." Jennings then crossed his arms. "You left with the device, now where is it?"

_I was no bullshitter, so I told the truth plain and simple. _"I fucking destroyed it."

"Y-you-?"

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Jennings went berserk and it showed. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER, THAT WAS OUR ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS! GODDAMN IT, JERRY FUCKING CRUISE!"

"Are you serious?" Remender berated. "Why, why did you-?"

"I used it as a melee against Rostovich," Lincoln dropped, "and Rostovich is dead."

"Ros- I'm sorry, did you really go out of your way to make more noise than you already-?" Remender pondered over it. "I see..."

"Y-YOU KILLED ALEKSEI?!" Wheete-Glass kept trying to worm his way out. "SON OF A BITCH, PAT WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD ON A SILVER PLATTER! BILL'S GONNA KILL YOU!"

"Bill?"

"William Mausse, the guy with the dyed hair," Remender reminded Lincoln. "High on ego, thinks he's the shit. Tell you, the man could print pics of himself and put them up like fucking flyers."

"Does that many drugs that jt tweaked his way of thinking," Jennings tossed in, gaining to a calm. "I can't fucking believe you, Jerry."

"Excuse me..." Heather wiped her mouth of the blood, walking right to the men. "Would it matter if I decided to give a confession?"

"A confession?"

Lincoln lowered the glass shard away from the sheriff's skin. "Hang on, I get it..."

"This is a game I'm familiar with," Heather shared. "In the basement of Nelson's home, there are bones, remains of dead people that no one would miss. He took them all down there and I had my fill, and many of them, he'd tell me-"

"HEATHER!"

"He'd tell me they were runaways. Many of them looked young, and now..." Heather looked up at Wheete-Glass. "I can finally say that I believe you might have had a hand in taking tbeir lives."

Lincoln narrowed his eyes; Cannibal Girl, preaching out righteousness? There was a joke in there somewhere. Another damn joke. "Someone, get a camera, start putting her own tape."

"Tape?" Jennings repeated, so terribly lost.

"Wait, I see the goal here," Remender obliged, "The girl is going to expose this man here-"

"And in doing so, destroying who he is what What he serves..." Lincoln hissed in delight. "A racist prick like yourself chose the wrong workplace, do you hear?"

"S-SONS OF BITCHES, ALL OF YOU! HEATHER, YOU BLOODTHIRSTY WHORE! DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU DARE TELL THE TOWN-"

_I liked this, I truly did. Cannibal Girl would go on to tell it all, to reveal the remains of the taken bodies that were all there in the basement, and that she was being held captive, damned to fulfill his pedophile needs. Get this- She painted him as the sick cannibal bastard, and the Blacklist guys bought it, even moreso when she showed her tendencies, making them think that Wheete-Glass has successfully broken and turned Heather into a junior version of him. Oh, it was so goddamn glorious. All lf these words and not a single inconsistency that I could have detected. Her word would be true, the remains were there- And maybe if one of the other cops came for a visit around the later hours, they'd see for themselves. Matthews could do his best to cover it up, but the tape needed to be out faster for the press._

"Done..." Jennings closed the video camcorder and lowered it. "Did he really do all of tja"

"He brought so many bodies, and he would cook them-" A Heather White lie layered over the truth. "I- I can't-"

_She played the role well, it fooled the three but not me. I already knew she was the real devil here. Good to know she defected over to my side._

"WAIT, I CAN PAY! DELETE THE FOOTAGE, BREAK THAT THING!" Wheete-Glass desperately cried. "PLEASE!"

"What about him, Jerry?" Remender was playing logical sense here as of yet. "He doesn't need to die, he must live with the shame. Matthews will disown him as a friend-"

Lincoln continued to cut at the racist sheriff. "I'm done with the games, I just want Matthews!"

"ARGHHH!"

"J-Jesus..."

"WAIT- I KNOW WHERE HE'LL BE NEXT!" Wheete-Glass betrayed his friends in a panic. "MATTHEWS AND- AND-"

"And?"

"ADAM PARSON!"

"P-Parson?"

"Who the fuck is Adams Parson to me?" Lincoln grabbed Wheete-Glass' head and brought it close to the shard. "Believe me, I want to jam this into your eyes."

"It's-! It's a meeting Pat has talked about!"

"Parson is a real-estate agent," Remender shared to the albino. "Looks like Matthews plans to buy land- Or sell..."

"Where are they meeting?"

"ASIAN RESTAURANT ON ZAQ AVE AND VIK STREET! AROUND NOON TOMORROW!"

"H-hey, Jerry-" Remender slapped a hand onto Lincoln. "You've proved your point, there's no need to further torture him."

"Don't be so fucking stupid," Lincoln harshly disagreed. "It is as necessary as I deem it. What have you it you don't learn from it through the pain? Wheete-fucker, I'd like to break you. I want to hurt you so bad that these scars here tonight, that of which I cast unto you, mean the entirely worst thing you will ever know."

"What...?"

"Death would be merciful now that I see it..." Lincoln gave a nod to Jennings. "Do it, ruin the man's reputation!"

"WAIT, NO! PLEASE!"

"Go upload that tape, that's how we take care of one headache!"

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO NOW!"

"Sure thing!" Lincoln returned the man down to earth, dropping him hard.

"What are you planning here?! Don't fucking kill him, I swear to God!"

"You there, girl-" Heather jerked forward when Lincoln acknowledged her, "tell me something."

"Yeah?"

"All of that in the basement, you've left your DNA-"

"Which is untraceable," Heather grinned, already knowing that she was a true ghost. "Nothing of my body is in any of these virtual databases, I can assure you of that."

"And you have yet to answer all of my questions," Lincoln forced again, and Heather stuck her tongue out like a child. "So then, it has been set."

"FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU TO HIGH HELL!"

Meanwhile, Ramirez was still sleeping away as if nothing was happening, snoring loudly.

"Anyone know this restaurant?" Lincoln cracked his knuckles, turning away from Wheete-Glass, and the patch over his wound still stayed in place.

"Yeah, it's Japanese-oriented, pretty fancy," Jennings nodded.

"What do we do about him?!" Remender panicked. "We can't just let him loose-"

Lincoln knocked Wheete-Glass out again. "Tie him up and keep him around-"

"THE MAN'S ALL BLOODY!"

"Then patch him up! We're going to hold him as a hostage until we're guaranteed he can no longer be a foe, until we're sure his affiliation means bad news to those who make it matter."

"That's just one knocked off from the group, but Matthews still has friends he can call upon when he finds out what really happened!"

"No shit... Lucky for us his phone's been left at home, no way they can track him back here, but the cop car outside-"

"Goddamnit man, this was simple..." Remender uttered with a heavy sigh. "Attach Sprocket-3 into his hard drive, and then press a button before leaving. Dude, come the fuck on."

"Yeah, because the law can do no failure," Lincoln poked. "I don't think this, all this you've planned, can do shit to hurt Matthews by reputation will mean shit. Who's to say he won't bribe his way out of it? What of the funds he's acquired from Bart? Where's all that going? Has he or has he not used it all up?"

"Errrr..." Remender revealed to have not the answer. "Okay so maybe we don't keep track of it all-"

"Right..." Lincoln sensed. "You're lacking of a whole heap of information here, but you know the players on that team. Makes me wonder now... How exactly do you know them?"

Then, Remender and Jennings gave each other concerning looms, and Heather laughed. "Well, aren't you little girls trying to hide yourselves a secret or two..."

Lincoln only fired death daggers upon the two. "Leaving me in the dark is not a wise decision."

"Johnny?" Jennings awaited the order.

"Goddamnit- Okay, okay..." Remender gave in. "We... Well... All of us were all on his good side once before. We weren't as close to him as the others but we were friends of Matthews for sure. I gave him a bone so that he could use for his campaign and the bastard says he misplaced it. Something of a con man that can't be bothered to give your help with."

"So, all of you... This is is more personal?"

"It's- It's been our war for quite some fucking time- And before we dragged you into it, it's always been a stalemate. We didn't come to them, they didn't come to us. Our groups kept at bay from one another- And you, you had no restraints, no reason to refrain from going on the offense. I guess... I guess it's because you truly believe there can be no consequence for you. Jerry Cruise, having no personal connection to Patrick Matthews, able to go and kill his friends just like that."

"John, you are a fool," Lincoln let loose. "You can't win by your methods because it doesn't go both ways. You might have been looking at it with clean solutions, but not him. You've been beaten by a man who uses lies and fake accusations and you're still on that? The Sprocket-3 was an ineffective toy, and you're insane, you're all insane."

"Insane is such a strong word, but it is not to be affiliated with lawless- And in this case, you are the face of it, you're making it harder-"

"Harder for whom?" Lincoln scoffed. "If it is for you, it certainly isn't for me. So what if I reject your playbook? Law doesn't work for me, jail doesn't work for me. I'm happy that Wheete-Glass is getting punished but that's as far as I'll allow for this. Everyone else has earned nothing but the death sentence."

"Tell me why..."

Heather helped herself to a bean bag, watching the argument go on. Oh, if only she had some popcorn.

"What is your reason to accept death as the first solution?! It can't- It should not have to be! We are not filthy, mindless savages!"

"It just is, friend. It just is," Lincoln concluded. "By the way, keys are still in the car. Go hide it in the woods or something."

"Whatever... Dale, come help me out with Jerry's mess..."

"Y-yeah, okay..." Jennings huffed. "Worst night of my life."

Right away, both men left the mill to hide the car- And here was to them to not mess up. Lincoln crashed from all this prolonged excitement and sat right next to Heather, his body having been way past exhaustion. He yawned and stretched out, unsure if he should get sleep or stay awake. On one hand, the chaos ensuing around him was too great to simply rest now. Then again, it might have been the only time to do so all the same.

_Come tomorrow, a new fucking day._

"Hey..." Heather reached out to Lincoln, eyeing him with a different pair of eyes than before. "If it means anything, I'm sorry I tried to eat you."

"What are you doing, a guilt-trip move?" Lincoln closed his eyes, leaning right back into the bean bag below. "You really should see a fucking shrink about that. So... What happened to you anyways? Kidnapped by Wheete-Glass?"

"No..." Heather brushed the hair that waved to the front of her face back to the side, behind her ear. "He found me, I've already been wandering about on my own before then, eating-"

"You... You're basically homeless?" And then he found it relatable as Heather went on.

"I guess you can say that," Heather nodded to, now thinking about it. "Actually... I am, I really am homeless."

"Where are your parents, girl?" _She hadn't any hesitation to answer my questions before this particular one. This was the one that hit a nerve, hurt her- It was damn clear by her body language. She bobbed her head down and made a pouty face she tried to actually not show to me. But of course, I read her loud and clear. She was a victim of life tragedy, a witness left dead to be dead. I related more to this carnivore than I could have ever imagined, and if that wasn't weird enough._

"They're dead," came her sad voice. "They've been long since dead."

"Dead-?" Lincoln felt his eyes distort just a bit, a reaction from far inside. "I see."

"H-hey... How old are you?"

"I'm-" _Actually, how old am I right now? Around twenty-four? This venture into time... I'm going to age up, but does this count? Ugh, it makes my head spin. _"Twenty-four."

"So you've left home at no doubt... If I could ask you, do you still remember the faces of your parents' faces? Could you ever tell yourself that you'd always remember them, no matter how old you'd get? No matter how long you'll go in life?"

_This girl... Cannibal Girl had me on the ropes, pitting me right into the wall of a place I never go to. I never thought of my parents. I hadn't, I hadn't ever thought of them in years. I mean, the story behind that was understandable. They died unfairly in a fire, I never liked to remember them- And that's because the fire was the entryway of those memories. That was the very thing I'd remember them by, a dishonor and disrespect to their memories. I could never have thought about them without thinking about that damn fire. _

_So yeah... I'm going to forget their faces, and then their names, and I don't think I'll feel sad, but in itself... It is a shame. What could I have said to Cannibal Girl? Was I wrong to have said-_

"Well..." Lincoln had no intention to sugarcoat it. "My own parents died in a fire... So, you ask me if I'll remember who they were for all of time, I have to say no. No, I won't always carry their image in here, in my head. I don't know what you wanted to hear, but I can't give you some sweet lie that will give you hope. If your parents are gone, don't ever let them fade from memory. If you miss them, then it's good-"

Heather's eyes sparkled away, developing a regular red.

Lincoln retracted, re-evaluating his words. "I- I do know one thing. Remember them for who they were to you. For me, when I remember them, the fire comes to mind, the whole recollection that they were killed. I should not be going to that memory when there were other ones, better... Happier..."

Heather took his words into account, tearing up worse. "It's- It's all I can see. That sea, that damn endless ocean... M-mom drowned at sea and I can't-" Heather shook her head profusely. "I just can't."

_This girl severely lacked parentage... I-_

Lincoln stepped in- Pushed to Heather and gave her a hug, a holy sign of affection he was never used to giving at all. Not in this era, not in this lifetime. Things were changing, hearts were being ignited for humanity. His own, it beat again, swelling up in heat to keep him warm, and he shared that with Heather, giving her the warmth. As he hugged her to console her, he had come to find that the girl's pale skin was just as cold as it looked, and that was saying something. Cold, but less by the second. For once...

Heather hugged back, crying into his shoulder, looking at him for the emotional support she was now needing from, well, anyone who would listen. Anyone who would not turn her away for her ravenous appetite of human flesh. Anyone who could not ever be freaked out by the likes of her.

_You poor, sick girl... I've got you, kiddo. I've got you._

Not even once had he ever thought to be a father, but here it was, the closest thing to playing the role for the sake of the girl. Tonight, one truly bizarre night of his life so far... Maybe it wasn't so bad. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.


	62. Chapter 62

**American Albino, Chapter VII: Enemies In High Places**

* * *

**The Next Morning**

Lincoln stayed asleep on the bean bag in the most uncomfortable position there could only be- But with the minor Cannibal Girl actually taking to sleeping on him like a baby, it might not have been so bad. It was a nice surprise that he woke up first to find the younger girl- Whose name he hadn't gotten yet- Sleeping on him. "Oh- H-hey-"

"Mmm..." Heather cuddled him, head brushing against the side of his neck the way an adorable kitty cat would. God knows what she was dreaming of before Lincoln woke her. "Oh... Oh!"

"Yeah, good morning," Lincoln greeted, "now please get off of me. Those guys might get the wrong intention-"

"Too late," Remender dropped in, walking by them. "I don't know what the reason was for this, but if I see you two being romantic, you're outta here."

"You'd kick me out for that, but not for having shot up your plans to high hell?" Lincoln found the joke in it at long last, laughing heartily as Heather moved up to her feet. "You are senseless, Johnny boy."

"Shut it, Jerry," Remender blared. "Cop car is drowned-"

_WAIT! Christ, I forgot to tell them to take the fucking CB radio. F-fucking senseless of me..._

"-sitting in the bottom of the lake."

"Did you loot it before you did that?" Lincoln vaguely inquired to know.

"Nope, not at all."

_SHIT! _"Ah, alright, that's good. I don't need to tell you that you needed gloves and stuff, I hope."

"Precautions are always beneficial," Remender wised up. "I take it you're all hungry."

"Hey, girl," Lincoln called to Heather. "You wanna take yourself off the human diet?"

"W-well... Last time I ate something not flesh was four years ago... A cinnamon roll."

"Let's break that cycle, together." _If anything, I could have tried to give this girl better eating habits- And oh, yeah, there was an idea. _

"Any snacks, pass them down here," Lincoln requested. "It's time for Human 101."

"Hm?" Heather had wondrous eyes, sparkling away of curiosity and a little confusion. "Eat normal food?"

"Do we have time for this?!" Remender shrieked. "Need I remind you that we've got enough on our plate as it is?!"

"You're no fun," Lincoln lightly joked, yawning for the new day. "No, I haven't forgotten, but it'd do us good to take our minds off of it... As silly as it comes from me."

"Tch..." Remender looked one step away from flipping his lid, turning it around to fetch for them. He soon came back with a bag of trail mix a box of chocolate chip cookies, and some temperature Gatorade bottles. "All we can spare."

"This is a nasty combo..." Lincoln moaned. "Okay... Here, girl," he handed Heather a cookie, making sure she had it in her hands. "One bite won't hurt..."

_Wait... Am I really trying to reform a corpse-eating cannibal...? Ngh, I can almost feel myself sweating..._

Lincoln took one for himself and set a prime example to Heather. "Like this-" And he bit and ate it. "Guys, don't you have any sandwiches?"

"Jerry, we don't have a mini fridge here... You wanna steal one without making noise? Be my guest."

_I needed some better meat here, that made her want it. Bacon, ham, steak, anything, and perhaps everything. _

Heather licked her lips after the cookie went down her throat. "That was dry. A little yummy but dry."

"Have yourself some... Gatorade-" Lincoln shot a hard eye towards Remender._You're a horrible host, Johnny boy. _

"This is a sports drink," Heather stated with disgust. "Do I want to?"

"You do..." Lincoln urged, acting like the girl's father. "It helps with the digestion. Don't tell me you only devoured the meat without any beverage, have you?"

"Actually..." It was as she just heard from him, and she nervously laughed so not as to agree. "I relied on the blood-"

_You've gotta be kidding me... This was not gonna be easy, I should have known that. So then, why did I- No wait, a better question would be... Why am I bothering with Cannibal Girl? She's clearly in need of help, snd I am not an expert in whatever field this is. I figured if I didn't try... I was compelled to do it, this girl had no one. This girl, in the same spot as me at one time. This, I had a hand to change._

"Jesus Christ, chick," Remender said with a sore throat. "I can't really listen to this."

"Good, have yourself a breather."

**Miles Away**

Three police cars had surrounded the Wheete-Glass place, had been for over an hour. The ambulanca would not get there just yet, not for another ten to fifteen minutes. Deputies Gary Bail and Dennis Grill taped it down and scanned the sectors the moment it seemed foul play struck the household. One dead body of some Russian down the basement, a messy blood trail on the kitchen floor, running to the basement and front door, and a few bullet casings and a bloodied sledgehammer that had Bail worried about the missing Wheete-Glass. "What's all this look like to you, Dennis?"

Grill shone a flashlight around the bone remnants of Heather's victims. "These weren't recent, I know this. I'm ruling out the possibility that the sheriff's missing, it looks more like an act of guilt. I'm telling you now, the man's run away."

"No- He's good people, he's a friend!" Bail believed. "This- This has a logical explanation."

"We're gonna need to take that sledgehammer into forensics, that'll tell us just as much as this guy here will..." Grill circled around the dead Rostovich. "What the hell's some red punk doing here like this? Did he come breaking in?"

"Had to, the balcony glass is shattered, from a bullet undoubtedly. Bet you the very same type matches the one in this dude's skull."

"Shit..." Grill shook his head, hand running across the back of his neck. "First off, he tells us to take yesterday off, leaving him the only player on the force. This little town went to full-on shit with those two murders yesterday. Not even a gut feeling, but now..."

Bail went down to his knees, coming closer to Rostovich's body- Where much of the upper half had missing portions of flesh missing. "Can we rule out animal attack? This doesn't have anything human about this, but I could be wrong."

"I don't know..." Grill replied in his clueless state. "I really don't know what went on here. But I can say that I don't think it's over. It's like something serious just started. Dead Russian John Doe here, two bullet cases here and outside, a collection of fucking bones, and a missing sheriff who insisted that we fucked right off from work."

"You mean he knew something was up?" Bail assumed. "But- Okay, so maybe he had an idea- Was this kidnapping? And please, I don't want to believe Nelson was embedded with something nasty. That can't be, Grill. It just can't be."

"We won't know yet..." Grill assured. "It could just be nothing..." But he looked at the bones as an undisputed factor that made Wheete-Glass look bad. Run away or kidnapped, he was involved in a nasty situation now. "Come on, let's do another sweep, I'm getting the creeps just staying in here alone."

Up above, they came into contact with Jessica Dawson, another officer of their sector, having done her own clearing of the house. "Don't even bother, there isn't anything that is valuable," she lied, hiding the sheriff's phone in her back pocket. "Which one of us three gets to deal with the rest of the investigation? I figure you both, strong men, should man it together while it sorts itself out. I can't take the reek of dead body down here."

"Rock-paper-scissors for it?" Bail suggested.

Dawson rolled her eyes and moaned. "Such a child, I'm leaving-"

"Hey!"

"-so call me later for the update, will ya?" The brunette Jessica Dawson, made up of steamy-sexy curves that could turn the heads of all boys, and was the type of woman who could produce the exact milkshakes that brought all the boys to her yard, took her leave and did so in a slow manner so as to make them drool over her.

She was that hot.

"Y-yeah, we will-" Bail stammered about like a simp.

Outside, Jessica pulled out the phone when she saw that she was out of their sight, and fiddled with it. The call log, recently filled by Matthews who had been trying to reach Wheete-Glass all night. She was quick to wipe it before opening it up to remove the SIM card from if, putting it into her pocket. As for the phone-

She walked across the street and handed the phone to the driver of a parked red 4x4 off-roader. "Dispose of this and tell Patrick we have no lead on his friend, Rostovich is dead and the girl's gone just like Nelson."

"They went missing, have they?" Raymonds, the American mercenary, had an itch on the tip of his nose, proceeding to claw against it like a barbarian, reaction from the news. "This is quite a pickle Patty wants me to clean up, I hate it as it is."

"Oh please, I know you're happy about the payout about to double on your behalf," Jessica cut, already having a feel on him. "Rostovich's check goes to you, more incentive to not have any more fuck-up. Hope you have more than just a dumb sniper rifle- Which is missing."

"...Fuck," Raymonds yelped. "We're this fucking sloppy, that's unbelievable."

"Tell Patrick I'm moving forward with the APB, we need this to contain and limit this man Jerry Cruise's movements. We've got enough footage to paint the pretty picture, it won't be hard to find him when we'll inform tons of people. Hell, I'll even add a cash reward taken out of Pat's pocket. See how he likes that for relying on one person to stake out over a trap."

"Enough of that-"

"You're all idiots for not teaming-up to prevent this when it was so easy-" Jessica felt like she had gotten the world's worst headache. "Go on, take off, I'm taking over for Nelson while he's... Missing."

"That means dead, doesn't it? You think he's dead, do you?"

"Nelson is gone, the freak man-eating weapon he kept in the basement is gone, Rostovich is dead, and this all points to Cruise having the advantage. Do you really think he kidnapped them a gunpoint to have a fucking tea party, you dumbfuck?"

"Is your mouth as big as your ass?" Raymonds joked.

"If I were the top dog here, I know what I'd have been doing."

"I don't really care what you have to say, you're not the one with the five grand. A thanks for your help, the faster word gets out for Cruise, the better it will be for me to end him."

"For you? Ha, don't make me laugh..." Jessica turned away, moving away from Raymonds. "Be on your way, man with a mission."

The red truck pulled out of the curb, revving down the road like it was powered by lightning. The veteran dug into his pocket for his phone, dialing away for his boss. "Hello, it's the local dry cleaners, we regret to inform you that your special tracksuit has been mixed with the colors."

_"What-?! How is this possible?! It was the best-"_

"As it stands, the tuxedo is in top shape, do you wish to continue?"

_"YES, YES! PLEASE! PLEASE CLEAN THE AND FAST! I WANT IT DONE BY TONIGHT IF POSSIBLE!"_

"Understood, thank you for choosing the Deviant-" And Matthews hung up on Raymonds just like that. "Unfriendly asshole..."

**The Steel Mill**

Heather held up a large tree branch upwards, having it stand high and mighty, distancing herself from Lincoln just fifty feet away. She was in the midst of helping him in the warm-ups. Currently, Lincoln looked down the sights with the Dragunov at hand, the field between them being steady and silent. "A-are you sure about this?!"

"Not going to shoot."

"If you shoot my eye out by accident, I'll be really mad!" Heather promised, shaking.

"You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?" Lincoln, for a second, believed that Heather was a pheno. Wasn't too far-fetched from where he stood. "If I shoot you, will that kill you?"

"It depends where, doesn't it? Heart, head, neck- Various kill points-"

"...And how does a girl know this stuff, huh?" Lincoln took the scope downwards, centering it on Heather's forehead. "You aren't like most girls, that's some achievement somewhere on the planet."

"Oh, gee- It's not like I didn't-" Then, she stopped from talking, treading carefully while the albino washers with the sniper rifle. "Uh, I'm sorry, was that a compliment or an insult?"

"I'm judging you, girl." Lincoln had touched the trigger, but only that. _One clean headshot through her, that would be easier, wouldn't it? But... With this- _He closed his eyes. _-With how things are going, nothing would be easy. Not this girl, not today. Maybe someday, and maybe if she forced me to make that decision, but not today._

Lincoln bounced the rifle back up, scope aligned to the tip of the branch and fired once, breaking the bark into multiple pieces. Heather freaked out and lost her grip on it, letting it fall as she squeamishly moved away. "H-hey, you've got the aim, you've proved your point!"

_The afternoon was coming, and so was the meeting between Matthews and this real estate agent. No time to find a dye pack for my hair, so I needed some hooded sweater or a cap with sunglasses. As if those looks weren't suspicious... To hell with everything._

Heather met back with Lincoln after it looked like he was done. "Said you weren't going to shoot, you liar."

"No, I said I wasn't going to shoot you, and I didn't."

"But you pointed it at me, and don't forget it isn't the first time!"

"What do you want from me?"

"...Uh," Heather then stuttered. "Did I win the argument?"

"What argument?" Lincoln set the rifle down, mind racing to the future in store for him later today. "So when do you think you'll be hungry again?"

"Soon..."

_Not a lot of bullets left, but this state was famous for wildlife and endless woods. I'd find a deer or two around- Question was... And it was silly, but could she try out raw deer meat? Or maybe a trip to the supermarket for quality meat made all the difference...?_

"Need you to hold out and not eat anyone..."

_Then it was right there, in front of me, and I was daft blind to it. How fucking stupid of me. Cannibal Girl could accompany me as her own weapon, backing me, and if there was any trouble, it would be lunchtime for her. Her and this weapon, that was all I needed as I would go on to make the kill on Matthews. Look at me changing my mind as if I was this state's fucking weather. Okay, new plan. _

"Nix that, you want to devour flesh?" Lincoln brought the best offer to the table. "You and me, we're going to crash that little lunch meeting and get Matthews."

"A-are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"And just what is Jerry saying now?" Remender scoffed, growing rather irritated of the messes Lincoln kept making to no end. "The footage is ready to be uploaded- Or maybe mailed so that we can further protect ourselves. Matthews can't know it's us behind it."

_Cowardice... Wait, the footage is ready- _"I've got you. Just give it to me and I'll make the right people listen. I might just bring the DA into this, give him the tape-"

"DA is friends with Matthews," Remender shot down. "Not him."

"I guess you know that, don'tcha?" Lincoln tapped his chin. "Okay, then Wheete-Glass's friends-"

"It's more simple to just make a shadow account and upload it, Jerry!" Remender pushed. "Saves us all trouble!"

"Yeah but I'd like to make allies," Lincoln reasoned. "I'd rather turn the cops over to my side-"

"Are you kidding me?!" Remender took a deep breath, and them growled. "You are so confusing!"

"Give me the camcorder."

"No..." Remender denied. "Go to the restaurant and put an end to this, and the right fucking way!"

"Okay," Lincoln told him, letting him hear what he wanted. "I'm taking the girl as back-up-"

"B- What- B-back-up? BACK-UP?!" Remender was already paat losing his patience. "YOU'RE NOT BABYSITTING HERE! KEEP HER HERE UNTIL YOU COME BACK! WE'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH HER, WITH THEM ALL! SHUT THIS ALL DOWN, DAMNNIT! CAPTURE PATRICK AND BRING HIM HERE SO THAT WE CAN EXONERATE OURSELVES FROM HIS FALSE ALLEGATIONS! WE CAN FILM HIS CONFESSIONS!"

And Lincoln swung once, punching Remender's lights out. "Girl, wait here."

He went inside for the footage, having noted he would have to push past Jwnnings and Ramirez for it. They wouldn't like that, but to each their own. Right now, Lincoln needed to turn minds away from the regiment of dickheads, gain the allies he could use and have them fling about the shit that was enough to make noise. Lincoln had only two hours before it was noon, and less to get set up with the sniper rifle. One shot, one kill, the end of Patrick Matthews. Cannibal Girl could have the corpse or all he cared, but this was a final play where time was not with them.

"You and me, we're going back to his place," Lincoln informed Heather. "Figure we can talk to the police there, show them this."

"Uhhh..."

"Now is the time to tell me, who else besides the sheriff knows about you?"

"That's a late question to ask of me," Heather exhaled. "The guy with the long hair, the one they call Patrick. There's the weirdo with the blue hair, Bill something. Uhhh, there's a fat Mexican with a camera, I think he's the snoop guy. You've killed the Russian dude with the weird name. Uhhh, oh, this one dude, a veteran soldier-"

"Matches all I know."

"Some other Latino dude, I think they said he was Venezuelan? Oh, and there's the blonde girl."

"A girl...?" Lincoln froze to process that last reveal. "A girl on the board?"

"That's all of them, those who've seen me anyway. Not sure if Wheete-Glass ever talked about me to others, but between you and me, I would prefer that he didn't."

"This is the first I'm hearing about a chick under the payroll. Tell me about her, if you know something."

"She does the calling, it's like she's a boss, she talks to Matthews on the phone. Bill and the others, they all assemble to the sheriff's place almost like a routine, but not him. Not Patrick Matthews himself, he rarely visits."

"This girl, what's her name?"

"Jessica Dawson, I don't like her, she's a complete bitch."

"Blonde, huh? How can I identify her?"

"Ponytail, booming voice, and more importantly-"

_Jessica Dawson turned out to be a cop. No, a dirty fucking cop. My fucking luck. _

"We're going to bump into her when we go back to the house, just so you're completely aware of what we'll find." Heather remained positive that Dawson and Wheete-Glass were the only cops in league with Matthews. "Don't worry, it's just one bad seed we'll come across-"

"We don't know the amount of players, those three imbeciles inside have only encountered those closest to Matthews, but he's bound to have more influence."

"Wow, you are so full of hope, aren't you?" Heather grabbed and rubbed Lincoln's right arm. "You need to have faith and worry about one thing at a time. Like now, we've gotta go show the good cops the footage, you know-"

She blushed and then snapped her hand away from his. He noticed but said nothing about it. "You can hope and believe for the both of us."

"And I won't hold it back!"

"Then we'd better get going."

**Later**

Lincoln disarmed Bail and Grill, taking them by gunpoint in the living room. "Om your knees," he instructed them, their handguns taken up in each of his hands, connected to the back of their heads.

"You have some nerve," Grill hissed. "Where's our sheriff?!"

"Be quiet already!" Bail warned. "The man's got your gun, you idiot! And the girl-"

In front of them, Heather was put on watch, holding the long rifle in her small arms, waving it between them, and she dared to smile to make things better. "Better to listen to him, boys, you don't get this lucky."

"Lucky?" Bail blinked idly. "S-sorry, why is that?"

Lincoln presented the camcorder out to them after lowering one of the guns, and set it in between them. "You wanted answers, you've got it, but I want something in return."

"What?! You think you can get us to dl you favors?!" Grill had brass balls on him much to Lincoln's annoyance. "You kill our own and you think you can-?"

"Uh?" Heather squealed.

"Your superior is not dead just yet," Lincoln let loose. "But his reputation will be quite soon."

"What do you mean?" Bail fondly asked, trying to figure it all out for himself.

"Watch the footage in there and run it to the press-"

"F-footage?"

Lincoln circled them, guns back in place, insisting to keep sight of them. "Go ahead and watch."

_And they did, they saw for themselves. They heard Cannibal Girl's revelation- And I expected them both to take it as it was, but that wasn't what I got in the end. Officer Grill, by the nametag, refused to believe it as of yet. _

"THAT'S SUCH BULLSHIT!"

Heather rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Well then, fuck you too!"

"WHEETE-GLASS-" Grill continued to speak, still in sheeple mode, "-IS A-"

"Give it a rest," Bail resigned. "You, you're Jerry Cruise, aren't you? The man of white hair who murdered Skip Bart and David Khan in cold blood."

"Bart attacked me first," Lincoln corrected. "Or, would have if I didn't act first."

"LIES TO DEFEND HIS OWN ASS!" Grill blurted out. "DON'T BE STUPID, BAIL!"

_Did the truth matter at this point? All the shit that went down, it could not be undone, so maybe there was no reason to explain the truth to them, but of my current intentions. _

"Your sheriff is a racist and a pedophile, keeping this girl here a hostage and exploiting her humanity to become as she is now..."

"Yeah..." Bail seemed to accept it nice and simple. "It's not so... Out of character for him... Cannibalism... The remains we saw in the basement, that's-?"

"Our food," Heather half-lied. "We munched on them together, and- I never wanted to! N-not against my will!"

"And that body, the Russian?" Bail asked.

"The guard dog," Lincoln explained. "One of two under Matthews' payroll. This is his territory, but I'm here to flip it against him."

"M-Matthews? You don't mean Patrick Matthews, do you?" Bail fixated on Lincoln now.

"WHAT STORY ARE YOU TRYING TO SPIN HERE?! WHEETE-GLASS! MATTHEWS! CANNIBALS! RAPED MINORS! BLASPHEMY!"

"Payroll for what?"

"Matthews is crooked, he's knocking people down like they're nothing, but I am not just a nobody he believed he could mess with."

"I don't follow..." Bail peeped.

"Maybe we're all just propaganda tools to use to boost his career," Lincoln surmised. "That and to take out the opposition that means him harm in the place he stands. What an insecure wretch."

"Hmmm... Let's say this is all fact and not fiction..." Bail calculated. "What then? How can you beat someone with, at the minimum, three hundred followers? A good portion of Dadetown loves Matthews over Xavier Benton."

"Three hundred?"

"Number still spiking," Bail continued. "I'm not surprised we've got a town official being scummy like this, but what can you do? It would take a lot to expose him, you know. And, you're a wanted criminal, nothing you say will matter. You'll be arrested for the deaths of two."

"And you'll arrest me?"

"DAMN RIGHT WE WILL!"

"No," Bail answered truthfully. "I have to know it this is all... Real. Personally... I have a grudge of my own against Matthews."

"BAIL, YOU TRAIT-" Lincoln struck Grill just the one time, knocking him out with the gun in hand.

"That badge will mean jack shit, you know."

"The footage needs to be uploaded quickly, I can get it into the internal servers down at the precinct if you trust me."

"I'm hungry!" Heather complained.

"That's just it-" Lincoln pressed the gun against Bail's forehead. "You'll have to show for it. Your word now means so little to me, and I'm on a tight schedule."

"Bet living as a wanted felon will do that to you," Bail thought to make light of the situation. "I was almost positive that you were the bad guy here, but you came here to tell us about Nelson's affairs and didn't kill us instead. Now I know that you aren't all bad, but the others-"

"I'll worry about them later," Lincoln put aside. "You're smart, maybe you can be trusted with this."

"It's not noon for another hour and a half," Heather notified the albino man. "Do we have time?"

"What- What happens at 12?" Bail inquired.

"We..." Lincoln was mentally paid a visit by Matthews in his mind, and the failsafe plan that had him a winner, the martyr. "We're going to reel in the big fish alive."

"Doesn't sound good..."

**Elsewhere**

Jessica Dawson had pulled over and listened to everything her bug had transmitted over to her. The madman Jerry Cruise and Heather White had returned to the house to pull a fast one, st it seemed to be working. Now she knew there was footage involved, of Heather having defected, laying down the exploits of Wheete-Glass. And oh, now she was on the shitstorm by name and face, Heather had to have talked. And things we're already looking bad. She heard the keywords there. Hour and a half. The time slot set for another of Matthews' meets, this one being lunch at a noodle shop with Adam Parson.

They knew. She frantically called Matthews directly to alert him. "I've found the girl, she's with Cruise, they're working together."

_"They're...?" _Seemed like the official had time to process it, because he took a bit of time. _"What else?"_

"They know about the lunch meet, I would advise-"

_"Will continue as scheduled," _Matthews insisted. _"I know what to do here, thank you for informing me. Goodbye, Jess."_

"...What the-?" She gravely wondered why he didn't sound too worried. Maybe even she knew not of something, maybe she was being left in the dark about some key fact. "Son of a bitch."

Dawson dialed the phone again, this time for Bail himself. They hadn't talked of her, mentioned her at all, but they were still there- And here was the way to clean house by herself, not with the others, not via the others, not through them. Fuck them and their incompetence. She strapped up into her Kevlar vest and loaded her handgun. "Hey, Bail, you mind meeting me at Sunnyside? Something I've gotta talk to you about."

_"Oh, sure... I'm heading back to the precinct right now, and it's just on the way-"_

"No shit, man."

_"Uh- I'll be there in five minutes or so."_

Perfect. "Great, see you, and please don't tell anyone." And just like that, Dawson had them coming to her, leading them right into the killbox she was about to set up for them. Whatever happened to Wheete-Glass didn't matter anymore, as long as the footage was destroyed.


	63. Chapter 63

**Collab piece for this chapter, featuring guest writer X-Ray999. **

* * *

_So, we're driving down the road. It's just me, Cannibal Girl and Bail. Hw gets a quick call that lasts a rough fifteen seconds or so, and I think nothing of it. Thought it was a friend from the precinct, figured it was work-related. I let it fly, I wasn't interested in whatever it was- Big mistake, the caller had him make a rest stop to Sunnyside Park six blocks before the precinct. He pulled over and told us to stay in the car-_

_And then, a blonde matching Dawson's description, a cop woman in body armor drops out of fucking nowhere._

Jessica Dawson drew her gun and didn't hesitate to strike down Bail with three firm shots to the chest, and not even a word or a break of her facial expression came about. The woman was just that cold. Heather helped and panicked, pointing all over at Dawson. "THAT'S HER, THAT'S THE WOMAN!"

Lincoln jumped from the passenger seat, gripping the shotgun pointed upwards, going in hot and ready. _My first instinct was to take her down, but my mind raced to the other direction. Just how did she know we would...-? Idiocy galore, the fucking house was bugged by them! _

Bail bled out and choked away in his own blood, rasping and tilling around on the sidewalk in horror before Dawson pulled the trigger again, gun aimed at his head. That's how he died, confused and scared, some goddamn caged animal that knew not of what was going on. Poor bastard had his brain scattered around the sidewalk.

Heather forced herself out the same way she did when she first fled with Lincoln, breaking the window and opening the car door from the outside. "Hey, be careful, Jerry!"

_Cannibal Girl finally called me by my alias, it was surreal. Too bad I didn't ask about hers yet. _

Dawson shot at Lincoln, then took cover behind a van to avoid the shells Lincoln let out. "He would want you alive, but I have no need for menaces like you in this community! No psychopaths who go around wiping skinheads as if they're above the law!"

It caught up to him. Lincoln ducked, moving alongside the parked cars to push to Dawson. Heather, on the other hand, pulled a daredevil move and jumped into a car, sprinting and jumping forward. She activated the car alarms this way, passing past Lincoln. Dawson heard someone run from above, and under the assumption it was Lincoln, she pointed her gun upwards, expecting him to show himself and try to jump down. "Come on, you son of a bitch!"

"Peekaboo!" Heather jumped down, greeted Dawson only to be greeted back with bullets, striking her shoulder and chest. She went down just as fast as Dawson gawked in awe at her. "Ow!"

"H-Heather, you slut-" Dawson was sidetracked long enough for Lincoln to turn the corner and fire a slug into her left foot, taking her down without more gunfire. "AUGH!"

Lincoln slapped the gun out of Dawson's arm and threw her against the van, head striking hard against it. "You're done, you're finding dkne."

Heather bounced back up, but seemed to be in a brothel of pain. Her body was twitching away, lips quivering but nothing coming out of them, movements slowed almost completely. "Nzzzzzhhhh..."

_So, Cannibal Girl's first name was Heather... _"Hey... Shit, get back down, Heather. Jesus..."

"What the fuck?!" Dawson flipped on her stomach and thought to limp or drag herself away. "You got some sheer dumb fucking luck!"

"You stay," Lincoln forced, stepping on Dawson's mangled foot. "Dumb broad."

"HE'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD! WE ALL WILL!" Dawson hurled out of her system. "SO GO ON, KILL ME! MAKE MY AFTERLIFE, YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD, SCUM!"

Heather fell on one knee, both hands slapped over the two wounds. This was not in Dawson, but on Lincoln himself, as he had put her into this shit show as it unfolded terribly. "Guhhhhrrrrr... Th-this hurts-"

"Idiot!" Lincoln berated, "lie down, you're hurt!"

"I've suffered worse..." Heather went ahead to dig her nails into the hole, flinching and seething away. "Ow- Ow, owwwww!"

Dawson held in her breath until she took in air- And broke into heinous laughter before the pair. "You didn't get too lucky, you know?"

_We've been played here, since before Bail stopped to see her. More cop cars arrived to the party, only meaning that she called it in before we even arrived. And here I was, a complete fool, shotgun aimed at her in front of countless witnesses. I know what this was, but to them, to the whole world, I was some criminal- Even when they'd seen Bail get shot. Yeah, Dawson could find her out, call Bail a dirty cop, to throw him under the bus and desecrate his good name. At least he was with us for a solid ten minutes at most..._

_Fuck me, right?_

"Just what I needed-"

Heather's petite nose caught whiff of a certain smell- Dawson's blood and Bail's flesh- and she grew rather ravenous with hunger, stomach bursting into a growl as loud as a lion's kingly roar. She let her instincts take over, pushing Lincoln away from Dawson to sink her visible fangs into the ravaged leg. It was there that Lincoln had noticed the minor's deadly jaws, mouth going silly-agape. Heather took a bite out of Dawson before Lincoln moved forward again and tugged her away by her black dress. "What gives?!"

"We need to leave!"

Heather went for another bite, but Lincoln denied her the second one. "Come on-" And she was picked up into his arms, gasping and blushing as if it were a magical, romantic sequence taken right out of a Disney movie. She lost her voice, freezing away as he ran with her, running fast to Bail's patrol car. "Hu-hu-huhhhhhhhhhh..."

"DON'T THINK YOU CAN MAKE FRIENDS OUT OF US!" Dawson voiced greatly. "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN WALKING! YOU AND THAT FREAK GIRL!"

Lincoln tossed the wee girl into the passenger seat before he got in. _Thank the heavens Bail left the keys in the ignition... _Lincoln put the pedal to the metal, revving away from the scene with Dawson cursing them as they left. The two patrol cars that came through the street chased Lincoln at full throttle, and Dawson laughed maniacally.

"Huuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh..." Heather was out of it, head tilted to the side, mouth agape, forming a bare smile. "Buhhh... Buhhh."

"GET YOUR SEATBELT ON, GIRL!"

* * *

**American Albino, Chapter VIII: Town Siege**

* * *

"Siiiiieeeeet-beyult?" Heather repeated in a murmur.

Lincoln broke into a right, driving away from the precinct now. The plan was fucked, and nothing had been gotten from Dawson before this, but he suspected that Matthews would find out of his arrival. What was the next play here? "Hey- Hey! Snap the fuck out of it!" He literally snapped his fingers up to her face. "Heather!"

"Yikes! I'm awake!"

"Can you take the wheel?!"

"What-?" Heather shivered. "I have no driving skills!"

"You do now!" Lincoln let go of the wheel, grabbing the shotgun with one hand, propping open the door with the other. "Hold her still!"

Heather forced herself into the driver's seat and took the wheel, allowing Lincoln to lean out of the car, aiming at the speeding cop car behind them. "Which pedal was it?!"

"The one on the right! Don't press it all the way-" Heather floored it, rocking Lincoln after a sudden jerk. "HEATHER!"

"I TOLD YOU, I DON'T NORMALLY DRIVE!"

"BULLSHIT!" Lincoln focused the shotgun at the incoming patrol car. "KEEP IT STEADY!"

"DOING MY BEST!" Heather kept her hands as still as possible behind the wheel, but her foot on the gas seemed to be harder to apply pressure for. She went fast, and took her foot off for a few seconds before repeating the cycle. "SORRY, SORRY!"

Lincoln fired away at the front wheels, popping the right one of the approaching patrol car. "YEAH, GOOD SHIT!"

The cop car behind them skidded and crashed into a parked vehicle on the right side of the street, but the other one circled around, still giving chase. Lincoln pushed himself back inside and reloaded before coming back out, hanging by the edge of the car doorway. He fired upon them, and missed- And lost the weapon when the pursuing car rammed into them. "FUCK!"

"WHAT FUCK?!"

"YOU'RE NOT ACCELERATING!"

"GIVE ME A BREAK-" Lincoln came back inside and pushed Heather back to the passenger seat by force. "FINE!"

Lincoln manned the vehicle again. "GLOVE COMPARTMENT!"

Heather opened it up. Nothing. "ONLY GUN IS THE SNIPER IN THE BACKSEAT-"

The bullets rang out, cops in the patrol car behind them letting their lead fly. Lincoln and Heather automatically forced their heads down to avoid the strays. Lincoln looked around the buttons and quickly pressed the button to open the trunk. It gave the a bonus layer of cover in the meantime. Heather looked into the mirror and laughed. "Hey, that's smart!"

Lincoln brought himself into the calm. _Damn it, how do- How do I...? _And then he glared at Heather with a new look in his blue eyes. "Tell me now, Heather, do you completely trust me?"

"Wha- Well... No, not a hundred percent yet!"

"Good!" Lincoln applied the brakes, turning right into a random, empty driveway of some house on the left. He was quick to get out and tug Heather by her dress with him, to which she reacted by screaming helplessly. "Follow my lead!"

"WHAT ARE YOU-?" She was placed in a chokehold, one of his arms wrapped around her neck, hand connecting to the other arm at halfway, and that arm was folded from upwards to tighten Heather's air passage. "Hgggghh...!"

"Play hostage," he whispered in ear shot, using her as a human shield as he made his way to the side of the house. The cops in the pursing patrol unit did as Lincoln expected, getting out and drawing their guns at him, ordering him to let go of the girl- They had not known Heather's role and significance yet- But Lincoln didn't, moving and backing himself into the wooden gate that led to the backyard. "STAY BACK OR I'LL SNAP HER NECK!"

He kicked the back open, breaking it away as he and Heather disappeared from their sight, but the pair of cops weren't done yet. He let go of Heather, and then pointed to the passageway. "Oh!" Heather knew what to do. Even with her wounds, and one bullet still in her body, Heather rushed forward and tackled the first cop- And displayed literal superhuman strength by sending him flying with one forceful shove, knocking him into the other officer behind. "NYAHHH!"

_...You mean to fell me you've been holding out on me, Cannibal Girl?!_

Heather stretched her arms as if it were nothing, letting out a calm sight. "Yeah, I don't usually want to exert-"

_She got me feeling a little peeved, so I turned her around and I slapped her cheek, but not with all the force I had. It was more like a gentle punishment. Least I knew she had this much power now, but in terms of emotional strength-_

"I'm- I'm sorry, I'm not too fond of going all out-"

"Girl, we've been chased by cops," Lincoln berated harshly, going over to pick up the fallen guns before returning back to the cop car. In the windows of the houses nearby, including this one here, he saw the civilian onlookers give him the stink eye, many of which were comapoed of a silent feat he picked up on. Didn't look good for him, nor the girl. "This is no time to hold back-"

Heather sat herself back on the passenger seat, radiating gloom. In her mind, she didn't want to tell him everything there was to know about her. The immortality, the booster healing- Which had now begun to close her shoulder wound while he had yet to notice- Her affiliation with the supernatural, and her state of being as some inhuman creature like a vampire. He labeled her a cannibal, it was close enough for her. All of this, all of that, some superior being who could not die so easily, and he would never believe such a story. No, it wasn't a story. It happened, and it was a curse. "No need to...?"

"Whatever else you're able to do, tell me now, and I would believe it-" Lincoln pulled out of the driveway and ventured on. "I've seen impossible things, they do make my head spin but I'll have to take it in by force."

"Well..." Heather gulped, her pinkies jamming together like a guilty child who stole from the cookie jar would do. "I can fly."

_...?! F-fly? FLY?!_

"That silence tells me you're either shocked or skeptical," Heather mentally noted. "I can show you if I have to, but I'm not lying nor exaggerating... I just...- I have never shown the other guys, but I'm telling you now because you're not trying to cause me harm or use me as a sex toy."

Lincoln found his voice again after breathing in that new Heather fact. "And I won't subject you to cruelty like that, Heather. I think you know that, otherwise-"

"Yeah, you would have tried it long ago, but you see it in me, right? You see that I'm not a complete monster, I made a better choice because of you..." Heather made a U-turn however. "You say I know that, but I can still feel it. I can practically get the feeling that you see me, even as small and partially as it is, that I'm some cursed thing. I'm some demon in your eyes, I can't be helped in eating the flesh of man."

"But you're still in the shape of a human."

"Does that mean I'm... Alive?" Heather eyed the exterior mirror on her side, staring at herself with displeasure some few lengthy seconds. It was her face, even with that nasty bruise on her face, still red and purple all the same, but it was her face nonetheless. The feeble reminder that she was still who she was, what she was. Heather Eleanor White, the flesh-craving entity stuck in the physical body of a sixteen-year-old dolly. She told him most of everything about her up to here, that was more than she'd tell anyone else before him- if memory was ever so accurate. "Here-"

_She forced one hand off the wheel and applied it to her chest. At first, I thought she wanted me to grab one of her breasts, and I was about to object by yanking away- And then I realized she wanted me to feel her heartbeat. So I did. And I found that there was none whatsoever; the girl's heart, if it was there, was not beating out any such heartbeat at all. _

"Why... Why can't I feel it?" Lincoln shook his head rapidly. "That can't be possible."

"Tell me now..." Heather begged to know. "Do I still feel alive to you?"

"Why are you telling me this now?" Lincoln brought his arm back to the steering wheel, brushing off the coldness he felt from her. "Not the best time-"

Heather finally extracted the other bullet through the hole in her dress, crying out just a little. "It never seems to be, so why not just force it?" She dropped the small metal fragment, letting it fall under her feet.

"H-Hey..." Lincoln had an uninvited guest pounding at the gate of his mind; guilt. "I wish you stayed the fuck back. You're not the one I want getting shot like it's the wild west."

"Is this you-" She hissed from the wound, "-telling me you care about me?"

"Take it as you will, but I'm telling you now, you put yourself in danger and got yourself shot."

"I did it to help you, Jerry," Heather justified. "She could have killed you, but as for me-" The bullet holes on her body were now gone. "You brought me to help, that is what I'm doing, is it not like that?"

Lincoln only growled lowly at her. That part was sadly true. "Fair enough... Don't get yourself killed."

"Same to you..." Heather refunded.

"...Ye-" Lincoln pressed on the covered-up wound on him, and then gazed at her face. Perhaps- "Maybe I've been a little too harsh on you, I'm sorry I struck you."

"I'm sorry I tried to eat you... Have I already told you? I... Don't want to repeat myself."

"Don't try it again, that's all I could ask of you."

"I... Yeah, I can do that..." Heather softly complied. "Hey, Jerry? Um-"

"Out with it, it's... Christ, it's past eleven-thirty."

"You're... A really cool person, e-enough for me to say I don't wanna see you leave-"

And there it was, the bridge that aligned Heather Island to the Chloe Binsley Mainland. The sudden connection, the mutuality, the similarities between both girls- And then he found himself thinking of that soft, humane Chloe Binsley again, this time prolonged. Wherever she was, whatever she was doing with the other three nitwits, and that included the fortunate Jason Chang, right back in that one-story home. If she didn't know yet, if Chang didn't bother opening his mouth, then she'd likely know soon enough- and only if it all went south. Only if it all went-

* * *

Heather. Chloe. Polar opposites yet part of the same coin when you got down to it in simple terms. The pair of girls whom made it clear they saw Lincoln as some unconventional guardian angel, a sort of unlikely (anti-hero, perhaps?) guardian angel who, rather that come crashing down from the world just beyond the heavenly clouds, had come digging upwards from a rather scorching land that belonged to Satan and the hellfire club. (You heard it right, folks, the albino-haired young man was a stone-faced, zombified individual with a silver of humanity left, still noticeable to only the lucky few.)

Chloe would be sitting on the porch, full of a strange sentiment of not having seen Lincoln (to her, he was still Jerry fucking Cruise, the alias that was planned for the lie of his cover for the next... Well, up until 2030 would come, and he would be Lincoln Loud again) for quite some time. In her heart, she had real reason to be concerned. How Jason Chang came back, how freaked and spooked he had gotten when talking it over to Alexander and Christian, and the fear- The grave concern for Jerry the hero, the one who gave chase after David Khan, the scum who disturbed the peace and tried to clap Jason back in Town Hall. Jerry arrested, and no one knew anything because (Hey, Patrick Matthews knew but would not tell Chang, not like they were close friends anyway) it hadn't yet reached the news, but it would. It would be on the Dadetown Chronicle at that-

No, it wasn't yet, but the word had gotten out already through the mouths, spreading into the ears of the ignorant. David Khan was not a lovable figure at all, and his murderer was something of a hero- Up until it became known that Jerry Cruise had gunned down Skip Bart in cold blood. Yes, folks, you've heard it right from the horse's mouth. Jerry Cruise, broke out of jail and thw story became rather densely foggy, but it ended up with him going to Matthews' place (Hey, that sounded like an assassination attempt. The story wove to be anti-Jerry at most, no, Jerry wasn't even real- Lincoln was a set of hired hands, as the word had become, bought by the many enemies of Patrick Matthews, to run him out of the upcoming election. Dale Barbara versus Big Jim Rennie all over again, but with a different narrative).

Chloe had not seen him as the fiend the rest saw. He got her out of a pickle, she had to thank him for that, to give him the pass because she saw something else, someone else. Not a killer. Jerry was no maniacal menace like those serial killers, those cowardly mass shooters. He got her out and he showed her some affection when she first gambled on it. And he was rather sweet and misunderstood. And broken in the way she understood. The man was just broken and alone, which made it all easier, and harder all the same.

Supposedly, it could have been left at that for Lincoln. Their friendship (Hey, they met at a bar and she led him to her room at a motel and gave him pussy for protection), or whatever operative word was right to call this, could have ended right then and there. Like this, with Chloe being told that utter rubbish Matthews spun like hay Rumpelstiltskin turned into gold (No, wait, how did you spell that?) for the residents of Dadetown to eat up like hot garbage. It was hot and edible and it was garbage all the same, you could taste it, savor it, and you would never know it was actually bad. It was a meal of McDonald's, the chicken strips from KFC, the overly caffeinated cold brews from Star-kill-yourself-Bucks. Only the finest for the townsfolk, and nothing else that Patrick Matthews could risk letting them have.

That was how it could have been left at, for her to be saved, spared from further involvement. That was Chloe Binsley, everyone, wishing you a goodnight from the stage- And the spot was now occupied by the minor of pale skin and a well-developed body that Nelson Ahmina-Call-Her-Mother-A-Yellerbelly Wheete-Glass, the fat hick summabitch sheriff took pleasure in raping. Oh hell, Heather mentioned the deal. He could have his way with her and she could take care of the bodies of the rubbish Wheete-Glass put down through dirty cops means. The racist, crooked man surely loved to gun down the African Americans he labeled niggers, some stray Mexicans those calamitous beaners, wetbacks, what have you? Then stole your jobs, he preached, they stole your jobs and make anchor babies to keep themselves there. That was how life was these days, a Do-What-You-Want Wonderland, the disfigured version of the American Dream. Raping Heather, statutory rape for an unknown amount of time, but worth to shut down.

Nothing changed. The girl just swapped for another one, Heather destined to walk down the lines of fire alongside Lincoln. Didn't matter who or what she was at this moment, wherever she came from. She proved to be useful here, having an assortment of spectacular abilities when you looked past the one true specialty she came with as part of the package deal. Yummy yummy yummy fingers and toes in her dead stomach.

And above all else, even now, even while the pair were vastly on the run from the police and the influence working its way around the minds of many as it stood. It was beginning, he was the hostile running free around Dadetown, a societal menace at that. The walls, moving in, enclosing around them to trap them, going just as fast as the cop car drove on.

At no doubt did he believe Jessica Dawson would call and tell the mighty Matthews that she fucked up her fast-pay hit on him in broad daylight, which meant that the lunch meeting would be postponed. It fucked him again, leaving him empty and with no other intel to act upon. Remender, Jennings and Ramirez were, at this point, useless in this tiny, silent war of power and pawns. On one hand, a man of long, greasy black hair and prescription glasses (You didn't need to see him with glasses to know he was a blind coot), born and raised in a nothing of a Minnesota town with, you guessed it, Jessica Dawson, a close friend to him (let it be known that she put him into the friend zone that made a simp out of him). Their story had been written already, she had shitty parents, Ms. Matthews took her in like her name was Mikasa Ackerman after the final straw was pushed, set off. Not that Dawson liked to talk about it, and she would never bring it up unless she had quite the alcoholic load in her system. It was why she was a cop today, and that little thing in the past had to be hidden. Why, she would do anything for Patrick Matthews, a debt that was being paid off as it stood.

Unlike the bond the two of them shared, Lincoln could never say he had it. Or maybe he did, and lost it. The thing with Lori, the connection he severed with her when he turned the gun on her- Then what was all that for? The thing in the other timeline? She had him, she consoled and kissed him right on the lips, the follow-up to the years-long (a one-sided romance) kiss he bestowed upon her when she was lying down on her back, looking up into the ceiling and wondering about... Something he didn't know what. He had laid on her, his shirt and shorts compressed against her own tank top and shorts, the perfectly ripe scene for two lovebirds to engage in lip battle. Only, it wasn't like that for him, it wasn't how it played out in his head, not some wonderful fantasy where the mush could give way and be brought to life. No such luck. No such incestuous love could ever be. She broke his heart in one way, and a great many in other ways.

Lori murdered her brother, another count that needed to be told from start to finish, and there would well be more afterwards, because it had more to bring about. The dead live again! The Ungodly Stormbringer that was Lincoln Loud would walk the earth now and with each foostep left was a smoldering spot of burning ash left in his wake. Walking Hell. The Human Force Of Nature. Mister Albino Man. Names of all kind, names with edge attached. Rattle the bones, drop the blood to rigid temperatures, to literally scare the shit out of you until You no longer wished to do what he hated, the qualifications that made you just another piece of shit in the sights of the guns he would loot from the bodies of the dead. Those of the dead, forfeiters of life, the born that were useless. Greedy. Vile. Cruel. The ones who walked without proper judgment. People just like the Freights, you knew the kind. Destructive and evil. All that and more, yet some child's play at most. Lincoln was still just that, a child, a dangerous person to all.

He looked at Heather and knew that he placed her in danger, and that worried him enough. Yet he needed her, she was just like one of those phenos (Maybe she was a pheno! What luck!) he found out about through Alejandra Santiago, the girl with the preposterous claims of a tale she told him- and then she had shit to show that had him envious of all the tech she brought into the fray.

She opened her mouth and formed words but he didn't actually hear her, strangely enough. "What?"

"I said, I want you to stay around me," Heather repeated, changing her words. "You're not like the others- You show no interest in me other than my well-being, and that's... It really is amazing that you exist-"

He could have told her his life story just to counter that claim. Was he amazing? Sure, if you only simplified it as to some gunman loner going out of his way to wipe the scum that made it personal gor him away from the world. Just the one type, and he would be praised by the ignorant, the wrong type of people, those who would pick up a gun and brandish it against those they believed wronged them- and that's one way how he failed. But he would not tell her jack shit, he hadn't a methodical reason to make her see that he was a monster, because he didn't want to. And maybe it was also that she might have sensed. (Reminder that he gave her what for with a sledgehammer, there is nothing ethical or morally correct about it).

It didn't remotely matter anyway. It was not a flex to see who had it the most fucked up, becuase, if anything, it was the same for everyone, whatever direction it went, whatever reason put them down into hell for the torture of life, to live with that burden. One time, Lincoln thought of himself as the egotistical, self-righteous bastard with the self-entitlement to go out and fire away. It was that very Lincoln who went and attacked the Freights. He was right. He needed to wipe them because he saw them for what they were. A cult of extremists, anarchy. Bombs, terrorism. Chaos. The infection they gave Lori. The closest circle he ran with. Oh, and white-haired Lincoln had sex with Rebekka Letenko and got her pregnant. (Hey, give that baby the name of Laika and wait for her to come to you, dearest daddy! I'm sure she'll want to drink with you a fresh shot of that special imported vodka and not to try and kill you!)

Less on the ego, but still the same dick with a gun. Opinions mattered, one said this, the other said that. Here in Dadetown, Jerry Cruise was not on your side, and wanted to come after Patrick Matthews. Read the papers, git yer guns and be on lookout for a man of white-hair- No, he isn't even that old yet, he just dyed it or something- Don't even debate it, we don't care, just call the boys in blue. Oh, did I mention he killed yer hick sheriff Nelson Wheete-Glass? Cause he did. Bye-bye, old-timer.

"Save the compliments, I've got another plan..." He already thought to go to the mansion with Heather and take their grievances at the doorstep. Breaking it down, tossing in the shit they'd fling. A number of guards, if he dared to to inside. A true pity he wasn't with the AZ compound, but we live to adapt and overcome. A tag-team against a wave or two of security guards, sounded simple. But then, there was that second mercenary on the list. That mysterious Raymonds with no face attached to the name yet. But definitely American. "We break into the mansion and lie in wait for him."

"You think that's the way?" Heather had gotten nowhere too far with him- And his promise of food had yet to be kept. She was denied of meat, and had a trial to try new food. (He thought she could change, she could not blame him for trying) Heather wasn't against it, but they were off to bite more than they could chew. The simpler option had been thrown out the window, she didn't like it but she also didn't hate it. "We've been going in circles."

"I'm aware of that, but there can be no other obstacle in our way! There should not be!"

"I trust you," Heather assured him when it sounded, for a faint second, that he doubted himself. Pergaps, to her, he was not thinking outside the box, of the consequences beyond the fight. Him versus the politician with powers, the will to silence and destroy those vocal against him. Operations of all sorts, friends of all sizes. Big and low, physically and mentally capable to win such battles. "If you believe we can achieve that..."

"Hope for the both of us, as you have been already," Lincoln advised. "It's all you can do until we face his hired goons."

**The Steel Mill**

Nelson Wheete-Glass stumbled his way out of the steel mill, bloodied up with both his blood and that of the others. Right inside, Ramirez and Jennings were dead, killed right in by the escaping sheriff. (Lincy, you failed to have him trapped sturdy!) John Remender, or Johnny-boi, had taken quite the injuries while fighting to contain the man. This man who could throw Johnny-boi's life away just like that, and it was already too messy to fix, too deep a road to turn right back.

Remender was right behind Wheete-Glass, left leg stabbed with a glass share just above the kneecap, face and abdomen still aching with the nice one-two strike. This was a shit fucking day for him, and it was just part of the chain, the recent event that went south ever since the addition of Jerry Cruise. The destruction of Sprocket-3, the kidnapping of the sheriff, and the weird girl with the cannibal fetish and the disgusting, perverted confession she brought to light regarding Wheete-Glass. That camcorder was on Lincoln and Heather now, partaking on that mission to discredit and destroy Wheete-Glass's connection with Matthews. This was so that he could be cut off and have the police force be rendered useless to Matthews, unless of course (oh yeah, Jessica Dawson proved that it didn't matter, but Remender did not know this) the other cops were in on it, or at the very least, showcased their support for Matthews. Could not be, it seemed.

"YOU'RE ALL DEAD!"

"Hnnnghhhh..." Johnny Remender had let himself and the other two bozos make a downfall of a mistake that could not ever be undone. (His life for you, Randall Flagg! His life for you!) "G-get back here, you cowardly bastard!"

At the moment, the Southern sheriff done gon' moving about faster despite his beer gut being a physical disadvantage. Remender had been slowed down with the bleeding leg, glass hurting him but the sudden drive, the fear and strength he needed to get Wheete-Glass to end this and save his life, it was there, it beat the pain but not the slowness. It all worked against him, the world having ropes, holding him back, telling him he had sinned. He had gone down the same road, stopped to their level rather than taking it-

No, he was right to fight back against Matthews. It wasn't that he needed to accept this outcome cast unto him, because it would not be fair. He was a person, with a life ahead of him. He would not ever take it like a good little boy as if this were some school in Japanese, as if this was a game of disobedience. Get fucked over, fight back, he believed. It was wrong, needed to be right, not to be ignored. Supposedly there were sheeple out there who would ignore or be compelled to say to show that shit. Well, of course they would, it had nothing to to with them, and it looked like another headache. Remender did not like that, he wished they weren't so blind-eyed. This meant many of Matthews' friends today. Sheeple packed with the blind eye. Mindless drones, enablers of the sort that did not do him any such favors, but he guessed they leeched on him for what he had to offer. Mindless, greedy drones desperate for freebies. (Sing a song, sing along, the board will be taken down! Come one, come all! Step right up, step right up!)

Remender got thirty feet further before he fell, weakened enough to lose composure and balance. "WHEETE-GLASS!"

The adamant sheriff, as naked as a regular Cletus on the porch, remained to be the victor and ran with the low energy he had. God, the man was cut up but the wounds were dry (and in need of alcohol and a swab) and bloodied up, and it was painful when he ran like that in the breeze of the afternoon. Get to a phone and summon the authorities here was his first priority. To make them pay and quickly find-

Shit, Jerry Cruise and Heather White had long since left. Did they succeed! Had they already done what he feared?! Nix that. To call Matthews to find protection seemed the more reasonable option; he was afraid, sweating balls like crazy, a rare tweaker out of him was born, shining and smelling for Mother Nature. _MOTHERFUCKERS!_

He knew the address of Matthews' place, it would not be hard to run to. Maybe some driver would pass by, recognize him and give him the ride he needed as fast as he could say jump. He lost the girl and maybe his house had already been turned upside down. Sure, maybe he did lose his status and rep as a Dadetown hero of honor, but revenge was there. Revenge through his friends. Yes. That is what his heart was beginning to crave.

Nelson Wheete-Glass developed a snarled face, keeping it on to wear all the live-long day.

* * *

**AN: Give this X-Ray999 your shittiest of welcome! Safe to consider this a trial run, we'll see how this fares. Granted, I gave him a deadline, told them to edit and adjust his piece, as long as it ended with the given script. Looks like he did, now let's see what you have to say about this. The exceeding of expectations will have him a spot to write a complete chapter, but we'll see. **


	64. Chapter 64

Patrick Matthews had himself a good lunch, didn't burp for what it was worth, and had a nice pack of conversations with Adam Parson. And no Lincoln Loud across any building to try and snipe him. That was how he expected to go, but nothing happened. And nothing happened because Raymond was close by and surveying the area for stragglers and suspicious people. Nope, no assassination attempt, the lunch was peaceful, and Patrick Matthews had bought the late Skip Bart's estate. Bart had no next of kin, no one whom his place would be passed down to. Hell, not even a will. He simply died not believing he'd be killed quite young, the silly.

Raymonds was redirected to Matthews' place as Parsons took his exit- And Jessica Dawson called and told him how she tried to take matters into her own hands. They were being stupid and incompetent to cringy levels, of course she would. Wounded Heather the man-eater, and had killed Officer Bail of the force for being a traitor, but she withheld the information about Nelson and the footage. He could not scold her, Jessica was simply more fiercer and scarier than him, but still, he was the man with the power, the man who could gather girls for his personal harem. A collective of cocksleeves that he had earned the entitled right to fap to until he passed out.

Whatever, one officer was dead, but it sounded like Cruise and White were still on the run, and a Wheete-Glass had yet to be found. No, wait, it didn't matter if the man was alive or not at this point. "Forget him, he's dead news now."

_"That is what I'm thinking, we have to look at it like Nelson is behind everything, I can make it look like he and Bail were working with Cruise. As for Grill... Grill was knocked out when it happened, and he is madly distraught-"_

"I'll make Grill have an accident, then..." Matthews ordered with little to no emotion. "His allegiance is with Nelson, I know he'll be insistent on believing he did no wrong. It's the only way to clean this up."

_"A little disgusting you'd throw him under the bus just like that... But I can expect no better from you."_

"Listen, Jess..." Matthews relaxingly sighed, "take some time off. You're hurt, you'll be on crutches-"

_"You don't fucking say..." _Jessica Dawson hung up on the other end, taking away the character development from Matthews. Seemed she was rather mad about her foot, he couldn't blame her. And now, he had more hate for Jerry Cruise more than ever. That summabitch was hurting his close friends like nothing, and all he could do was just bark the orders and make more moves against him. Still, it wasn't fucking working-

He called Raymonds-and was redirected to voicemail, so he left am urgent message telling him to track Cruise and Wheete-Glass and kill them both after after giving the order to do Grill in. It was about time this mess was moped up, mess well past due to be cleaned up. Yeah, Dawson was right, they were all being morons, careless and noisy. Little did he know, at that very second, Lincoln, Heather and the escaped sheriff were running towards his mansion with their own intentions.

Not far from there, Jessica Dawson had been patched up by the paramedics, leg receiving quite the works, followed by the trip to General to have her take a rest- And she wasn't about that life, not now even, not when the ragtag police force were down two members not counting her. And there was far more to fix as it was. Good old Patrick Matthews was taking it easier than any of them, why, it was rather unfair and unjust that he sat in the table while everyone else was getting hurt all willy-nilly, and the endgame had not arrived just yet. Damn him for this, for indirectly putting her here, out of the chess match.

She had her own room and made the important calls. Still nothing on Wheete-Glass yet, just to make sure. Officers Hallesy and Roarke kept the precinct up and running, while Bail was on his way to the coroner's by now, and Grill had followed Dawson, ensuring she was fine for the day. "I bet it hurts..."

"I'm lucky to be alive as it is," Dawson shared, lying in the comfort of her bed. "Bail's idiocy could have cost us both of our lives!"

"That fucking Bail was just another traitor," Grill believed. "I wish I were the one to gun him down. Him and that Cruise fellow we know is involved now. Will you be okay her"

"Yeah..." Too bad she could not say the same about Grill. "Hey, let me ask you, what do you think about this? All of that stuff in his basement, I don't know what to think... But maybe you have an opinion on it?"

"You wanna know what I think?" Grill fondly asked. "It could all make Nelson look guilty but I think that was just it. Maybe this Cruise guy and the Russian were in on it, and Bail- That dumbass Bail either bought the lies he and that mystery girl tried to sell us both, or maybe he was in on it too. I wouldn't be surprised, he was quick to accept that Wheete-Glass did it."

"Well, I don't know, I really don't know..." Dawson faked a mastered sigh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you two during the clean-up. Didn't think that you would get a visit by them-"

"Oh, I'm sure..." Grill scanned his eyes on her legs. "Can't believe this shit, Jess. One dead, one missing, I can't do this-"

"You can," Dawson assured, working her charms to reinforce him. "You're higher than any of us at this moment. You've gotta make the others listen to you, even as few as we are now."

"Man..." Grill wished Bail was still alive, not to be a dipshit. "This really blows."

"Just wait until I heal, then I'll help you out-" Dawson knew what was coming for him, her acting skills on point. "You'll do well to lead, I know it. Hey, you wanna do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Bring me a pills of books or something while I'm here," Dawson requested. "Take my keys and keep me posted."

"Sure, simple enough, I get off tonight around eight, I'll have it around the next hour."

"That's fine, thank you." She shut her eyes and took to rest. "Best be going now, the day hasn't ended yet."

"I suppose so," Grill nodded in agreement, already turning out the door after taking her keys. "You take it easy, we'll get to the bottom of this and get justice for all."

"Right..." And Jessica Dawson decided to take a nap- Fake it while he was around. And when he left, she was quick to text Matthews the details; Grill was stopping by at her place, the opportunity for Raymonds to do a fast job. Too bad, Grill was alright, heart in the right place but to be deluded by sentimental connections when it could not be helped. And she didn't even say goodbye.

**The Mansion**

Wheete-Glass reached his destination just as Matthews came rolling into the driveway in that fancy Porsche that he took out this time, one of a few cars resting in the garage. The sheriff, hopeful to be saved by his friend, the politician of enrichment, tapped his dirty, bloody hands on the windshield. "Hey- Hey, man-"

Matthews only gaped in stupid awe at the fat hick, words bouncing around before he let them out. "N-Nelson-"

"Let me in, let me in..." he begged like a beggar. "They've fucked me over! They-they know, they had the footage-"

"What are you talking about?"

Wheete-Glass had near labored breath, fogging up a part of the windshield. "Jerry Cruise and the girl are together, they- They went to the precinct with the footage-"

"You... You stupid son of a bitch!"

"Hide me!" he begged helplessly. "HIDE ME! HIDE ME BEFORE THEY GO OUT TO HANG ME!"

Matthews never lowered the window, but his voice, the height of volume, was audible enough to pass through. "You damned fool, you and Aleksei dropped the goddamn ball on this! Guess what, Nelson? He's on a steel table, I'm sure, but the man's a ghost, there is no way he could be tagged, thanks to the Sprocket-1."

"Yeah, yeah, you and your mutuals with them Kapacity Korp clearances-" The weakened sheriff tapped once more with added force on the window. "Come on, come on! Y-you gotta hide me-"

"You fucking wretch!"

"PATRICK, COME ON! PAT! PAAAAAAAT!"

"Jesus Christ, have you lost your cool?!" Matthews huffed, grumpy and worried about the staggering, brutalized man walking around looking like some poor married sucker kicked outta his house after a fight with the missus. He knew the man would not go away- and being outside the Matthews mansion gates would raise some suspicion. Even know- "GET IN, GET THE FUCK INSIDE," he screamed as he worked to open the electronic gates up ahead, making him jog further in as he drove the sports car in.

"BY GOD ALMIGHTY, THANK YOU-"

Matthews was quick to alert Raymonds to come over and clean this shit up. Quite a shame, the man was rather useful for the force. "Don't run ahead! My guards will shoot you unless you stick by me!"

"Okay!" Wheete-Glass put himself behind the vehicle, slowly running while Matthews drove forward, waving his hand down to call off the guards when they spotted the sheriff. "God bless! God bless! I'm so hungry-"

At the far backside, Heather made a leap over the wall of hedges easily, because she didn't actually jump, but rather sprung into the air and flew up to match the height on the ledge and stood there. Her eyes scanned the place in a clockwise manner. "I see nothing, no one yet."

"Gotcha," Lincoln nodded, climbing over the hedge naturally. "Cover me."

_Good to know she wasn't lying about the flying part. Curse you, Cannibal Girl, you were able to do everything I could not. How dare you. _

"Wait..." Heather picked up on a smell. Not just any smell, but a familiar one. "Someone is here, someone-" After a few more sniffs, she made it out and identified it as Wheete-Glass' blood, and shuddered so hard her face turned even more pale.

"What's going on?"

"Jerry, it's him, he's here-" Heather stammered, pointing to the mansion. "Wheete-Glass is here!"

"WHAT?!" The news caused him to slip and fall onto the grass. "ARE YOU SURE?!"

"I know that scent anywhere!" Heather confirmed. "It's him alright!"

"Then- Then those three idiots at the steel mill have fucked up," Lincoln seethed. "Damn them, they had a simple job!"

"S-so they're dead...?" Heather gulped. "They are, aren't they?"

"They're... The lucky ones," Lincoln uttered, picking himself up. "Come, Heather, we've got a job to do."

"And you'll let me eat?!" Heather grinned with great joy, and beneath that, a cruel stitch woven into that grin. "Baby girl's gotta have her fill."

"You're really into human meat, aren't you?" The girl had some kind of resolve, a persistent necessity to devour the flesh of man. It might not have been right, or normal- No, it wasn't conventional in any way, but what was an albino to do? Her mind was concluded, and he tried to deviate her to a specific diet, but he didn't try enough, it seemed. Very well, carnivore, have all the meat you wanted, and more! "I don't think I'd spare anyone here, so... Why not go all out?"

"Huh-?"

"Bite and ravage anyone you want, even the sheriff," Lincoln allowed, putting off the chains that he had wanted to put on her. "But the big man is mine!"

Heather put her hands to her cheeks and wiggled her body as if he had complimented her in the most wholesome manner way possible. "Awwwww, why, mister Jerry, I love you!"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Awww, my widdle heart," Heather fake-cried.

"Place has a chimney, I've seen it before when I was here-"

"Oh, that's how you knew how to get here!" Heather slapped a hand upside her head. "I'm slow.'

"A reminder to give you a pat on the back later," Lincoln put aside. "Now get yourself up there, I'll take the scenic route. Drop and eat anyone you get, one at a time"

"Right, spares me the probability of being shot, no?"

"Regroup on the bedroom of the second floor-"

"Can we stop for sex?"

"GO!"

"Going!" Heather flew up into the air, venturing around the rooftop. And Lincoln had followed her and wound up seeing up her dress, turning away as fast as he saw himself some pussy. She didn't look down to see him turn away, but she had the idea where he did just that. Ha. Heather No-Bikini-Or-Thong White.

Lincoln moved fast, depending on his climbing to get him up onto the second floor bathroom window- And when he exited, Heather had sunk her teeth on one on-the-clock guard carrying an MP5K compact halfway down the hall. She ripped out the guard's throat with hunger and delight, smiling and chewing while locking eyes with Lincoln.

_Damn you, I swear if you've been seen- I mean, you had to have come out at the main floor._

Heather waved happily to Lincoln, blood decorating around her lips. "Talk about a slow lunch."

Lincoln came and swapped for the automatic. "Hide the body in the tub, and hurry before we've gotten ourselves this bloody mess, or I'll make you lick it all clean off the floor!"

"Oh..." Heather scratched her head but nodded to comply. "Alright-"

"Was it just him?" Lincoln took aim and scoured the rest of the floor. "On this floor?"

"And a pair down below!" Heather dumped the corpse into the tub, fighting the elegant smell of the flesh that made her nose do a somersault. "I'll be back for you, delicious."

"That sniffer of yours, can it pinpoint Wheete-Glass' location now?"

Heather let her nose do its thing, then- "It's faint now, but it wasn't before. It means he was outside, still probably is."

"Whatever the hell he's come here for, he's walked into his own grave!"

Heather opened her mouth and licked her lips. "It'll be my pleasure to take him."

"Make sure you hurt him real good, got it?"

"Read you loud and clear!" Heather promised.

Five blocks away, Raymonds was already rushing to the mansion in the red truck, loaded to bear, ready for the next war zone to be formed. For double of what was offered at the start, he'd have the most of it, and could maybe make a ton of noise around the private quarters owned by boss man. Him and the M60 with a belt of the armor-piercing rounds to turn the tide. The money to get him a date with a sniper rifle.

And while the bloodiest battle of today was yet to come, mayor Jude Mortimer-Push called for an immediate public conference, speaking over a custom podium in the center stage of the stairs that led up to Town Hall, surrounded by both the reporters and citizens. The few security guards were in between and on his side, keeping him safe from the otherwise quiet crowd. "It has come to my attention that we have a dangerous felon in our midst. First and foremost, I want to address this little problem head-on before you hear it from the networks directly."

Lincoln dropped behind the pair of guards patrolling the main floor, performing a leg sweep on the left one. The second one was for Heather to shred. "Yummy!"

"Recently, a drifter by the name of Jerry Cruise has entered our safe town of Dadetown and wound up taking the life of our beloved Skip Bart, and has made a failed assassination attempt to the candidate Patrick Matthews, one of this town's most-"

"Shittiest of days!" Matthews escorted Wheete-Glass to his mansion, walking up the stairs. "You need a bath, new clothes, and a trip to the hospital-"

"No hospital!" Wheete-Glass insisted with force. "Get me some hot nurse or something instead!"

"You big idiot..." Matthews let his sheriff pawn in, and Wheete-Glass was the first to lay witness to see Lincoln and Heather killing the guards.

"-respectable official Dadetown has to offer. Concurrently, our town sheriff has gone missing due to useen circumstances, but I assure you, Nelson Wheete-Glass will be found. We have suspicion to believe that Jerry Cruise is behind his disappearance but we are not certain until more evidence comes to light. In the meantime, I advise you all to be on the lookout for this man, and to report him when you can see him. He is described as a Caucasian man of six feet, messy white hair in medium length, and a scar on the left side of his forehead. You are not to apprehend him, you are not to approach him, we believe him to be armed and extremely dangerous."

"HEATHER!" Wheete-Glass pushed past Matthews, falling backwards to tumble down the stairs in front of the guards.

Lincoln saw Matthews again and raised the MP5K towards him, firing away all the rounds, but Matthews bounced to the side and jumped over the ledge, falling hard down the corner. "MEN, WE HAVE AN INTRUDER! TAKE CARE OF HIM!"

Lincoln shot up the guards in front of him, letting the thunder course right out of the firearm before they got lucky. Wheete-Glass had himself some damned devilish luck when Lincoln ran out of bullets.

"Asshole, you said that one was mine!" Heather ran past Lincoln and gave chase after the wounded sheriff. "YOU, YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!"

Matthews brushed off the dizziness and gained focus again, noticing Heather chase Wheete-Glass, and then, when looking up, noticing the murderous Lincoln look down on him with the glare of death. The glare of the Ungodly Stormbringer. And then, Lincoln ran towards him.

"AGH, FUCK-" Matthews went for one of the guns the dead guards have dropped, only for Lincoln to kick at his groping hands and shove him forcefully away, tilting him on his back. "F-FUCK YOU-!"

Lincoln swiped the prize weapon up for grabs and had the barrel kiss the politician's forehead. "No, fuck you, you piece of shit."

A different thunderous roar broke his concentration, his attention breaking away from this perfect, instilled moment in time. Someone else was out there, and that gunfire sound, he knew it was no silly popgun. Someone close by with a different gun, but he wasn't the target on the scopes- and neither was Matthews here. "Heather?! Heather!"

And another boom quaked the atmosphere after a few seconds of silence. He broke away from Matthew and ran toward the direction he saw Heather run to, and was soon greeted by the girl in black again, and her left arm was loosely dangling right out of its socket, one simple tug away from falling right off. It left him dumbfounded and horrified at the same time, mouth propping open with genuine horror. "Y-your arm-"

"Ha..." Heather weakly laughed. "I didn't see him coming-"

"What- Where's-"

"Wheetey is dead..." Heather forced out. "His head exploded, and my arm-" She didn't even move it, a sign it hurt, but her head turned to see the mess left from it. "My arm..."

Lincoln shot his eyes back to the downed Matthews. "Stay close behind me!" He had her run with him, both of them heading back inside with Matthews in town as a package. The politician wad thrown around in the base of the living room. Lincoln wanted to toy with him just a bit. "Heather, head back to the steel mill, you're wounded."

"No... No, I wanna stay with you..."

_The little girl looked so damn miserable... And it got to me. Never have I seen such... Gloom. Nothing I could ever say would make her feel better. But if it did, I had no idea what it was. _

"You know I'd be right behind you..."

"Maybe..." Heather shook her head. "But still... But still."

_You poor miserable child... I want to put you out of this misery myself..._

"Hey- D-don't look at me like I have regrets!" Heather snarled with her dead eyes. "Don't you pity me, you piece of shit."

"Your- You arm is basically gone-"

"Doesn't mean I'm dead!" Heather sounded ready to cry with that tone she had on for display. "I'm not dead, stop treating me as if this means something-"

"But it does..." He sighed. "It's not something you could walk away from. I don't want you to live expecting bullets to pass through you."

"Y-yeah?! Well..." And then Heather teared up. "I expect anything bad to do me in..."

Matthews still rolled around on the floor from the pain Lincoln had delivered, croaking and moaning.

"It's always something I don't want, I don't ask for! I miss my mother, the face I can't recall anymore!" Heather sobbed. "And I get all of this madness! My insatiable hunger, these scars, the abuse, and..."

Matthews hyperventilated.

"I didn't even tell you the worse part of being gatekept in Wheete-Glass' place! That... That redhead man, that Skip fucking Bart forced me with him-"

Lincoln's eyes flinched.

"Him above all the rest! He raped me the most! He put on a blond wig and loved fucking me-" She went mildly hysterically. "Sick fantasy sequences! My body, my life was his, and Wheete-Glass let him do me, it was some sick game. It was as if he pretended to be someone else entirely as he put his manhood in me. I hated him, I hated Skip Bart so much! And then I hear word a man of white hair took his life..."

And it all made sense to Lincoln. "You knew..."

"In my eyes, you were always my hero. From the moment I saw you, I knew who you were, and I knew I had to switch sides. Somehow, I had a gut feeling you'd be showing up, and you did."

He studied her, giving her a sad look of pure pity. "Mmm..."

"I had to believe you would! And you did..." Amidst her tears, she smiled widely with joy. "You showed up just like I hoped! I- I could never express my-"

Raymonds popped in behind Lincoln, sneaking right around the back, the large iron in his hands rising up and pointing right at Lincoln's back. Heather huffed and exhaled before moving to run, grabbing Lincoln and putting herself at his six. "What are you-?!"

Raymonds pulled and kept the trigger down, letting out the rounds to hit them both. Here, Lincoln quickly moved fast to take exit. Coming right back outside, he dropped away from the sightlines and let Heather- bloody Heather, torn up by an entire battalion of the bullets, dripping blood and flesh replacing most of her body, dress torn to dangling shreds now, had stumbled face down right on the stairs. Her arm was gone, left behind back in the mansion. The mess the girl left, it was too great to avoid, to put off mentally. That Cannibal Girl was long gone.

"H-Heather..." Lincoln advanced forward, jumping to her aid. "Heath- Why?"

He expected her to move because that's what she could do. She, a cannibal. She, with the ability to fly. She, with a heart that wasn't beating for some creepy, strange reason. She, who had shown him she could regenerate her wounds, and how was this any different? How was this- "Up! Up, girl!"

The socket where her arm belonged, bled out rapidly, dripping the steps with her tainted blood. Not a breath or a sigh he could hear when he leaned close to her. Nothing that told him she was alive- Whatever remained of that mess of distorted carnage. "You're not some normal girl, you can pull through!"

Raymonds made his way out, the war-tearing weapon still in hand. "So you're what this fuss is about."

"Bastard!" Lincoln picked Heatgwe up and cradled the corpse. "She was just a kid!"

"More than just a regular kid, you mean..."

"DO IT! KILL THEM, KILL THEM BOTH!" Matthews came limping out of his place, standing in the best place of this day, right on top with Raymonds, both of them looking down at Lincoln. A god in the making. "YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME?! I'LL DESTROY YOUR LIFE TEN TIMES OVER! YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL FIND YOU IDENTITY AND I'LL SEND THEM ALL AFTER YOU!"

"You hairy piece of shit..." Lincoln was in the bad spot, the barrel of the weapon in sync with his head. One wrong move and it was all over. _Damn it... Why didn't I bother getting it back?! That serum... I could have... Couldn't have I?_

"Don't be stupid, Pat," Raymonds scoffed. "It's death that is the decided. Get back inside before you ger yourself a heart attack."

"Why you...!" Matthews growled indefinitely. "Fine, take care of them!"

"With pleasure-"

Heather mustered up all her energy she could grasp and forced herself away from Lincoln's arms, taking a frantic one-shot soar into the air, letting out a triumphant battle cry for the ages. Her eyes were still weepy, but it wasn't the time to sit around and cry for therapy hour. The only chance to save her hero, the young strong man of prestigious white hair, had come. _Direct it at me! Direct it at me, and spray it in desperation, you army puke-!_

Raymonds turned the booming M60 to Heather, firing away as She came down to attack him. "YOU LITTLE DEMON!"

"DO IT, JERRY!" Heather dove right towards the two men on the stairs- and the force of three bullets took her off course, one of them digging into her right eye. _D-damn... I'm sorry-_

"COME HERE!" Lincoln met the gunner at the top again, elbowing the gun out of grip, then delivered an uppercut and a left hook to push Raymonds back. "DEVIANT SCUMBAG!"

Right as the fight started, a few patrol cars, sirens wailing throughout the calm breeze, came in at full force and surrounded the front of the mansion. The officers got out and drew their guns at Lincoln and Raymonds, which stopped Lincoln from having his way with the enemy. Matthews, the cowardly weasel, took towards the cops and hid behind them for protection. "You've come in the nick of time!"

Lincoln raised his hands up, as did Raymonds, and both men were escorted to their own patrol cars. Matthews wasn't thoroughly pleased, but with Raymonds being arrested, and Wheete-Glass' corpse being here... How could he possibly hide this? What story could satisfy the masses and make him look good in the end?

And Heather still seemed to be dead after trying to buy Lincoln some time.

No, he was here, and Lincoln intended to make the most of it. Right before Lincoln was cuffed, he shot his leg backwards and performed a roundhouser upon the subduing officer and snatched his gun. Raymonds did the same took down his own, headbutting and kicking him down. Matthews stood in place at the other side of the cop car, and Lincoln aimed the standard issue handgun at him. One shot was fired, but it was Raymonds who countered with Lincoln, shooting at the albino's arm. "You and me first!"

Lincoln lost grip of the gun, succumbing to the natural pain. "Damn you-"

Raymonds dropped his piece. "Come on, we we're having a good showdown, I want to see what you can do."

"K-kill him!" Matthews ordered. "I'm not paying you to toy around with your targets!"

Lincoln punched the window of the vehicle and scooped up a large glass shard as a knife, ready for the fight. Raymonds unveiled a large survival knife from underneath the sleeve of his pants, waving it around and tapping it across his face. "Good shit."

Lincoln ran towards the next kill, and the next kill rushed too, meeting him at halfway, and they fought one another, swinging their melee weapons, ducking and dodging each other's attacks. Lincoln got off one leg cut, but in return, Raymonds countered and ran his blade across the back of Lincoln's elbow. Then, Lincoln went for it directly, attacking from a high angle to strike at Raymonds' jugular- Raymonds blocked it and stabbed Lincoln right in the abdomen, no biggie. "That's right, you-"

Lincoln tossed the shard to his other hand, left open so that he could strike, and he did. The shard flung deep into Raymonds' stomach, but Lincoln didn't stop there. _The point to stab someone is to destroy their insides. Think of the process like unlocking a door; you'll never get it right when you just insert it without turning it. The idea is to fuck up their intestines and guts, and that's basic military 101, they won't walk away from that. _

Lincoln twisted and turned the glass shard on the opponent's body, slicing and desecrating it as much as he could. Raymonds let go of the knife that he shoved into Lincoln, moaning and being engulfed in this great pain, bleeding away hard. His hands twitched about in reaction, the only thing he could do aside from rasping and bleeding out the words. "Y-you son of a-"

Lincoln dug the glass fragment back out and silenced Raymonds by shoving it into the side of his neck, running it to the other side. The sound of his flesh ruptured the air, followed by heavy choking. Raymonds clamped both hands onto his throat. He fell in defeat, submitting to death without any mercy from Lincoln. He writhed around on the ground, doing his best, his hardest to grasp life. And nothing.

"Good God..."

Lincoln slid the knife out from his body and turned his attention to Matthews. "No," he simply said, "just me."

Matthews sighted his only way out, but had some degree of doubt at escaping. "Fuck... You..."

"Let's go for a little ride, Matthews," Lincoln suggested, holding the blade up with a sadistic smile curving his face. "Get the fuck in, right now."

"You can't be serious-" And he obliged when Lincoln circled around the cop car with the knife; he wasn't going to take it. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'M-"

Lincoln put the politician in the back, leaving in the patrol car. Left Heather and the various dead bodies behind just like that, and he would not think about her just yet. Not when and only when it was all over, the room to be able to breath again, the space he'd get at long last.

Not just yet. Not just yet.

And before they left, he made sure to burn down the mansion, ensuring in Matthews' homelessness.

* * *

**American Albino, Chapter IX: Scorched Earth**


	65. Chapter 65

_Ha! To think it would be easy to take off with this piece of shit! Why did I think it would be easy?! This tkwn, I tell you, this town was full of patriots-_

They gave chase in their cars and trucks at first, racing from behind, and then they got smart, flanking around to cut the stolen cop car to box Lincoln in and rescue the kidnapped town politician. Happened again on Cryandia Avenue and Bonnie Court, a pickup truck of "good Samaritans" armed with AR autos, coming in hot like something out of a crime movie. They formed a blockade and surrounded him, ordering him to turn the engine off and let Matthews go. Not even that, not a chance in hell. They didn't know what they were about, or what Matthews and company had been doing in secrecy.

_Holy shit, wait... What happened to the...?_

In all the commotion, the camcorder with Heather's truth was lost. Right now, he couldn't recall what happened- No, he should have. It happened earlier today, why the fuck? What was wrong with him? But he laughed at it, he thought it was just twisted fate telling him that the better way, the legal method to win was tossed right out the window. It was a game of life and death, kill or be killed. Law didn't work here, it had to be the Wild West once more again. The gunslinger was destined to win because he wanted to win. He was a sort of justice that you could not see coming from a mile away. Him, with only one MP5K and a magazine loaded into it. He made an improvised exit, going a hard left in between the sidewalks and the front lawns of the common houses, avoiding the blockade.

"You're going to lose!" Matthews glamorously sang. "The mayor alerted Dadetown's citizens about you, and there are folks aplenty with guns and permits like nobody's business! KILL them, I dare you! Make yourself look even more like the criminal you are!"

Lincoln braked hard once returning on road, forcing Matthews to strike his head against the metal grate. "Shut up and buckle in, you scumbag."

"You're gonna break my nose!"

"Why stop there?"

"You're a psychopath!"

_He was right, and he was wrong. Now, he had a point. Shooting these random citizens did not bode well for me, but shooting at their tires-_

Lincoln pointed the firearm out his window, shooting the tires off the truck that tried to get next to him. "Bet they didn't think to do that before, those dumbasses."

"That's goddamn George Burkin's truck!"

"Don't care!" Lincoln spat. "We are leaving town!"

"At no doubt figured out that you're gonna kill me, you want to!" Matthews wasn't panicking too much like Lincoln had assumed. Weird. "Nelson said he had trouble identifying you, but you've given us a name. That's Jerry Cruise, that's supposed to be you."

"Uh-huh..."

"So... Who is Lincoln Loud to you?"

His heart skipped a beat. _Good to know Wheete-Glass spilled the beans, as mysterious as it was to them only. Fucking Christ. _He paused to recollect on that story he shoved to Wheete-Glass. "I don't know who that is."

"Sureeeee you don't," Matthew sarcastically rolled his beady eyes. "You know what I think? A drifter who came out of fucking nowhere, prints matching with a young boy not even in middle school yet, that isn't coincidence. Maybe Nelson was dumb enough to buy a faulty bug, but I won't. So here I am thinking..."

Lincoln was one second away from sweating.

"That boy is your son, gotta be."

_What- Wait! Ha! HA!_

"Looked into the Loud family myself, it's quite a big one, I might add. Your bastard son raised by some other man, if that isn't funny?"

"Yeah, it sure is humorous," Lincoln agreed. "It sure is-"

A van came plowing into the cop car, spiraling it into a pit maneuver that put Lincoln off the road. The inhabitants of the van sprung out and surrounded the patrol car with pistols and tiny autos. "Get out! Get out of the car!"

"Mister Matthews, are you okay?"

"Get me out of here!" Matthews boomed through the glass. "Watch his gun, watch his gun!"

Lincoln found himself in another tight squeeze again, surrounded by guns with no way out. Shit wasn't like the movies where he could attack and disarm one so easily while the rest watched. Impossible, even for him right now. He let go of the submachine gun and raised his hands, giving himself to the armed townsfolk. "Don't shoot."

"Come out with your hands up and we won't resort to it!" None of these men were masked like some vicious thug gang. The amount of bravery and balls stupidity was some miracle here, but they knew nothing. God, where was the damned camcorder? Could that metallic little shit do anything right now? "Nice and easy!"

"Sure!" Lincoln came out rather slowly, arms away from his body. "You've got me-"

"Thank you, thank all of you!" Matthews praised the group. "You're good people, you hear?! You will be acknowledged, you will be rewarded-"

"Get him on his knees!"

"Easy! Easy..." Lincoln never defied the armed men for all it was worth. "Don't shoot."

_All I could think about was living... And this life was shit as it had ever gotten, when you looked outside the box. Look at me from the distance, I'm no hero. I'm not a savior, all I knew was the hammer, and I kept hammering away at the same type of people simply because I wanted to. Oh, I felt compelled to. Time and time again, I've seen it all go ignored in a contained environment. Here, those who sorely knew of Matthews' real sins did him no favors and let him walk. These enablers just had to to, you could be certain of that. Still, I got myself into quite the pickle, just how would I get myself out of this one?_

* * *

**American Albino, Chapter X: The Ungodly Stormbringer**

* * *

Lincoln found himself right back in the very same cell as he wound up in the first time around. Home, sweet home and all that. The other guy, the same black man was also there, but it wasn't much for him to be surprised about. Mike Packer had been asleep until the commoners had helped the police bring Lincoln in forcefully. One or two guys, maybe the same one, had deliberately smashed their guns upon his head, letting Lincoln bleed away before being transferred into the cell. They didn't care for his status and fate for what was coming next, but here it meant that Good Guy Matthews could- Oh, yes he will- paint that pretty picture and make himself look good. Everyone dead or behind bars involved in this could very well be antagonized; they were just liabilities to him at this point. Poor Wheete-Glass, poor Rostovich, and poor Raymonds. Now...

Lincoln curled his fists from his hands at the wonder of how Matthews would utilize Heather the Flying Cannibal Girl. Against him or to boost credibility. Heather, some tool in the campaign now, in the heat of this mess. Hey, what about Remender and the gang? Those dead bodies would soon be found, or maybe not soon enough. Shame, they'd be recognized as losers with a minor obsession to destroy the man's reputation. Maybe some jokes, or just that. Losers whom he got killed.

_Shit, those morons couldn't do one lousy job... Fucking shitshow. _

He rested on the bed to make the most of it and lied down. He closed his eyes. Blank state... Until Chloe popped inside his mind. Her face, that lovely set of eyes, and that weird, identical look she had to Luna. That same hairdo seemed more common, not that he'd met enough Pixie Cut girls in his life. How they could have been friends it the world didn't run the way it did.

No, even then...

He wondered what she was doing at the second, but he did come to an agreement with himself that she was safe at the least. His responsibility with her had long since ended, so why... Why did it feel funny? Why was there some faint voice that told him otherwise? Perhaps it wasn't... Or maybe that voice had been saying something else, something not "You go and protect her!" but these words were too lost in the fog to make out.

But his heart had been revving wildly when that woman entered his mind. _You make me feel this way... Why do you?_

Chloe was warm, and he didn't know it, or he had and refused to accept it, that stubborn bastard, but he was missing how hot her skin felt, how close she got to him without being in fear of him. Her kisses and hugs meant enough for him to wish- _Where are you? _

Being here in the cell gave him all the time in the world to ponder away without any distraction. No way out of here, come to consider. Funny how all chances were missed when he was that close to Matthews, and those times he wasn't quick to kill away. He had him captured even, not long ago, he had won. _I had you on the ropes, I've been beating you... I've won... And I lost because I didn't kill you and flee. Did... Did that punk Remender have me go about it differently?_

He was angry at himself that he forced himself off the bed and punched at the bars- and made a dent upon two of them outwards. "Huh?"

Mike Packer rotated from his bed and faced Lincoln. "C'mon, I'm trying-" He hadn't known it was a familiar face instead of some new guy. "Well, I'll be damned, it's you again!"

"Nice to see you again, man," Lincoln platonically said. "Hope you've been treated well."

"Well can mean a lot of things," Mike laughed dryly. "But I wish I was at home with the missus."

"Married, huh?" Lincoln nodded slowly. "Nice."

"Perks and cons, man," Mike shared. "Lemme tell you right now, throw all your arguments for her sakes when you get here, right where I am."

Lincoln laughed, a hearty laugh that was just as rare as gold. "Yeah? Even if we're right?"

"Oh yeah, man," Mike replied, shaking his head. "Even when we're right."

"Ha, that's crooked," Lincoln joked.

"But it's essential."

"Anything else you have for me?" Lincoln asked. "Honest to God, I have never seen myself settling down. It's not that I avoided the concept, more like I never had time to think about it. I've got so many things and... Well, up to here, I'm still single and real busy."

"College student?"

"Something like that," he simply said.

"You're- You're fucking with me, ain't ya? College is full of those smart, hot babes, and you're telling me no girl's caught your eye?"

"Well..."

"See? You can't hide from good ol' Mike, my man." Mike took a wide yawn in between. "Excuse me- Anyways, you're not getting any younger, man. I'm sure you know that by now, so why you holding back?"

"I couldn't say..." Lincoln rubbed his fingers on the dented bars. "I'm certain she likes me, but I'm unsure of it. Best I could describe it, it's a road that never ends, and this girl, this Chloe, she's not the first thing in sight."

"Obstacles, okay..." Mike cleared his throat. "Then push past all of it. You're vague, I can't tell if you mean to suggest these obstacles are of the mind or just a busy agenda that strips away your time from her."

"Both, it just might be both..." he lamented.

"If you're certain, you can change that, my man," Mike believed. "You'll get out of these bars faster than I will, and when you do so, you know what to do. Know how I know? Becasue you seem to be aware of the blocks."

"Yeah."

"Well, that's all I can give you, but I trust you'll learn your own way-"

Just outside the precinct, a collective of angry cries and murmurs cut Mike off. Both cellmates turned their attention outward the cell bars and listened in to try and make out the faint screams. It was a mob formed in heavy protest for the head of Jerry Cruise. The officers left had then abandoned their posts to keep them at bay.

"Are we having a parade?"

"Highly doubt that!" Lincoln touched his head, hissing in pain. Not bleeding anymore, but it still ached. "Ugh..."

_One of those civvies had taken him away, but I doubt he came to the cops and talked to them. As for them, they brought me here. The rest was easy to guess, but..._

Arriving via the backdoor, one blue-haired scrawny punk, the junkie Bill Mausse had come to play. Good, good, the dumbfuck officers were distracted with the protesters just outside, a simple hit and run. Loaded Colt at hand, he of anger his way to the cells, meeting Lincoln for the first time. He stopped just outside the albino's cell and gave a nauseous smile, then lifted the handgun in between the bars. "Patty says goodbye!"

_This must be Bill. What a bastard. _

Bill's gripping hand shook terribly, forehead sweating tremendously.

"Oh, man, this nut is a tweaker!" Mike went.

"You gonna kill me, boy? Working on behalf of your grand majesty's orders?"

"D-d-damn right!" Mausse chuckled. "Now die!"

Lincoln never blinked in the face of death. For his failures, for all of that, the girl, the scar on his head, and everything- was thang? Was it all just pointless in the end? Did he think he lived enough of a life to be killed like a feral animal in a cage? "So it shall be..."

"No, brother! Fight for your life!" Mike pounded his meaty arms upon the bars. "FIGHT!"

**Time Ago**

_Lincoln swung again, landing a bit against big sister Lori, in a time when big sister Lori wasn't so tall anymore. He punched her right in the gut, but what should Lori do but take grab and counter it, striking her own hand against his. He yelped, but the blonde woman didn't stop there. She, the certified adult, did a leg sweep that took her sixty tries to master, bringing down the giant of equal size. _

_"I had you-!"_

_"You literally didn't, twerp," she denied, shaking her head, hair swinging side to side. "You've got more to learn, and so do I." _

_"There's... So much to learn-" he complained to her. "These fights we have... And not one win."_

_"Psssshhh..." Lori crossed her arms and looked down on him. "Don't get all mopey just cause you had another loss. Somehow, you've been doing the same attacks in the same pattern. Mix it up a little, think outside the box, little brother."_

_"What- What's the point, I'll never beat-" _

_Lori raised a foot and had it kiss Lincoln, and then push his head back. "Don't be so dramatic, that's quitters talk! Haven't you been around Lynn long enough to know that it's intolerable? Back then, I wouldn't care, there was more to it than win or lose, but we're all here in a corner where it means something. Unless you're willing to die at the hands of your opponent!"_

_"Who said anything about-?"_

_"We're training so that we can defend ourselves when it comes to that! When it comes to facing someone in our way! You know what we're all about!"_

_"Lori-"_

_"You'll keep fighting me until you win, damn it! This isn't up for debate!"_

**Now**

_Yeah, yeah, I know that you were just trying to help me sis. I'm no quitter, but I could have never kept this up forever... No, I couldn't have, who was I really kidding here? As I am now, I'm powerless and back to square one, and now... It looks as if I'm gonna die now. _

Bill Mausse put his finger on the trigger.

_Sorry, Lori, but I couldn't even win this one simple fight without the boost. I guess I really wasn't all that strong to begin with. _He closed his eyes, and a gunshot echoed the entire precinct, alerting the few officers just outside. Nothing happened. No sting upon his body as he expected. Maybe that was the trick, and he was already dead. He moved his arms and then, but slowly, opened his eyes. _WHAT?!_

Cannibal Girl, still very bloody and terribly wounded from the gunfire earlier before, had tackled the junkie right at the last second, throwing him off his feet. "No, you're not dying today! Not now, Jerry! Not-"

Poor Mausse was sent back forcefully into the wall behind, back striking the layer of cemented cinder blocks that never moved even an inch. He moaned in grave pain, sustaining an injury, gun having fallen out of his hands. The dangerous toy slid out spinning, stopping somewhere in between him and the girl.

"-YEEEEET!"

"H-hey-" Lincoln had snapped out of it. "Heather!"

"What was that, huh?!" Cannibal Girl was quick to berate the older man. "You just let yourself open like that!"

"I-" Lincoln fumbled verbally.

"You, nothing!" Heather met him in front of the cell, grabbed the bars tightly and tugged back, breaking away the gated door as easy as pie. She was still banged up as he had left her, even the eye that had been shot was still a dark red hole with blood seeping out like honey from a bee hive. She was some mutilated corpse from a nasty little brawl from a country currently locked in a civil war, still alive. The dead walk. "Come on, we're getting out of here!"

The second Lincoln stepped out, a stampede of footsteps echoed along the walls. A ton of people- not one, not two nor three- were running inside the building, a sample of Black Friday in Florida at work. The civilians of the formed mob just outside pushed past the few cops, having heard the single gunshot that shook the perimieter. They broke through the doors, shattering the glass; they were a stampede, a gang of rampant bison that trampled and laid waste to all they saw. They kicked down the stalls, they pushed aside the chairs and desks in their way. The monitors, the fax machines- everything crashed to the floor, devastated under the sea of feet.

Heather backed up to the wall and began punching it to break it down. She made a crater, but the timer had run out before. "Agh, what the hell?!"

Lincoln faced down upon five- no, more than that- of them with bats, large dragging chains, of various melee weapons- why, there was one angry farmer with a damn old pitchfork even. Lincoln turned it around and rushed to the only gun there was. Heather herself had stopped trying to make their escape. "They've got us..."

Someone thought to shoot off a pistol away at Lincoln, hitting the ground near his feet. It worked, stopped him right before he could arm himself. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

"He's trying to kill that girl!" another citizen screamed among the crowd. "Fuck, you guys seeing that?! Look how messed up she is!"

Heather propped her mouth open, slowly beginning to shake her head. "What- No!"

"Hey girl!" the third man yelled out, "Move away from him! Come, come over here, girl!"

"Y-you miserable idiots..." Heather moved, only to stand in front of Lincoln, her arms risen up to form a T. "YOU MISERABLE IDIOTS, HE IS NOT THE ENEMY!"

"Girl-"

"What the fuck is going on?" Mike uttered under his breath.

"Step away from him, he is dangerous!" None of the crowders dared moved closer to subdue Lincoln until Heather had gotten clear out of the way. They saw for themselves how hurt she was, how bloody she had gotten in this tiny war between a lone killer and the power-hungry politician. You'd have never thought it could escalate to this magnitude. Not even when Dadetown had seen its last big even back in the late sixties, a time when Negroes were the topic of controversy. Post-Rosa Parks, close around the Detroit riots. Hard life for one, hard life for all. Right down to it, apart from how uncommon the circumstances where, maybe it was just a matter of time when the next one, this one, happened. Some sort of chaos here in town. Day one to most, but it had already started and no one really knew. Fast-moving shitshow. Lock your doors, shut your windows. Protect your valuables. Stores, susceptible to looting when they would go there. Not if, when. Which one would it be?

Heather maintained her defending of Lincoln. She had known what was the truth, she had seen for herself, experienced it when Nelson Wheete-Glass and Skip Bart used her as nothing more than their private sex doll, as Lincoln had come to find. "You've got it all wrong! He wasn't attacking me, he was saving me!"

"She's clearly still being manipulated by him!" a woman from the group believed. "That psycho pedophile doesn't deserve to live!"

Lincoln raised his hands in the air to give himself uo, there really was no way out of this. _I'm not meant to win this little mud-sling of a fight... Damn it, girl, just step aside..._

"P-pedo-" Heather took a step forward. "No, no, not him! Your sheriff was the one who touched me! That man Skip Bart did the same thing! The same one you all praise highly! Listen to me-"

"It's okay, girl!" the woman's voice soothed, "You can tell the truth, you're safe with us! We'll put you through to Child Services."

"I am! Listen, I'm telling you the truth-" In the heat of the moment, Heather remembered the footage, her taped confession that wasn't with them anymore. "Wait, there is evidence! There's a camera- Cam-Cam-" She didn't ever mess with technology enough to know all the words. "There is a confession, and the sheriff's house- He kept me in his basement, and inside-"

Lincoln planted his hands on her while the handgun among the mob still pointed at him. "Stand aside, Heather. It's okay."

"Huh?" Heather broke her angry stare from him, exchanging it for a surprised one to connect with his. "No, no, wait, what are you saying?!"

"It's over." He took his hands off of her and walked around her, arms going back up again. "Get out of here, live for once."

"What the hell are you t-talking about?"

He went on his knees.

"Jerry?! Jerry, you and I were supposed to go and knock Patrick Matthews down to size! For his role in this!" Heather grabbed him by his pants (shirtless Lincoln) to stop him. "You said we had a plan, that you had a plan! Just us against them, Jerry! Why- Why are you...?" She dropped to her knees. "Wht are you having a change of heart on me? Why now? Why... Why are..."

He could sense it, and he didn't even have to see it. He could hear it, heard it already, the voice on her when it mixed with pain. High-pitch broken squeaks. Her strain when she talked, her self cutoffs. If he focused hard enough, maybe he could have heard her heart taking injury, whether it beat or not.

"Why are you leaving me?" Heather huffed out, arms then planted on the ground. Her face dropped like a dog depraved of walks, the outside world. "You, of all people..."

There could have been two special, unorthodox spotlights on them to freeze them both into their own scene. Him, his back turned to her. She didn't know why, but it hurt her. She was enough of a human to feel that overbearing pain. He understood that sort of darkness she did, maybe it was different, but it was the same in the end. He understood her and now he was forfeiting his freedom, his part in this insane game. Jail time, prison, end of life.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Heather kept her eyes down. "You, all of you hurt me. All of you, you fill me with a sort of sadness. It's just the same thing over and over again. I- I should have known it was too good to be true.,

Lincoln merely sighed. "I am sorry, child, but there is no way I can win. I messed up countless times that it just-"

'QUIT YER YAPPING!"

"-seems like we're meant to lose."

"So that's it?" Heather could not accept it. "Matthews just walks away scot-free?!"

"I guess so..."

"You... You..." She turned her head up (he sensed it when the sound waves changed enough to notice) and saw him with her eyes, that of a stranger's. "You turn me into gloom. I... Am..."

Bill Mausse snapped out of his cold sleep and faced the horde of people. Lincoln and Heather had their backs turned to him, and he saw his fresh opportunity to make a quick go for the gun. He did so and he took aim. Heather gasped and turned to see Mausse (his breathing was almost labored) aim it down, and in a timed window, she found herself making a choice. _I am gloom, I am just the epitome of it. I hate this life, I hate everything about it. Everyone just wants to use me as a murder tool or a sex doll. I'm more than that... Why can't they all see it? I'm more than that, I just want my own life... I just want to live for once. And I want to live with someone who can understand me... Just like you, Jerry. _

If she lost him, it would have been all over. Back to square one, nothing and nobody. Empty. She put herself right in the line of fire to save him. Mausse went for a headshot and tried to kill him, and when the second gunshot rang out, it kept everyone frozen, but Lincoln jerked and turned around to see Heather falling face up on the cold floor. There was a bonus bullet hole made in her head, and for once she really looked lifeless as never been before. Her only working eye never went anywhere, her limbs twitched until they could no longer. Her soft red lips had never been closed again while he watched. A lifeless child trapped, condemned to trash, until today...

_Were you really dead, Heather? You, who recovered from grave injuries that would have killed you under normal circumstances, an inhuman in nature? Wait- What are you doing?! Why, why are you-?! WAIT, WHY DID YOU-?_

Mausse gasped, being slow enough to process what he had done. "D-damn it, stupid girl got in the way!"

"Y-You're a murderer..." Mike whispered into the silent crowd, judging Mausse. "You done killed that poor girl."

"Killed-?" He still has his gun to Lincoln, and aimed again. "It was supposed to be him!"

"Hey, that's the punk who deals that heroin on Creever and Larken," one said. "What's he doing here?"

"Hey you! Drop the gun, hands in the air!" The crowd found themselves appalled that Mausse had shot that little girl, and some even turned away, covering their eyes when it happened. It was a confusion at most. Confusion and tragedy. They had forgotten about Lincoln in that second and had their attention directed to Mausse. "Drop that gun-"

Lincoln tugged Heather into his arms, cradling her. "Hey, don't move again. You've gone through too much today..." It was high time that she had rested at long last. "Stay down, kid. You're done..."

Mausse found himself at the feet of a mob. Not as he expected, and caught by them in killing a girl. He complied shakily, setting his gun back down. "Fuck."

Lincoln closed her eye and mouth before he set her down.

"May the Good Lord welcome her into His arms," Mike prayed softly. "Amen."

The woman in the crowd had then started sobbing.

_Wait, why are they acting like your dead? You're not- Y-you can't be dead... _Lincoln waited for her to move, and he found himself to feel rather stupid among the crowd. No, this was a shot to the head, and humans were known to die with a headshot. Mess the brain up, malfunction to zero. Heather had a clean shot. _You really are dead... Aren't you?_

"There, don't shoot!" Bill Mausse stood there with his hands behind his head. "Shit..."

Lincoln got up, moved towards him.

"Hey, you!" the crowd's vocal started again, "what are you doing?! Down on your knees!"

_I think... I think I know what I was supposed to do again..._

"Are you listening?! You-"

Lincoln picked up the gun in front of Mausse. 'Oh, God, he's g-going to-"

_I started this with one murder, of that David Khan scumbag. It won't end there, it never ends. This cycle of violence just changes its victims. That's all this is. _

"GUN DOWN NOW OR WE WILL FIRE UPON YOU!"

He walked behind Mausse, pulled his head back by his blue hair, jamming the gun onto his neck. "DON'T BE STUPID! THIS MAN IS A SCUMBAG, A DASTARDLY WASTE OF OXYGEN AT MOST! THIS PIECE OF SHIT IS AFFILIATED WITH THE PEDOPHILIC RACIST OF A SHERIFF YOU KNOW AS WHEETE-GLASS! THEY'RE ALL FRIENDS, THEM, SKIP BART, PATRICK MATTHEWS- THEY'RE A GANG OF CRIMINALS WHO'VE UTILIZED MATTHEWS' INFLUENTIAL POWER AND TRICKED YOU TO THE PLACE YOU STAND! THE STEEL MILL, WHEETE-GLASS' BASEMENT, ASK AROUND THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!"

No one said a thing, but Lincoln jammed the barrel harder against Mausse's face. "TELL THEM THIS IS SO!"

"Aghhh!" Mausse grunted. "Okay, yes! Patrick did it! He was framing others for things they never did! J-John Remender is innocent, Pat fucked him over, stole his money! James Ramirez! Dale Jennings! Charlotte Clemmons! Too many names, too many people he bamboozled along his career!"

"Tell them about this recent one!" Lincoln demanded.

"Right, okay!" Mausse huffed. "Matthews set up Jerry here so that he could be killed by Skip but... It went wrong, he said you knew- Agh- You apparently knew they were gonna before it happened- This man escaped, but he killed his would-be killer, that's for sure. He got away, so Matthews called in the hit squad, two mercs. Bastard, you killed one, the Russian one-"

Officer Grill entered the scene at the convenient moment. "The body of the Russian John Doe is a mercenary working for Matthews?!" He cut through the crowd like glass and faced Mausse and Lincoln. "So then, it was you who killed him?"

Lincoln nodded. "Both mercs are dead, the other is that guy with his guts hung out."

"So that's what they both were..." Grill raised a hand out. "Okay, y-you can turn him over to us and make a statement." He turned to the crowd. "Listen people, I did not want to bring this out in the open under the idea that we were wrong, but during the investigation around the sheriff's place, me and the other officers found what appeared to be human remains bunched into a pile down on his basement. These were facts with baseless evidence until..."

"Your sheriff is a literal cannibal," Lincoln spilled. "He took himself petty thugs that hr figured no one would miss and he had them for dinner."

Officer Grill sighed, then nodded to confirm this was the case. It caused murmurs, a ruckus among the crowd. They couldn't believe it at first, but the officer had nothing to gain from these lies. "It is the truth, it pains me to be the one to tell you this here and now. We are still in the process of identifying the victims of this... Chain of incidents."

"Where is he?"

"Is the sheriff dead?"

"Did that Cruise man kill him?"

"That little girl was going to be next," Lincoln managed to spin. "Rescued her, but she wanted revenge. She was with me, told me about it all. How she was raped over and over again by then before Wheete-Glass would go and eat her."

"Good Lord..." Mike shivered.

"I can only ask of you to bury her, citizens of Dadetown. As for this thug here-" Lincoln meant to kill Mausse right on the spot.

"Wait, boy," Grill insisted. "There's no need to make an irrational move. I am an officer of the law, and I believe in it duly, body, mind and soul. You don't need to kill him, I can arrest him-"

"I will have it no other way," Lincoln denied. "He earned his death just by being next to that corrupt official."

"ARREST ME!" Mausse begged like a crying child. "DON'T LET HIM KILL ME!"

"Townsfolk, you've seen it for yourselves!" Lincoln addressed the mob. "You've seen him kill that girl! Her name was Heather, bet he didn't know that!"

"I was aiming for you!" Mausse shouted, weeping. "Pat wants you dead!"

"Of course he does, I'm that loose thread that's gotta be cut, right?" He turned back to them. "That makes it a few times the man deployed his dirty criminal connections to come kill me! I'm telling you this now, before you hear it from the news, before the big man himself can make up a lie to get himself out of this!"

Grill kept his hand up, but wasn't sure Lincoln would give up Mausse so easily.

"Don't forget about that woman, you piece of shit!" Lincoln hissed in Mausse's ear.

"Shit- Yeah, Jessica- Jessica Dawson is dirty, she's always been dirty! She tried to hit him, the Girl and the officer who took them- That was the one who died earlier- Officer Bail-"

"What...?" Grill's lower lip wiggled. "Bail is-?"

"Where is Dawson right now, cop?" Lincoln asked.

"D-don't you dare!" Grill yelled. "He and Dawson are matters of the law! Give him and and you can walk away! I understand that you may not have been the fiend here but you've killed some certain individuals, and that is enough for you to be indicted in the eyes of another authority! The Feds, maybe Homeland will get in on this because some mercs showed up."

"Hmmm..."

"I give you my word we well have Matthews and Officer Dawson investigated, and we might even get them-"

"Maybe, but I stopped believing in the law long ago," Lincoln admitted, and then pulled the trigger, blowing Mausse's brains out in one shot. He tossed the body to the side and dropped the gun as if nothing happened. "It's always been death's hand for me."

"Y-you..." Grill drew his gun out as Lincoln walked forward to the crowd. "Don't move."

"Get the hell out of my way, officer."

"On- On your-"

"SHOOT ME NOW LIKE AN ANIMAL OR GET THAT DAMN GUN OUT OF MY WAY!" Lincoln snapped, not having it. Not like this, not when enough people had laid their lives down and he hadn't just yet. Officer Grill's hands trembled while gripping his issued gun, he couldn't shoot a man in cold blood, even when the man had murdered another right in front of him. Mausse's corpse had formed a pool of blood on the floor, and the fresh smell of blood would soon fill the room. Lincoln moved past Grill, and the mob had then formed a single line to allow him through; they were all either scared or willing to let him go, they would never go up against such a person. Certainly not die to him. "I'm leaving this town, you're all crazy as you are blind. Had you not known the truth... Oh, and free that man in there, what wrong could he have done?"

"Free me...?" Mike mouthed, lips split apart.

Leaving it at that, Lincoln walked away from the precinct, only thinking of one place to go.

Chloe Binsley puffed a fresh tobacco cigarette to cope with today's internal issues; no Jerry Cruise- and when she puffed it, she forgot that little thing again and then worked to exhale the lung-cancer air back out again. "Fuck, why am I being stupid?"

Her, back on the porch again and feeling as empty as ever. She looked around the streets, where, at the very least, each half hour would not be empty. Passing cars. Kids walking about, and dog walkers too. No Jerry Cruise. The whole world could walk these streets and her man would not show. Her man? What, was Jerry now hers? Couldn't be right, he never approached her that way. Oh yes, they fucked in a three-star motel, that meant nothing. Perhaps Chloe was being a stupid fuck again, and her dreams of pure fantasy had dictated reality again. She might just have been insane to believe he'd come back. He, the murderer painted by the papers. He shot some dude who wanted to shoot James Chang, a close friend. That wasn't a murderer, it was a hero.

And then, it made sense. Jerry was the summabitch who shot up Rex Rick and his crew, she suspected he did just that if he had killed one person. She needed to know, she had to confirm. If it was so, she'd pull his pants down and shove his penis into her mouth. Well, she'd do anything he would ask of her. Anything. Come back, Mister Albino Man, my heart, it aches for you, she'd tell herself when no one else occupied her mind. She had killer news for him, as well.

Chloe put out the cigarette with her foot and just sighed upon the porch. She didn't expect to see him today- why would she? He hadn't been around- but he did. He finally did, and he was shirtless for some reason. Pants and shoes were there, but his tee wasn't. She was astonished and mesmerized. She stood up and then formed a wide smile. "Oh, my God! Jerry!"

He came to her like a moth to a flame, walking the sidewalk and then cutting through the lawn to the porch. He came to her and she jumped on him, her arms wrapping around his neck. They hugged to embrace each other, and she kept on him even when he smelled bad. Even with visible wounds. She didn't care just yet, she was damn glad he was alive and not behind bars. Then, she pulled her face from his shoulder and proceeded to miss him deeply. He returned the kiss to relieve her of whatever worry she had. They were full of life, and he wished he could recall how Ronnie Anne's own felt to know if they were this enthusiastic or not. After a minute, they broke it up.

"Come inside, Jerry," Chloe tugged on him. "I bet you're hungry."

"And in need of a shower," he added. "Where are the other three?"

"They're at work, it's just us. Come on, I'll cook you something yummy."

"That's appreciated..." He had come to say goodbye, however, not to stay and have the happy ending here. "Listen, I have to tell you something."

"Yeah? So do I, but that can wait-" Chloe led him inside and guided him to the kitchen. "Eggs and sausage? Maybe some veggie soup, or how about-?"

"I'm leaving town, Chloe..." Lincoln dropped.

"You, or we?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Mister Albino Man, don't you think you can yahtzee right off without me."

He only stared at her with that expression that basically told her he was going to.

"Oh..." Chloe frowned, looking down. "Y-You're really going to?"

"It wouldn't be safe for you if we were a duo," he tried to reason. "I've been bad news, Chloe. I'm sure you know this."

"Jerry..." Her lips spread apart, teeth snarling as if she were just about to fight him. "So then... It really was you, wasn't it? You were the one who wiped out Rex Rick and his gang, weren't you?"

"Maybe I was..." Lincoln admitted. "Maybe I was, Chloe."

"Y-You're- Then, in that case, you're my hero," Chloe leaned and grabbed one of his hands with both of hers. "I don't want this, I don't want you to go. I realized I have genuine feelings for you! D-do I have to spell it out for you? I'm in love with you, that's enough for any normal man to stick around! They'd slobber over the idea they have access to my body!"

"As you can see, I do not bode well with this normal..." Lincoln never retracted his hand. "Figured I might just stay the night and take off, that's my plan."

"J-just like that?" Chloe sighed. "I can't change your mind?"

"It was always gonna be this way," Lincoln said. "I think you know that. If you didn't-"

"Why- Why did you even bother with me if you knew you were just gonna-?"

Lincoln shot his eyes upward. It was a damn nice question that even he could not find an answer for. "I couldn't say, maybe I just needed a change of pace for a second."

"Jerry... Don't you want to grow old with someone? D-don't you want to have a relationship with someone like me?"

"I've never thought about it..." But he lied to himself and he knew it. "Actually, a better answer would be, I never expected to make it to old age."

_I've come a long way. The Freights, the phenos of the future I'll face again. Some of my sisters I'll meet ad well- and I'm gonna fight them. So much I don't really understand. It's stuff out of comic books, but I've survived all of that somehow. This week I've been shot, I've been banged up and I've come here to Dadetown without powers. I would argue that I've been made inferior, but that's just it. I was never a god, I was never superior. I just had a boost from some chemical Vial Corporation made and Peter McMahon depowered me in Site Prime when he captured me. No, I've never been a god. I could be hurt, I could be killed. Down this line, the path of darkness and death, I'll wind up dead and the world will keep turning. I am not special, I just might have been full of ego all along._

_Chloe, I wish I could take you with me, but I don't want to hurt you. I also don't want you to follow me to 2030, when I'll have a rematch with what I've dealt with before. Might be the same, might not be. I'll see for myself, I just have to. I wish I could explain it all, but sadly..._

"I'm sorry," Lincoln apologized. "I... I do like you, but I can't do that."

"Well..." She sighed again. "At least you are honest with me. No lie to keep me pleased."

"I don't bullshit anyone, but my truth isn't what everyone wants to hear."

"I'm gonna be honest as well..." She now took both of his hands. "Jerry, I'm... I'm pregnant."

His heart did a somersault. "Y-You're-"

"And don't second guess it, it isn't anyone else's... It's yours, Jerry, it's your child."

_WHAT THE FUCK?! _"You're lying-"

"No," she denied fiercely. "I took the test, it's a positive- and I only took it after I started feeling strangely queasy. I knew what it was, Jerry. I'm having your child... And you don't even want to stick around. I'm not pro-abortion so I'm gonna give it up."

"Oh..." Lincoln broke away from her hands. "I... I can't believe this."

"Neither can I, this would be my first baby, you know!"

Lincoln snorted through his nose. "An actual baby..."

"You've got all day to reconsider, Jerry," Chloe grinned. "For once in my life, I think I could say I'm ready to settle down. At least, I can with you."

"I'll take that veggie stew now..."

"Nice!" Chloe suddenly went white and took her exit. "Sorry, I'll be right back!"

_What a weird girl... Cute but strange... _Lincoln stayed in the kitchen, opened the fridge for a drink. In the living room, Patrick Matthews was patiently seated on the couch, and Jessica Dawson, clad in a pink top and gray jeans, took Chloe as her hostage, kitchen knife right on her neck. The two women came back to the kitchen, and Chloe intentionally called on Lincoln for his attention. "Jerry!"

He turned and grew white in the same color tone as his hair. "Hey!" He closed the fridge and dropped the Pepsi can in his hand, glaring angrily at Dawson. "Hey, you let her go!"

"Oh, we can only do that when you learn a very special lesson!" Matthews cut in from out of view.

"That you, Matthews?" Lincoln's blood boiled from the inside at the sound of his voice.

"You killed my friends, Jerry," Matthews seethed. "And you've laid waste to my reputation. Threw it away like trash, and you've even burned my place down."

"You're a crook, you've had it coming!"

"Suuuuure," Matthews replied childishly. "You ever hear the old saying, an eye for an eye?"

Lincoln wished he had a gun on him right about now. Who could have predicted these two to come here? "I have."

"Then you know what we're about... Jessica, you have the honors?"

"WAIT!" Lincoln begged.

Chloe shed for herself a tear before Jessica ran the knife across, slitting the Binsley girl's throat as fast as she drew breath. A straight red line formed, and blood drooled out, going downwards in multiple, uneven lines. Chloe gasped and choked, trying to breath and stay alive. She gripped her neck but she had become weak and fell on her knees. Dawson dropped the knife, letting it clank on the floor. She drew her pistol tucked behind her pink shirt and aimed it at him. "Don't move until we're gone. You can have your life and we'll have ours- Or whatever is left for the three of us..."

Matthews hurried out the door first. "Brought this on yourself, Jerry! You brought me down, so I take something of yours! I bid you farewell now!"

Jessica Dawson kept her gun at hip level, still aimed at Lincoln as she backed away to the front. "Have a good rest of your life, dirtbag."

"No... Cowards..." Lincoln rushed to Chloe when they both disappeared from view. "Hey, Chloe-"

She had stopped moving by then, when he went down on his knees to pick her up. She was just as lifeless as Heather was. No twinkle in either corner of her eyes. No movement in her limbs. Chloe... Chloe Binsley was dead as dead could ever be.

"Chlor?" His blue eyes watered up, he couldn't believe it when it was right there in front of him. "C-Chloe, no!"

And all the sadness in the world was felt by him in these long few minutes. Chloe was already dead, and nothing he could do could ever change that.

But... He could avenge her. And now there was reason to; Patrick Matthews had rolled out the carpet to the personal lands. _I'm going to hunt you now. No more stupidity... I'll find you. I'll find you and I'll hurt you where it hurts. _

* * *

**AN: One more chapter to go before we start off the new act. Probably a short chapter, too. Epilogue-ish and not really. **


	66. Chapter 66

**American Albino, Chapter XI: Dawnbreaker**

* * *

**Some words are best unsaid. Shit happens, it's everywhere in nature because it's from us. All of it, human in nature. The mass hysteria in Dadetown-**

**DIDJA SEE ALL THAT?! THE EXECUTION OF BILL FUCKING MAUSSE!**

**Im not in support of wannabe vigilantes, it wont last long until they kill the wrong person. you ask me, this jerry cruise person should turn himself in. the incomplete police force made no attempt to arrest him. **

**Wow, the video-**

**-Number one trending on various social media platforms, in what can only be described as a conspiracy-**

**#CRAZY**

**Oh yeah, I was there holding nunchucks. Next to Billy Barton, and that young man of white hair just kills the junkie. Hey, none of us liked him, but say, what gives him the right to play judge, just and executioner? **

**Patrick Matthews was-**

**Patrick Matthews-**

**The guy running for town office was the one-**

**Hello, I'm Michael Packer, and I'm here to reveal the content of which I have seen-**

**Jerry Cruise exposed Matthews and his friends! The sheriff was racist, we knew this line Carole Baskin killed her husband, but damn, a cannibal?! All those pieces of corpses were confirmed-**

**-Has identified missing teenager Jenna Anderson among the corpses-**

**THAT'S INSANE, HOLY SHIT! MERCENARIES AND CANNIBALS FOR FRIENDS?! THIS IS NOT WHO I'D WANT FOR MAYOR! #MATTHEWSISCANCELED**

**Friendly reminder that Patrick Matthews and Jessica Dawson are still missing (on the run) as of yet. No word on Jerry Cruz's whereabouts either. Edit: Oh, it seems it's Cruise. My mistake. **

**WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT-**

**That's a whole lotta death.**

**That poor girl was shot in the head... I- I can't forget seeing that... The Cruise man said her name was Heather but they've been withholding her full name. It is a tragedy I wish I could unsee.**

**Fourteen not killed, but devoured. **

**Hey, Cruise killed David Khan, too. Is this guy really a bad guy or some sort of bloodthirsty Batman? When was the last vigilante we had in America? He exposed Matthews, give him a medal, not a sentence! **

**Murder is still murder, last I checked. **

**HAIL HITLER, Y'ALL.**

**Hearing rumors around the police that there was a shootout in a meth lab. A bunch of Neo-Nazis bit the big one, and they're saying Jerry Cruise was behind it. You don't think this guy really is a real-life hero, do you? He's only been gunning the monsters, and witnesses at the precinct say he only killed Mausse and made no attempt to harm them when they were calling for his blood. That really means something, don't you think?**

**Dadetown really went to the toilet.**

**GIRL IN BLACK SEEN FLYING IN THE SKY! REAL OR FAKE?! **

**I think we can all agree that everyone is some sort of nut. Burn Dadetown to the ground and be done with it.**

* * *

**One Week Later - Minneapolis, Minnesota**

The pair had some chamomile tea to ease the nerves. The house was quiet, the entire yard that overlooked the balcony was splendidly empty. No kids to disturb them both. They were glad, they hated kids. It was nice to be home, to feel at home. Patrick sipped his third sip from the cup. "Ahhh, nice and soothing "

"As it should be, Pat," Jessica grinned from across the table. "It sucks that we had to drop everything, but here, who reads the paper and watches the news from a town? Granted I'll definitely dye my hair, you need a cut just like I told you."

"And I said I will," the long-haired man nodded. "I've gotten that covered-"

"So you say," Jessica laughed. "So you say."

"Didn't think you'd kill that poor girl, after finding that she was pregnant."

"You thought wrong," she laughed, taking a sip herself.

"That was really cold, it almost scared me," he admitted. "She was with child, I mean. I bet Cruise thought it might have been a lie to keep him on a monologue."

"Maybe..." She shrugged her shoulders. "We'll never know now. Hey, twenty bucks says he killed himself out of guilt."

"You're on!" Matthews scratched his nose. "By the way, I do think that the Lincoln Loud kid in Michigan might be Cruise's kid. Wheete-Glass' system somehow identified Cruise as Lincoln Loud. There is the single connection of their hair, so I know theyve gotta be related."

"What, you wanna kidnap the kid?"

"Maybe the girl wasn't enough..." Matthews expressed anger. "Cruise killed my friends, I want to take as much as he did from me."

"I'm not in the mood for child kidnapping, Pat. You can do thst yourself, but I'm not helping you."

"Final answer?"

"Just kill the child," Dawson bluntly suggested. "Through someone else, I mean."

"Yeah? I'll be sure to send you, sweetheart."

"Don't be an ass!" Jessica moaned. "There is only so much I'll do for you, you're lucky that girl dying was in range."

"Yeah? You did everything I've asked of you so far," he thought. "Anyways, I wonder where Cruise is right about now."

"Right here," Lincoln revealed, standing behind Matthews with a handgun, not hesitating to shoot Dawson in her stomach with a suppressed handgun. The ex-cop fell back while still in her chair, moaning from the pain. Matthews was the struck with a swing of the gun to his forehead. "That's it, you're gonna be real quiet now."

"What the-?!" Matthews cried. "How did you-?!"

"Magic." Lincoln set duct tape down on the table in front of him. "You piece of shit, you're gonna do what I tell you-"

"KILL HIM, PAT!"

"Or you die!" Lincoln threatened. "GET UP! GET UP AND TAPE DAWSON TO THE CHAIR!"

_This was my endgame. Thought about what they said versus what I wanted. Yeah, death was too forgiving, too merciful. You see, I figured now that life was some sort of pain. No, not life. Existing. That was pain. Death was merciful. I could leave him alive so that he could live with all that he'd done. He had not once stepped in before. Matthews here barked the orders, never did anything himself. He could make people delete stuff off of board forums. He could lie to people, trick them into giving them money. A whole lot of deception under the belt but he was never one to dive into violence directly. Every corner, he ran. They fought for him and he ran, what a coward. _

_That was it. That was how I could break him._

Lincoln watched Matthews tape Dawson's arms to the chair, followed by her upper body to the support, and then her mouth shut when she was frantically screaming while she bled. He didn't care.

"Okay, okay, I've-"

"Do you know what I want you to do to her next?" Lincoln circled around them both. "Take her clothes off. All of it. Get her naked, you piece of shit."

_He stripped her down as I told him. The fucker actually popped a boner as he took her bra off and saw her breasts. I knew she'd get cold and highly emnbarassed, but that wasn't the goal here. For a lifetime of nightmares, this is the penance._

"Her skin, Pat," Lincoln pointed to. "Claw at her skin! Peel it all off, skin her alive right now!"

"S-SKIN HER ALIVE?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

"MMMMF FMMM FFFMMMMMM!" Jessica Dawson turned red in fury.

"You tossed money at the killers, the sinners who would do anything for it. You and your briberies got you at a cozy little spot in some tower. This tower with a foundation of too many bodies and victims of this madness. I will never know who and how many of them you've hurt and killed to be this high up. Yeah, I know. I know you've fallen but it doesn't mean fucking shit if you never paid for all that you've done. I told myself I'd be the one to hurt you the eay you'll understand. So you're gonna kill this girl I know you care for."

"No... No!"

"Oh, yes!" Lincoln kicked at Matthews' back, forcing him on his knees right in front of Jessica. "You'll use your fingernails, you'll dig them into her skin and you peel her until she dies from the loss of blood."

"MONSTER!"

"Me?" Lincoln laughed. "I didn't start this, it was you and your friend Bart. You thought I'd be a victim, but you were wrong. Today, I am your downfall. Now get to peeling!"

_And he did as I said with my gun pointed at his head. She cried out harder the more he pulled on her skin. It was graphic as you could imagine. She oozed out blood like a leaky bag of... Well, use your imagination! He turned her into a doll of nasty flesh- and he threw up at halfway before he bothered to finish. He couldn't finish, he broke into tears, and then started spewing gibberish. I could only assume his own mind broke from this extreme trauma. Yeah, even for me it was extreme. _

"JESS! JESSIE!"

"That's right, the woman's luck has run out. Good riddance to her."

Matthews threw up again, sobbing greatly.

"You can try... You can try and tell the judge that the father of Lincoln Loud made you kill her. No, don't even use my name, use these words like I said and see how far it gets you."

_I wasn't worried, they'd follow up on it and see and discredit this claim if he made it. He killed Dawson but saying it was me would likely mean the nuthouse. Reason of insanity, it was poetic, it was perfect. All the nightmares the man had caused, now reverted back to him with one single death. Have it, have what the victims on your hand on your head. Now and forever, until you die. _

_Until you die..._

Lincoln took his exit, leaving Patrick Matthews to be found by the police.

* * *

_Feels funny... Chloe and the kid I put in her oven, gone. Just like that, no second chances. You could be damn certain it hurt me. Catch me saying otherwise and it would be some lie. Her, Heather, and the Blacklist amateurs got dead because of me. That officer, too. Bail, yeah. Damn... I made the mistake of wandering about and not actually just go into hiding. How stupid of me, right?_

Lincoln took another sip from the rum he had, back in the bar where he first met Chloe in. The bartender had looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Loud, what happened to Chloe?"

"She's long gone, man," Lincoln replied, taking another sip of rum. "Ahhhhh."

"I see..." The bartender nodded, turned away to tend to another client, and then went back over to him. "So, Jerry Cruise, huh?"

"...Shit, how much for you to keep quiet?"

"Oh, I don't think I'll ever tell a soul, your secret is safe with me," the bartender assured. "Did you ever tell her, though?"

"Nope, it compromises a bit of my past- So that means to not look into it, sir."

"I'm not trying to die," the bartender laughed.

"Hey, I never did get a name..." Lincoln dug out a hundred dollar bill and laid it on the counter. "Just to be sure."

"Hey, thanks," he swiped it off the counter and tucked it into his pants. "I'm Rainer."

"Real name?"

"Nope, just what they call me. I'm a party-pooper variety type."

"Ahhh, I get it."

"Of course you do, ha."

_Spent a bit talking to this dude... Then I got bored and fucked off to anywhere but here. Jesus... I felt rather empty, shit was boring now that I wasn't doing anything anymore. Top priority was returning to 2030, but geez, I wish I could have time-jumped forward. I'm... I'm gonna fucking age fifteen years while it circles back. Fifteen plus twenty-four... _

_Man, I want to kill myself._

* * *

They'd soon find Matthews in a fetal position around Dawson's body. Matthews had written two words on a piece of paper and then taped it over Dawson's chest. The message read;

**Jerry Cruise is Jessica Dawson's Breaker**

Clearly, Matthews didn't think this through, for the note was then pressed upon with blood, and the message had changed drastically. The first four words had sunk into the flesh, and a few letters disappeared from the fifth word. It now read;

**Dawn Breaker**

* * *

_And while I wait for the future, I'll have to relive certain things again. COVID-19. The World War III scare in 2023. Freight news. Oh yeah, the president died recently. Surprised I didn't hear of it. Good... Bad, it was that other me. Freights. Fuck me. _

Lincoln moaned as he walked down the street.

_May you rest in peace, Chloe and Heather. You deserved so much more... But to each their own. And to you all, anyone else around- behave yourself. I'm going to go into hiding for the next fifteen years. Don't bother me. _

* * *

**End. Wanted to knock it out as fast as possible, the main story's gotta be back on track. And now I can finally advance. I'm not talking too much but a few characters in this arc are gonna come back. Not telling you who, nor how but they will. One such character is essential for another's arc. I've got it all planned, baby! **

**Act VI: Renaissance will take us not to the beginning of the fic, but around Act III again. I'll know take the time to work some chinks out to make sure I get it right. **


	67. Chapter 67

**Lyrics to Failure by Breaking Benjamin**

* * *

_Life will come our way_

_It has only just begun_

_The world will die alone_

_The frail will fall below_

_Time will take our place_

_We return it back to one _

_The calm before the cold_

_The long and lonely road_

_Drive the cloud away_

_We will fall from last to none_

_The dark before the dawn_

_The war will carry on_

_Look for the light that leads me home_

_Tired of feeling lost_

_Tired of letting go_

_Tear the whole world down_

_Tear the whole world down_

_Failure_

_We bury the sunlight_

_Failure_

* * *

**Prologue**

Lincoln Loud never looked better, albeit older. Much older. Right back to square one except for the simple little face that he took the present Lincoln out of the equation. This was insane to say the least, consequences not yet known but Timeline X Lincoln had kidnapped and held Main Lincoln the night he and Darcy Holmandollar went to raid a Vial Corporation facility in 2026 to gain the superhuman serum. They didn't get it, he cut them off at an ambush point and took it himself. Of course the unchained Lincoln knew what to expect; he did it before and knew where and how to get to the cryogenic chambers that housed the serums. Marvelous, he had the very same one he had himself. Things haven't been this clear; he was meant to sorely replace the Lincoln Loud meant to live it, meant to be captured by the Patriot Agency, fight with his sister's, try and kill the clones. The same old story sung for years. Wasn't ever personal, this timeline just had to be perfect- better than the last one.

"Sorry, old friend..." Main Lincoln had been trapped into a tiny room Timeline X Lincoln had spent time and money on making. The place came with a toilet, some years of MRE meals, and a filter where cold air would be dispensed. This little room was just buried in a nowhere land just near a river. The older Lincoln left his counterpart trapped down there. "I'll let you out when I've taken care of the problem, I know more than you do."

He'd get guns, he'd learn to fight the super freaks of tomorrow, in just four years from now, and things would not be so bleak, so dark. "Well... Here goes nothing."

* * *

**July 27th, 2030 - Near Los Angeles**

Lynnette Laude came attacking the convoy that transported Lincoln and Lynn Loud. She ran around the side of the vehicles, employing her claws to scratch out the tires. The big armored vehicles swerved and swayed out of control before they came to an abrupt stop. The armed men were quick to switch off the lights and sport their night goggles. "Check your perimeters!"

"Tight formation! Secure the vehicle!"

Lynnette raced back and forth across the street, grabbing and slaughtering one guard at a time. They would drop their weapon and let out a cry of fear before Lynnette bit, clawed and devoured a piece of them with her beastly teeth inherited by a third party that was not Lynn nor Lincoln. However, unlike the first time-

The second assailant was sniping at them from afar, thinking the same way they were. Lemuel Porter was nestled upon some rocks away from the convoy, taking firm headshots only. Realistically, he needed to take time to get it right- and his partner Lynnette was having herself most of the kills. "Damn greedy bitch!"

It ended in a little over three minutes, and Lynnette waved to Lemuel's location before she opened the convoy trucks. Lincoln was there in prison threads and a pair of suppression cuffs that took away his power. "Boy..."

_That brat again, he had a partner now? Last I saw him was in that battle he brought out onto the streets of a neighborhood. Turned the tides on him, beat him on his own game, left him for the cops. I guess it doesn't pay to be so merciful... _

Lemuel cracked his knuckles, the long sniper rifle dangling by the strap behind his back. "We've got you now, Loud."

"I see you've gotten yourself a girlfriend," he said, looking at Lynnette. "Sorry, who are you? And what's with the jumpsuit on you?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm here to-"

"Why do you sound like my sister?" Lincoln eyed carefully.

Lynnette tensed up and she panicked on the inside. "S-sorry, what?"

"Get him out of there, green," Lemuel urged the tall blonde.

Lynnette stepped into the vehicle and tugged Lincoln out, pushing him into the ground. "I know you want to kill him as much as I do so I propose we do it together! Take aim, Lem."

"Right!" Little boy yoinked big gun in his hands and aimed at him point blank. "Any last words?"

"You're as stupid as you are brave!" Lincoln grabbed the barrel and connected it to his cuffs, then brought the gun down as Lemuel fired in a panic. The shot was way too close that it hurt Lincoln's ear drums. He lost his hearing briefly but the shot had cleanly broken. He was back in business, gaining back his super strength. "There we go!"

"Fuck-!" Lemuel went flying over the armored vehicle courtesy of Lincoln. "FUCK YOU!"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" Lynnette advanced- and he stuck one end of the broken metal cuffs into her abdomen. "Agh, J-Jesus-"

And he took it out and then raced it against her throat to slit it, punched her good in the face, then grabbed her head and brought it down so that he could have his knee kiss her face. Lynnette became bloody and mildly disoriented, and he pushed her head to the side which helped bring her down faster. "You're all inexperienced vermin, this is no life for little boys and girls."

Lemuel stumbled back to Lincoln. "B-bastard, you goddamn scum-"

"Stand down, child," Lincoln warned. "Why go through all this trouble for a pheno like me?"

"I've said it before!" Lemuel groaned. "You're unworthy of it, abd I'll be the one to take you down."

Lynnette was the only one of the pair who didn't get up. Her throat had already started regenerating on its own. "Lemy- Lemy, he just beat us..."

"Nyla!" Lemuel stopped and observed the downed girl. "We have him here! We can beat him!"

Lincoln walked over to Lynnette and brought his foot down over her chest hard. She screamed, and Lemuel growled, albeit weakened enough to know that Lynnette was right. "Stand the fuck down or you'll both die."

"Bastard!" Lemy took a step back. "Alright! Alright, you've proved your point! Stop hurting Nyla there."

"Nyla, huh?" Lincoln looked down at Lynnette. "Why, you've got a ponytail, a voice and the same type of suit Lynn Loud uses. That is too coincidental to be of one... Is there something I need to know?,

"Oh, I'm a big Lynn Loud the Zoomer fan!" Lynnette grinned cruelly. "I love her, but not you. I hate you. Like a lot "

"I don't care," was his response. "Today's your lucky day, girlie."

Lemuel raised his hands up. "I'm complying, don't hurt her! Go- Go on-"

Lynnette whipped her tail out carefully, and close enough to his legs, she wrapped around his feet and yanked him off balance. "Gotcha!"

"Damn you!" Lincoln fell down, his chin striking the pavement hard. He bounced to get up, but Lemuel came and kicked him right in the face, causing his head to jerk the opposite way. Lynnette played along and kicked back when she stood back up in a literal second, her strike greater in force than his. Her speed was key, even like this. "Gahhh!"

"We're gonna win this!" Lemy triumphed as the two teenagers kicked Lincoln repeatedly. "You son of a bitch, you hear me?! You're gonna-"

Lincoln kicked his leg up and struck Lemy in the balls. He ducked down to cup then, baited into the second kick that went into his face. "Stupid boy."

"That's enough of the child abuse!" Lynnette shoved her hands onto Lincoln's legs. "Don't make this harder! Lem, get one of those guns or find cuffs!"

"MY GONADS!"

"LEMY!" Lynnette jumped over Lincoln, dragging him by his prison uniform and tossed him against the side of the vehicle. "HURRY!"

Lincoln brushed off the impact, but his back had begun to ache. _Can't take much more of this! Shit!_

Lemy scavenged the dead guards, swiping one of the special rifles loaded with anti-pheno rounds. "Hang- hang on! I'm coming!"

Lincoln pounced right into Lynnette, trying to grab her face. "COME HERE!"

Lemy came and fired two immobilizing shots at Lincoln's legs. He slipped out, losing grip on Lynnette. "Got him!"

The zoomer raced around Lemy and took the rifle. "You're too slow!" She ran it against Lincoln's head to knock him out. "Gotosleepalready!"

"Grhhhh!" Lincoln was battered in by his daughter enough times for it to knock him out. Enough meaning over ten. He dropped on his side, no longer moving.

"There! Was that so hard?!"

"YOU'RE THE ZOOMER HERE!" Lemuel yelled. "LOAD HIM IN, NOW!"

"What?! No, let's kill him here and now!" Lynnette suggested.

"I promised Allie I would give her a shot!" Lemuel told the zoomer. "Load Loud into the whip, we're getting out of here! Provide me overwatch, wouldja?"

"You're gonna waste time just so some chick has her turn in killing him?" Lynnette blatantly shook her head. "I didn't agree to team up with you for this! I'd rather just-"

**Elsewhere**

Thank God for her speed powers; Lynnette wasn't big on wasting time, so she ran them back to the safe house Lemy and Allie had hunkered down on. She dropped him right in the room, waking the sleeping Allie after the thud. Lemuel fell on his hard, crying out. "OW! NYLA, YOU WITCH!"

She left, then came back with the knocked-out Lincoln minutes later. By then, Allie was sitting upside, wiping her lap and pretending that she hasn't been masturbating the past hour. "Don't you idiots think of calling? I'm barely scarce."

"Good morning to you too, Allie," Lemuel sarcastically rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off, I needed my beauty sleep."

Lynnette tied Lincoln up to the desk chair. "Are you ladies going to have that argument like you're married?"

"Shit, is that...?" Allie jumped to her feet to see Lincoln Loud for the first time. "You guys really did it..." _Uncle won't be happy... This little stunt will blow a gasket even when we're gonna kill him. Damn you, Lemy and Nyla._

"The one and only..." Lemuel cracked his knuckles again. "Got the dampeners ready? Put them on him."

Lynnette applied a pair of small round dampeners on either side of Lincoln's arms, sticking to him like cheap glue. "Job well done, Lem. Job well done." _Lyra... See me now, see that I'm worthy..._

"No bullets, just regular stabbing!" Lemy told the girls. "Allie, give Nyla here a knife."

"Come here, angel face," Allie motioned, winking at Lynnette. She pulled two buck knives from the top drawer of the desk. "Here-"

"I've got my claws," Lynnette turned down, revealing her sharpened hands. "You two can use those."

"Fine by me," Lemy agreed. "Allie?"

"Here ya go, hon," she grinned, giving him one. "You three ready?"

They arranged into a line" standing side by side in front of Lincoln. Lemy slapped Lincoln upside the head. "Hey, wake up! Wake up, Loud! Your time is up, and we wanna make sure that you're awake to see it! Awake to feel it!"

Lincoln blinked, tilting his head up. "Jesus fuck-"

"Welcome back, old timer!" Lemy saluted with knife at hand. "We all have grievances to pick with you. The first time around, you've bested me somehow. I thought I was prepared, but it seems I was wrong. Ran into green here and she had the same goal. As for Allie-"

Lincoln had scanned his eyes at the three youngsters, and he found that Allie was no stranger to him. Way back when, in that other shithole timeline, she was an enemy with links to Peter McMahon. His blue eyes widened in realization, mouth slightly ajar. "You're Allison Taggart."

"Huh-?" Allie's vicious grin flipped on itself, her knife lowering down to her side. "What- How-?"

Lemy dropped the knife and cupped his hand on Lincoln's face. "And just how did you know that? How do you know of her name?"

'"You're an enemy of mine, girl," Lincoln labeled. "You, working for your senator of an uncle."

Allie jerked her body upwards. "What the fuck-"

"S-senator?" Lemy moved his eyes back and forth to each of his. "What are you talking about?"

"I've done my research, I've been waiting in the shadows, I've allowed the Freights to live this time-" He laughed, the concept was so insane. The choices he had to make that were different from the first time were all but choices. He laughed, because if anything, Lincoln (this timeline's Lincoln) had gone missing right after the fast raid on Vial Corporation. Darcy probably labeled him dead, and Lori had lost her brother, that one which had been planning to leave after destroying the Freights. Today, Lori was still one of them. One of the many things that would ultimately change.

"What are you on about?!" Lemy shrieked in earshot. "Stop speaking gibberish!"

"Kill him already!" Allie barked. "Stab the crazy bastard!"

"You are a fool, boy," Lincoln mocked. "If you weren't made aware of her affiliations, she's with the bad guys here! She's Peter McMahon's niece, and they're not exactly good folks!"

"Y-You're- She-?" Lemy turned to Allie. "Is this true?"

"Hey, hey, hey," Lincoln addressed to Allie. "You had friends, right? You're not alone here, I know you've got some buddies."

"I- I don't know what he's talking about..."

"I do," Lincoln bravely told them. "This is some clean-up crew because your powerful uncle surely sees me as a big-time threat. Me and my pheno pack of sisters. Boy, you'd vest free me to get the truth now-"

Allie jammed her knife into Lincoln's shoulder with no remorse- and Lemy then opted to push Allie away. "Stop! I have to know-"

This made sweat drip down from Allie's forehead. She grit her teeth in a challenged manner. "G-get out of my way..."

"Allie, don't tell me-"

Lynnette pushed the both of them out of the way, raising one clawed hand at Lincoln. "You're both being played by him! Now's the time for killing!"

Lincoln raised his feet and kicked off of Lynnette, shoving himself down with the chair, breaking it. He then rolled himself towards the other two kids and tripped them, proceeding to mount himself over Allie first. His thought process was to target her only, and with the rope that had restrained him to the chair, he wrapped it around her neck and pulled back tightly with both hands. "NOW'S THE TIME FOR KILLING!"

Lemuel pounced up and tried to pry Lincoln's hands free from the rope. "STOP, SHE'S ONLY A KID!"

"I'M WITHIN MY RIGHTS TO DEFEND MYSELF, AND THAT IS WHAT I'M DOING!" Lincoln roared.

Allie tried desperately to pull back on the rope, her face flaring up as it went red. "Lehhh-!"

"NYLA, A LITTLE HELP HERE!"

"You nitwits can't even handle a depowered pheno, good fucking Lord," Lynnette facepalmed. "If I have to step in-"

Lincoln elbowed Lemuel's face in, then pulled Allie's hair after letting go of the rope, lifted her face up from the ground and then rammed it back down to earth, breaking her nose severely and leaving her disoriented from the impact. He then tugged at the dampeners on him and dropped them down upon Lynnette's feet before she could step in. He had them beaten like this, evening the impossible odds. "Come here, blondie!"

"Shit-!" Lynnette fell back hard when Lincoln had lifted her legs off the feet. _WHAT FUCKING TRAINING DID HE GO THROUGH?!_

Lincoln crammed a knee into her ribcage, mounting her roughly. His face read fury, his hands, usually tickled fancy to get grip of men, knew what it mean to be lesbian in nature. They locked onto Lynnette's head and he brought it up and down, going for human brain soup without thinking. Just a dumb pheno with some sort of eager death wish to him. Her, and the other two who didn't seem to behold any such powers. Quick kills after her. "You're a parody character."

* * *

_WAIT, WHY DOES HE GET TO BREAK THE FOURTH WALL?!_

-Linka

* * *

Blood seeped from her head through the back. She lost consciousness in no time flat, her eyes struggling to keep awake. "L-Lyra... Lyra..."

Lemy went for the downed buck knife he had dropped in all this calamity, turning to Lincoln- and Lincoln grabbed and tossed the wavy-haired boy through the door which then broke in two with Lemy rolling out into the hall.

Allie coughed violently, breathing heavily to be steady. Lincoln stepped in front of her and ran a hand across her face to slap some literal sense into her. "Enough of these games! I want to get in touch with your uncle, you little shit."

"F-f-f-fuck yourself with a cactus!" she wheezed back, one hand now at her cheek. "Fucking psycho!"

He bitch-slapped her again. "You're in need of some discipline! By God, it is rather disgusting... You're coming with me!" He lifted her up by her purple shirt with a green alien head on it, and dropped her so she could feel what would be if she did not cooperate- and it wasn't the worse thing he could threaten her with. "I don't have any hesitation about hurting little girls. Just so you know, I hit this goth girl with a sledgehammer to her face."

"Y-you... WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU'RE LYING!"

"Her name was Heather."

Allie shivered in fear. "A- a sledge-" She gulped. _Is- Is he lying?! Who in their right mind would-?!_

"Come quietly or die like trash." He picked up the other buck knife Allie had dropped with one hand, and slammed Allie's right hand onto the floor. He stabbed her palm without remorse, having a sick pleasure in watching Allie holler in pain, squirm in reflex. "I will not say this again!"

"OKAY, OKAY!" Allie agreed, profusely nodding and crying. "I'll- I'll go! P-please don't hurt me!"

_I don't go this far- May be I haven't yet, but this girl had it coming. She gave me some grievances back then with her own team she led against me and the allies I've made. Good to see this debt being repaid. I'll have my fun with her, slap and toss her around. Next stop, McMahon. _

She had her eyes closed, and he slapped her a thirx time without warning, merely for shits and giggles. He was enjoying it. "OW!"

He lifted her into his arms and carried her. "Ugh, you're so dirty I feel the need to shower."

"I- I'm not a whore-"

"Did I say you could speak?"

Allie shut her trap, scared shitless of him.

"You'll do as I say, you'll move as I move, you'll do nothing else. You won't eat, you won't shit, and you won't even breathe unless I allow it, do you understand me? Blink once if you understand-"

She blinked at him.

"Now shut your eyes-" Once he exited the building, he screamed upon the citizens he saw walking around, "Hey, where is the nearest hospital?! My granddaughter has been hurt! Can someone- Can you help me?!"

"Sir, what happened?!"

"Phenos!" Lincoln yelled with fake concern in his tone. "Phenos attacked us, they're still in there! Call the police! I- I have to-"

_You smart son of a bitch, I gotta give you more credit that I had been... _Allie kept her eyes closed.

Lemy and Lynnette looked out the window to see Lincoln site up noise outside. "Shit... This place is compromised! Time to leave!" Lemuel went into the closet and took out a pound of remote-detonated C4. Lynnette went down on her knees and offered herself to give him a piggyback ride. "I can't believe it-"

"Oof!" Lynnette only wished Lemuel hadn't one pound too many on him. "What did we do wrong?"

"I don't know..." He held his breath and held onto her tightly. "Take us away!"

Lynnette ran out of the room, then the building, and then the town. Three blocks away was when the explosive was activated, blowing up the safe house as intended. The last resort to cover tracks. "We'll have another chance, Lem! Count on it!"

"You said you had a sister, right?" Lemuel pondered. "Same as you?"

"Maybe you can help me convince her to help us!" Lynnette hoped. "She's got cold feet."

"Then let's pay her a visit!" Lemuel insisted, feeling confident again. Confident... And curious as to what Allie's real goal was, and if Lincoln had indeed been spilling the beans on her. For one, he did know her full name. Even the middle name, which Lemy hadn't known yet. Allison Valeria Taggart, worth searching about.

* * *

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter I: The Fast And The Furious **

* * *

**Significant changes have already happened that differ from the first batch of act, and some are still on the verge of changing. New ground, new games, and the unwritten futures closing in. Some chapters in this fic are no longer canon to this timeline. They happened, yeah, but this is A2, as Dylan Blood had explained it to Alex. This is an alternate timeline, it had already become splitting away from that one you've been following for the first forty chapters before Timeline X. Forget Timeline X now. **

**Act VI chapters;**

**1\. It's right up there haha **

**2\. Linka Loud Back At It Again With Them White Vans (Yes, this is the chapter name)**

**3\. (Locked for spoilers) **

**4\. What She'll Be Missing**

**5\. (Locked for spoilers)**

**6\. (Locked for spoilers)**

**7\. Lincoln Loud's War Diary**

**8\. Alienated**

**9\. (Locked for spoilers)**

**10\. Bloodbath**

**11\. Dark Before Dawn Act VI Special**

**And soon, one such act will skip through the chapter titles. Huge callback from the 2039 fic will be present and have more of a role to play here. Time to get evil. **


	68. Chapter 68

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter II: Linka Loud Back At It Again With Them White Vans**

* * *

**July 28th, 2030**

Luna and Sam were close together on the same bed in the motel room, with Luna still trying to cope after Lynn's betrayal. It wasn't just her left hurt severely; clone Linka was unable to face Carly for that brief moment where she sided with Lincoln in an effort to destroy the clones. She said it wasn't personal, it was for survival, but what did that mean when Linka was stabbed in the back? She, the girl of long white hair running down to her shoulders, stood aloft outside of the room, facing away into the front parking lot and everything beyond that. Leven and Carly say leaning against the bed, and lastly, the twins were occupying the other bed. Too much had happened real recently, but it was now them up to here. Them, and-

Caroline Pingrey came up the stairs and didn't take too kindly to see Linka being in a sulky mood after that little stunt Carly had pulled. In the older woman's hands were two bags of snacks and treats waiting to be consumed. "Oh, come on! Give me a break..."

"Huh?" Linka faced the blonde with a puzzled look. "Did you say something?"

"You might wanna hear her out, enough with the silent treatment bullshit," Caroline scolded the clone. "Go talk to her, she's clearly sorry and didn't leave with those other three asshole." She meant Lincoln, Lynn and Lupa.

Linka crossed her arms and pouted. "I don't want to..."

Caroline formed a stone face and went inside. "Whatever, then... Hey girls, and guy, I've got the goods!"

Only the twins were motivated to rip into the bags and have a quick bite. Caroline looked at Sam and Luna, telling them to have a snack without so much as a whisper. Sam shook her head, and shortly after, Luna did the same. Caroline rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Yay, Pringles!" Lana cheered. "Oh, I love those!"

"Linka..." Leven stood up and called out to the brooding clone girl. "Come inside, have yourself some... Is there a Starbucks brand mocha here? Oh, look, Lincoln's favorite, and by default, yours too!"

Linka didn't budge. It made Carly sting right where it was meant to hurt. She, like the clone, didn't move from her spot.

"Wow, so dramatic," Caroline disregarded, then looked at Sam and Luna. "Hey, no, not you two! Quit your moping, it already happened."

"I'm not moping here," Sam defended. "Luna here is still hurt by what the zoomer chick did- What was- Lynn, yeah! Her..."

"The amount of L names is seriously phenomenal here," Caroline thought, hair applying up on her forehead. "Hey, someone move over, I need to take a rest!"

"Um-" Caroline rolled on the bed Sam and Luna occupied, her back striking against their behinds. "Hey!" Sam protested, "this is our bed! Get your own!"

"Beds are for sleeping," Caroline lowly growled. "Keep quiet and fix your problems."

"Sheesh..." Sam moved up away from Caroline's back. "How rude."

"Luna, Sam, come have a snack!" Lana offered at them. "Link-A, you too!"

Leven grabbed the mocha bottle and walked out of the room. "Hey, get something in your system, sister. Here, we both know you like this just as much as I do."

"Pass," Linka whispered, not batting an eye at him.

"Linka, you can't give each other some cold shoulder forever." He sighed and joined her in looking to the parking lot and everything else. "She's told me she was sorry."

"Sorry?" Her head broke away from ground level, setting to the sky. "Is that what she's calling it now?"

"This is dumb, Linka, and you're being dumb," Leven bluntly stated. "She's stuck by us when she could have left like Lynn did. Hmph, funny how Carly did what even Lynn could not, can you see how adamant she is to be a part of this?"

"No."

"She made the wrong call, Linka, that's all I'm saying..." He stopped talking, turned to her, and then followed her gaze high in the sky. The coating of stars filled the night, the summer's fair breeze came about. Around the area, a cricket dared to spread its wings in and out for a generic, but natural song. Such a little critter could make a really big sound. No, not big. Little sound that blared loudly beyond its size. Impossible, made you think how they worked like that. And also, why the little greenies did that. They were all free, minding their business definitely not affiliated with the bad folk, not endangered or made an enemy of the many perps here and there. Why, they were the lucky ones. Green bastards. "She's staying because she cares, I know that."

"You think so?" Linka shook her head. "Of course you do, Leven."

"Don't tell me you built something- That we three did just for you to open the trap doors on her."

"Hey, stop painting me as the bitch here," Linka sassed. "I didn't start this, she did. You know why she jumped ship?" Linka let out a weak laugh. "She didn't believe we were able to protect her. What a scared little shit I had the audacity to call a friend."

At this, Carly stepped out and leaned against the doorway. "You do know I'm still here, right?"

Linka swiped the bottle from Leven's hand and threw it Carly's feet. It shattered, the liquid inside splattering on her legs. Carly jumped back, stepping back inside the room.

"LINKA!" Leven held his sister's hand behind her back and held her at bay before she tried anything funny. "NO FIGHTING!"

"What are you doing?!" Carly stammered. "Crazy clone!"

"Can you all go one day without the annoying screaming?" Caroline moaned while trying to sleep.

"Why are you still here?" Linka asked of the tan girl. "What can you benefit from sticking to us? Oh, maybe you could lead us to McMahon's arms! That's right, you were on their side, and it goes without saying-"

"That-that isn't it at all!" Carly claimed.

"Anything to save your own cute little ass, huh?!" Linka broke out. "YOU'VE SHOWN US THAT YOU WOULD RESORT TO THAT IN THE END! YOU WERE THAT AFRAID TO DIE AT LINCOLN'S HANDS!"

Carly's eyes wandered downward with guilt. "Y-yeah, I know I did that! Thanks for the reminder, you asshole..."

"THAT'S RIGHT-" Leven covered Linka's mouth. "MMMMMMFFFFF!"

"That's enough, Linka!" he decided. "Carly, head back inside. We're gonna take a little walk."

Linka went red, shifting her body all over the place. Leven spun her around and led her down the stairs, guided by him. Her muffled shouts filled the night, disturbing the peace. Carly looked on as they descended down and left from the motel. Luna, Sam and the twins had been watching carefully, but did not know what to do. Least someone did, least Leven shut it down. Caroline let out a yawn and then jumped to her feet. "Know what? Clone needs a dose of some proper words," she told the Loud women and guest, then shuffled to her feet and went after Linka and Leven.

Carly moved out of Caroline's way. "Sorry."

"Don't be soft on us now," Caroline told the minor. "I would have done the same thing to survive. Even those two others who could've stayed with us, they just might've."

Carly blinked at the blonde. "Yeah..."

"Stay safe, kiddos," Caroline waved, leaving.

Leven took his hands off of Linka but made sure he blocked her path if she tried to run back to give Carly hell. "Are you done making an ass of yourself?"

"Shut up that honky voodoo!" Linka shouted at him, slapping him across the face. "Bitch boy, intervene in my matters not, trash."

"We're all together and that makes this my matters, too!" Leven reminded the young clone. "She'll see that she was wrong if she hasn't yet! Give her a second chance, Linka. I could have barely accepted you two not talking but... It could have only gone for so long before someone brought it into the open. It had to be me now, not Luna or Lola or Lana later."

Linka just crossed her arms, tongue stuck out at him.

"I don't like what she did either but she was afraid of death, Linka," Leven reasoned. "Damn, I want to be mad at her, but I can't... I can't find her at fault. Dear dad gave her amnesty or it was gonna be death. The same might go for us all... We're either allies or enemies to him, nothing more."

"We should know..." Linka nodded slowly. "That's in us... He _is_ us."

"We are Lincoln, yes."

"Hey, clones, are we bound to have issues down the line?" Caroline stopped when she reached them down the sidewalk, a block away from the motel. "I'll do my school academic duties and have a group vote to cast you out!"

"Can't do that," Leven countered. "We all need to stick together at this time. We won't just have enemies from McMahon and Kapacity Korp units now, but his friends, too- and that's before we forget the guys who shut Alexander Elmont down will want a word with us one way or another. Shit, we might as well be up against America now. The entire fifty fucking states."

"You forget one thing..." Caroline pointed at Linka's head. "This thing in her head, and your body count as leverage! They won't dare risk destroying the SCX or the Ultimate Human. That's the both of you, so there won't be... Well, some kill order. Were we all expendable, they'd have blasted us to high hell long over with some missile, I'm sure of it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Lucky groaned. "McMahon is gonna have capture missions with his pawns, both old and new. Phenos are gonna be reprogrammed or coerced willingly. Things have never looked or felt scary before."

"Lest you forget, that thing up there-" Caroline pointed to the sky. "I know we've made some pact not to mention what we've seen, but... There are worse things that what we're dealing with. We've lucked out-"

"Did we, really?" Leven put his hands in the pockets of the gray zip-sweater on him. "It only takes the right idea for them to turn us all into criminals. They haven't done that already, so that could only mean McMahon has a limited range of power, and there's the gov that haven't made a move yet. They're not playing into McMahon's hands even if they are friends or connected. We know Elmont's been reporting it all, so maybe McMahon might end up being a loose end-"

"Those guys would want to get ahold of you-" Caroline assumed. "They could have McMahon killed and reduce double-K to nothing to cover their tracks and hide any evidence from the public."

"And how would you-?"

Caroline knew the question by heart. "I'm a lesbian daughter born to a pair of politicians. I hid too much after learning too much. It's second nature to me, how they work. A ton of it."

"Yeah, that's a solid answer, I guess..." In light, Leven was scared by her. "Of all living things, I just had to be the person everyone would want."

"Congratulations are in order, Mister Ultimate Human," Caroline sarcastically chuckled. "Feels good, don't it?"

"Oh, I'm just bursting with excitement!"

"Linka?" The blonde girl laid her hand on Linka's hair and patted, her thumb running a circle around. "Hey, how are you feeling right now? We need your head in it. Forgive Carly or just kill her-"

"No!" Leven protested.

"Third option, exile!" Caroline offered.

"You're kidding me..." Leven shrugged.

"EXILE!" Linka repeated.

"This is not how friendships work."

"EXILE!"

"She's made up her mind," Caroline smirked. "It was one way or the other."

"Linka, only you can choose to make up with her or not at all, but if you don't... Don't have any such regrets."

"EXILE!" Linka cheered again mindlessly.

"Can you stop saying that?" Leven rubbed his head. "This night needs to end... I'm tired and I hate sleeping on the floor."

"Don't we all, clone?" the Pingrey girl plowed off, facing back to the motel. "Come on, let's go."

The trio went back to the sturdy motel, climbed back up the ten plus steps and found themselves a nice surprise when Luna, the twins, Sam and Carly were huddled around the bed Luna and Sam had occupied. They were all standing now, and it seemed that Carly had been talking to them about something yonder, the attention-grabber of this night imperfect. "-how I think I can able to use my status as Lisa's bodyguard to get into a Kapacity Korp facility. McMahon knows me, I think- Wait, I am damn confident that he'll come running. Obviously I can't come without something of interest."

Leven and Caroline moved closer to Carly.

"Now, with Linka-A and the Ultimate Human being a pair of things he wishes to reclaim, we can use them as fake hostages. It'll surely bring him in. I'm gonna need all the backup I can get, so I can certainly say that you four are essential to the mission. They'll have guards aplenty, maybe pheno fighters, that's where you come in."

"I like this plan," Luna nodded.

"You two..." Carly turned to the twins. "You'll drop off Luna and Sam here into the facility no more than five minutes after I enter with both clones. Lure him in, fight anyone and then we can walk away with the man alive."

"Yes, yes! A thousand times yes!" Sam whooped. "Makes me prioritize getting full use of my power."

"I know you can punch hard!" Luna supported her lover. "That should be enough to fight, Sam."

"Yeah, you're right!" Sam grinned at her. "You're right, I'm just as powerful as I am now."

"Attagirl!"

"Fuck you..." Linka angrily regurgitated, pushing past Leven and Caroline. "Who fucking said you could use me in this plan?!"

"Goddamn it, girl... Zip it, this is the best plan we've heard all day." Caroline pulled Linka back and cupped her mouth. "Stay still, you know what I just might do."

"Carly, I'm onboard with this," Leven nodded to her, agreeing to play a captive. "Do You really believe he'll buy it?"

"Yes, we play it right," Carly assured. "We need dampeners on you, it'll make this act believable. First order of business, we need to set this on the facility of a city heavily populated, as opposed to the least populated. Big city, Seattle, New York, maybe Los Angeles if we dare."

"Isn't the idea not to make a scene?" Luna had scratched her head. "It's noisy, isn't it?"

"Yeah, we'll all be seen trying to get away with McMahon. Even the twins here will be spotted."

"That's the idea, we're not trying to hide, we should not be!" Carly exploited new ground. "We'd only make ourselves look guilty, I say we bring it out into the open, we'll have the witnesses raise questions. The twins here, they're known as a pair of heroines around the northeastern area, so let's use that as home field advantage. We take our fight to the facility in New York."

"You're a genius, girl!" Luna high-fixed the minor with glee. "I like this plan!"

"Linka, we need you to do your thing and locate the convenient one around the area," Leven instructed. "Carol, let her go."

"She's your sister, clone," Caroline complied, slipping her hand away from Linka's mouth. "Don't be stupid, Linka."

"Hmph!" Linka went, pouting.

"Great, how do we get dampeners at this time?" Sam wondered. "Or maybe make a fake one?"

"They're black, round and stick to your skin," Carly summed up. "It shouldn't be hard to make subs."

"Sounds manageable, okay..." Leven felt rather relieved. "How long until then?"

"Short time," Carly decided. "We've gotta do this fast. Tomorrow. He's not wasting time and neither should we."

Linka's nose bled from both nostrils. She wiped them off with her arm, sniffing to pull the blood back into her head. "There, I've found it."

"Thank you," Carly softly said, looking into Linka's cold-blue eyes; the clone girl had looked back, her disgust diminishing slowly, trading it for hurt. "Thank you."

"All of you, get some sleep," Leven suggested. "It will not be an easy day tomorrow."

**July 29th, 2030 - Washington, DC**

The man in the iron skull mask turned it around on the crew he assembled and shot the three of them he had just finished robbing a big bank with. He made them headshots, splattering their brains onto the steps that ran to the bank. The driver himself was meant to be shot through the window, and that he was; Dylan Blood had emptied the rest of the mag into the driver and pulled his body out of the vehicle. The bag of money was his but there was no Lana and Lola to stop him. That wasn't the plan, this was.

Meet the zoomers, defeat the zoomers. Send the declaration of war against them all. Pity, it wasn't how he wished it turned out. He drove away, taking to the streets before the cops would get there. Drive into an alleyway, leave the vehicle there and teleport his way out with the special blue Matrix Portals he obtained from raiding the remnants of the Black Network. The Black Network, now his base.

_You'll not be so lucky next time! We will cross paths! Soon..._

**Elsewhere**

Carly entered through the lobby of the Kapacity Korp facility, tugging along Linka and Leven from behind. Their arms were tied roughly to rope in a perfect knot. Neither single one of the three were seen smiling in the cameras that picked them up, and when they walked by the receptionist desk, the old woman at the counter was quick to alert the security guards on site. They, a group of three, had stopped to blockade them.

"I need to speak to McMahon! Peter McMahon!" Carly yelled at them.

"Ma'am, you need to take your Halloween charade outta here!"

"You- Someone tell him it's Carly! Carly caught the clones!"

"Ma'am-"

"BLACK NETWORK MEMBER! I AM A BLACK NETWORK BODYGUARD, DAMN IT!" Carly shrieked. "I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOTTA BE ONE OF YOU HERE!"

"Hey!" The chief of the security guards broke the circle, looking Carly straight in the eye with judgement; these eyes were telling her just how stupid she was. "I'll take this from here, rookies. You, come with me."

Carly followed the security guard to the main office, where she and the clones were greeted by the supervisor of the facility. It was a middle-aged Cajun woman by the name of Ramelle, suggested by the name tag on the desk. "Yes, these are the ones he wants..."

"Ma'am?"

"Good work, Jameson," she excused the head security guard, "as you were."

"Ma'am," Jameson nodded strictly, leaving the office.

"Only Jameson and I come directly from underground, but McMahon had us all spread throughout the states instead of grouping us all."

"Right," Carly nodded. "Had no idea what happened to you all. Anyways..."

"P-please let us go," Linka cried, playing well into her role. "He'll dissect me! He'll kill me-"

"Got any tape to shut their mouths shut?" Carly asked, pointing at Ramelle's desk. "They wouldn't shut up on the way here. Ugh, please, call him so that I can be done here!"

"Okay..." Ramelle nodded sternly and picked up the phone. "Hang tight."

Outside, Sam, Luna and Caroline waited patiently for their timer to hit zero. They counted down mentally, waiting for the full five minutes to be eaten up. Lana and Lola were the pair who were checking the time themselves, somewhere else and lying in wait. "Do you think this is gonna work?"

Caroline rebuked Sam's doubt. "It's gotta, she seemed to be confident of herself. No time for cold feet."

"Yeah but... It seems to be working a little too well, don't you think?" Sam scratched her cheek, facing away from the facility. She sat back down leaning against the ledge barrier. "This could bs a trap."

"Well, on the list of possibilities, yes," Caroline nodded. "Yes, you're right. I think that's why she wanted us all onboard. They won't expect us, will they?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Have a little faith, will you?" Caroline stretched her hands out. "Is she always a buzzkill?"

"Sam, we're going to be fine. We may be fewer now, but we are stronger together, apart from our abilities. We're strong together, it'd be good to remember that. Remember, I'm strong with you..."

Sam formed a sunshine-esque smile. "You're right, Luna. You and me, we are invincible!"

"There you go!"

"Look alive, girls!" Caroline peered over the edge. "I see the twins running to us!"

"Hold your breath!" Luna warned.

Back inside the facility, Peter McMahon had rushed over to the base with a Matrix Portal in a matter of seconds. He, clad in a nice business suit to state his importance, had received a call from his niece Allie as he advanced swiftly and rapidly to the office. With him, a double-scabbard occupied by the katanas it meant to hold. "Yes? What is it?"

_"Hey, where are you?"_

"I've been summoned to the NY facility, I am currently working," he told the girl. "Is there an issue?"

_"I need to see you-"_

"No, not at these times. Come to my study after hours."

_"Uncle-!" _But he hung up and never listened to her vital message. "Teenagers today... Such imps."

He came into the office, content to see for himself that the call was no fake. There was a Carly, a Link-A, and then a Link-N, the Ultimate Human live and in person. He formed a special grin and motioned Carly to follow him. "Excellent. Girl, with me, and bring those two along."

"Yes, sir..." Carly exited after him, taking the two clones with her. "Say nothing and keep shut!"

"You've done explicitly well, young one," McMahon happily said, complimenting her. "When Ramelle told me it was you, I figured you weren't without weapons. I knew they captured you but as to how you got out of that ugly mess is beneath me. These blades are sharp, sharp enough to cut through flesh, you know?" He led her down a hall, slowing down when he reached halfway. "You've been my favorite, Carly, I wanted you to know that."

"Uh..." Carly felt a surge of danger sweep over her. "S-sir?"

"There really is no way one could get out... Unless you had to defect!" McMahon took out a blade from the scabbard and turned to cut her head off...

...Only for Lincoln to suddenly appear and swing his arm into the blade, which broke into pieces. "I think the fuck not, you fuzzy bastard."

The blue portal had closed behind him and Allie alike, and Lincoln threw Allie right into McMahon, knocking them both down. Carly and the two clones moved away as if a force repelled them from Lincoln's personal space; they knew fear again when he suddenly showed up out of the blue. Literally.

"LINCOLN!" Leven broke free from the rope, pulling Linka and Carly away.

"Don't even try to run, I have bones to pick with you clones," Lincoln hissed at them, proceeding to draw a handgun out and aim at McMahon. "It ends now, it ends here."

"I- I don't understand! How c-can this-?!"

"I'm sorry, uncle," Allie began to cry. "He got the drop on us and he had me get to you. He had me-"

The senator slapped his niece away rock-hard. "NEGLIGENT CHILD! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU'D BE TROUBLE IN THE END! YOU'D BE BETTER OFF DEAD WITH YOUR WHORE MOTHER!"

"Uncle..." Allie shoved her hands into her face. "How can you say that, uncle?"

"Don't- don't you dare kill him!" Linka protested. "We need him alive!"

Lincoln cocked the gun to load. "You, doesn't mean me," he simply said before he connected the sights to McMahon's head, firing once. Fired once and killed Pter McMahon with the only shot that erupted, echoed from it. In that very moment, Lana and Lola rushed into the hall with Sam and Luna. The four of them laid witness to the manor setback that not only compromised the mission, but made them, phenos, lawless murderers. "NOOOO!"

"Where- Where did he come from?!" Sam stuttered.

"LINCOLN!" Luna sprinted into a run on all fours to subdue him in the anger that waved over. He turned his gun and begun to fire at her, but the bullets didn't do much to her. She reached him, forced the gun off his hand and swung her sharp claws at him. "STAY STILL!"

He blocked and countered her well, throwing her arms away from him. He kicked her legs to double over, bringing her down. "Not today."

Leven came from behind and hugged Lincoln into a tackle, taking himself to bend backwards with Lincoln on top. "HOLD HIM DOWN, LUNA! SAM!"

"We have to go..." Linka exhaled sharply, jumping to Leven. "We have go to! Leave him to the cops!"

"WE WON'T-!" Luna was stopped by Sam, who held her back with an arm. "WHAT?!"

"She's right, we can't stay here! Twins, retreat us all!" Sam threw a hand to the side, holding it out for Lana to grab and run her out. Luna did the same for Lola to get her out. The twins rushed back for Linka and Carly while Leven still struggled with Lincoln. "Leave me! Leave me, take the girls sway," Leven told the twins as the two albinos continued to duke it out.

Allie remained on her uncle, bawling her eyes out. "No... No... Please-"

Lincoln jerked his head back and broke Leven's nose, buying time for him to get free of the clone's arms and roll away freely. "How convenient it is for you to be here! Makes things easier-" He picked up the gun and turned it towards Leven. "I see that dampener on you so I know that you're weak."

And before he fired, Lola came back and took Leven out of the scene. The bullet only hit wall, nothing else that was alive. Lincoln gasped and tried to follow the afterlight projection. "Come back! Coward, face your death!"

Allie looked up and Lincoln, glaring at him with visible anger. "You... You're the monster..."

Lincoln lowered the gun, greatly displeased. "Damn, I wasn't fast enough to have a surprise victory... Girl, you've done well by leading me to your rat uncle. As for you..." He reached her and aimed his gun down at her, and she did nothing. She took the barrel of the gun, accepting defeat. And he then blinked just once, but saw something else in her place. Someone else. "Huh?"

_"You don't kill little girls... Do you, Jerry?" _Heather, bloody and in her shredded dress, frowned at him with disappointment- and the damaged eye had not even stopped bleeding. _"Do you?"_

Lincoln shook, blinked again, and lowered the gun. Allie was there again, but... What the hell was that just now? "Well?! Get it on over with..."

Lincoln's fingers were then quivering, when, not a minute ago had they been rather steady. "No..."

"No?! Ha! NO?!" Allie's mouth kept changing between a pseudo smile and a hard frown. "KILL ME! KILL ME NOW OR I'LL GET YOU SOMEDAY!"

"You'll get a chance just this one time," Lincoln decided. "You're young and you're rather too fucking stupid to know any better. I know your story, it means nothing but it is shit in the long run. So go on-"

"Letting me go...?"

"Don't get me wrong, I really want to put a bullet in you," he explained coldly. "You're no good, I've seen it from a distance- and closer than you could actually imagine."

"Why don't you?"

Lincoln lifted his shoulders to shrug. "I've never killed someone young. Well, not up close, not like this. It was different when bombs were planted and families were blown away... This isn't that. I give you a shot only to see if you could change. You're just like me, someone who's merely being used in someone else's game. Bet uncle didn't care for you the way a real uncle should."

"You're wrong..."

"I heard him cry his true thoughts about you to the end..." He turned around to walk away. "That is no lie."

"B-bastard! Where do you think you can run?!" Allie shrieked, stirring echoes around the hall. "What the-? Where are the guards?! Hey! Anyone?!"

_There was a question I asked myself while I was off undoing the mistakes I made by not doing them. Other me, this main one, he had come to Clyde to help him set up a safe house. Same deal with me in the other timeline. Left him hanging, and here, Lori remained in the Freights because it was still a damn thing... _

Lincoln took his exit with another Matrix Portal, leaving Allie alone.

_Why didn't I lay waste to them this time, when they were the ones who pushed me to this, to where I was now? Heh... _

He found himself alone in an empty field in the middle of nowhere.

_Reason one, Dale Jennings had said something along the lines of vigilantes never being able to be successful. It dawned on me, I could go after a ton of corrupt politicians and senators and extremists and what-have-yous and it would mean jack shit in the end. As long as people existed, the ideas did, too. Brings me to reason two; it was never going to end, and it was pointless. I would have enemies coming down my sightlines after defeating yesterday's. Patrick Matthews. Ernest Harrison. Douglas Ryder. George Burton. So I've ran into many more maggots worth crushing under the boot. Tell you now, it didn't end. Whether or not I destroyed the Freights this time, it didn't matter. There would be some other radical group bombing other places- or at the very least, some new batch of terrorists. _

Lincoln sat down in the middle of the field, taking in the July dew upon his pants.

_I'm getting tired of it. One after the other. Why not... Why not just-?_

He closed his eyes and sniffed the air.

_Call me crazy, but... Would it be such a bad thing if some soul were to plunge the world into global genocide? After all..._

He opened his eyes and looked past the blue skies.

_We're all human. _


	69. Chapter 69

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter III: Welcome To Grimmtown**

* * *

Link-B, the clone structured with the cells of Lincoln and Luna, and Link-C, of Lincoln and Lynn, were running further south with no real sense of direction. It was just the two of them when Link-D had been left behind to buy them some valuable time from the monster. It had already been some long few days since it happened- and they simply didn't know the date. Not the day, month or year as of yet.

Lacy and Liby were still in the skin-tight suits they've come out of their chambers in. Liby, still rather slow, had been moving like an ant, meaning Lacy had to slow down too often so that she could catch up. They hid in the daylight hours and moved through the night, further away from the monsters in human clothing and the truth that they had yet to stomach like a hard pill. Stomach, digest, the end.

"Lynn..." Liby and Lacy were still in the phase where they addressed each other as the people whose faces they've been wearing. She was Luan, and Lacy was Lynn, not Link-B not Link-C. Fuck all that. "I'm getting hungry again."

"Yeah, I'll do something about it..." Lacy peeked her eyes through the blindfolds of a house they'd broken into, the real estate sign planted on the lawn. "At least we got a roof over us, huh?"

Liby sighed and shook her head. "That's... That doesn't make things any better than before."

"I know..." Lacy fell back and laid down, hands set over her chest like a happy puppy receiving belly rubs. Only she wasn't. "I'm sorry."

"No, don't worry about it, Lynn..." Liby put a hand on Lacy's back and rubbed. "I know you mean well, I do. Just wish I could afford a laugh over constantly worrying. Where are we supposed to go from here? Not Royal Woods, right? Not back home."

"I don't know, I'm not big on ideas..." Lacy let out a pitiful sigh, falling to her side. "Sorry."

"We'll figure something out, but we've gotta do it fast."

"Yeah..."

Something clicked in Liby. "Maybe we need to go to Canada."

"No!" Lacy opposed the idea- No, she just blurted it out for no reason. "Wait, why Canada?"

"I like Canada..." Liby shared. "They're peaceful and welcoming! Plus, they gave us... Wait, Ryan Reynolds is Canadian, right?"

"Dunno who that is," Lacy shrugged. "Obviously not sports related. Anyways, the sun's going down, food run is coming up. You know what to do, don't you?"

"Yeah." Liby knew the plan by heart. They'd get to a store and she would find some object- trashcan, carts, maybe a bunch of rocks- and have it into the storefront for a staged diversion. She'd rant like some crazy chick and lure the employees out. See, it worked for the small ones, gas stations and 7-11 stores mainly, but it never worked the full hundred percent of the time. Here's to hoping it worked again. "I'm ready. Grab me some donuts if you can."

"Donuts, huh?" Lacy went down and did some sit-ups. "One... Two... Three-"

Liby's eyes noticed a shadow moving in the faint corner of the kitchen. She could just as easily have imagined it, but there was a sudden scuffling sound that stopped Lacy before the seventh sit-up was done. The two girls grew alarmed but stayed in place, ominously staring at the kitchen. "Hey!" Lacy called out into the kitchen. "Who's there?"

"Lynn, I'm-" Liby went white when a pair of threatening yellow eyes glowed from the dark. "Oh, my God-"

"Stand down, Lizy," a girl's voice echoed within the dark. "You know what we're about."

"They smell like garbage," the second female voice insulted them. "They're garbage."

"Provide overwatch, I've got this..." Alejandra Santiago stepped out of the shadows with a comforting smile set in place. "Hi, don't be alarmed. Don't mind my friend, she is snappy and distrusting of strangers. Why, she even punched me in the face the first time we met."

"And what is it that you want?" Lacy demanded of her.

Alex, rocking in gray jeans and a black shirt with no bra underneath, stopped just three feet apart from the clones. "Great question, I like you already. I just happen to know about this very special place down in the heart of Mexico."

"Mexico?"

"It isn't much as it is now, it's still being worked on, but... This place in particular is being built as a safe haven for phenos. I take it you know what those are."

"Phenos?" Lacy shook her head. "No, I-"

"It's what you are, and it's what I am," Alex explained. "People with powers, they've all come out of the woodwork, escaping their Vial Corporation captors. These very same people took in all directions to hide or make noise. A bunch of them fled south with the idea to establish a town there, where they could hide from U.S. jurisdiction. Granted, they could be extradited in a heartbeat but that's to be played as of yet."

"Oh..." Liby nodded slowly. "So you've come to give us invites, huh? How do we qualify for that?"

"You've got some eyes on you," Alex revealed so simply. "We're rounding up all the phenos we can find and bringing them back to the haven."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Lacy defensively asked. "We've been on the run by too many in the last few days. You could just be another one of them."

"Easy there, I haven't spoken any lie yet," Alex calmed. "You'd just have to trust me, you two can have rest, better food, and no more stealing and risking getting caught here. Come on-" She held out her hand. "-it's time for you both to be part of a better community now."

Liby stepped forward.

"Luan!"

"Lynn, I- I trust her..." Liby couldn't explain it, but she felt it with her besting heart. She felt that Alex was being honest and could be trustworthy. She took her hand and shook carefully. "I want to go to this place. I'm hungry for something better than munchies."

"Tacos, enchiladas, chalupas- all the food down there is more organic and tastier, I promise you that!"

Liby licked her lips. "I could eat a horse..."

"What of you?" Alex looked to Lacy for an answer. "I get it, you think I'm fishy, and that's why I won't force you to come. Just say the word, yes or no, and I'll leave with or without you."

"Lynn..." Liby urged. "Come on, we- We can finally-"

"You're right, there's something off about this..." Lacy spoke. "And my brain is telling me not to come. So... I reject your offer, and it would do well for you, Luan, to do so as well."

"Lynn... No, you can't-"

Alex frowned. "You don't know what it is you're missing-"

"I'll take my chances," Lacy scoffed. "Luan, if it makes things easier for you-"

"It will, but not just for me!" Liby tried to persuade her sister, grabbing onto her shoulders. "Lynn, we could only go so far until... I can't do this anymore. We need to stick with others, we needed to fund a better way, not this. Not just the two of us, and- And I think you knew that. You had to have known we couldn't-"

"Shut up..." Lacy hissed. "Just shut up, right now."

"Mmm... Lynn..." Liby let go of Lacy's shoulders. "We don't have to be by ourselves anymore!"

"It's all just bullshit..."

Alex walked to the back, opening the balcony. "You, Luan, was it? We don't have long here, we're always on the schedule."

"Lynn... Come with us, I am begging you."

"No," Lacy denied. "I'm not gonna, this doesn't feel right. It feels like a trap."

"Maybe to you," Liby went. "For some reason, maybe to you, but not to me..."

"We're supposed to stick together."

"Yes!" Liby shouted. "I'm trying to keep you close but you're pulling back! No one else has offered us some ticket out of this madness! I'm taking it! Whether or not it's a trap, I have to see for myself! Why, why would in the name of God would I dare risk it?! Why do you?! Why do you?!"

Lacy broke her eye contact from Liby. "It just doesn't feel real to me anymore."

Liby forfeited her anger and just let out a hopeless sigh. "It really has been a hard past few days, hasn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Lynn, y-you know I can't-" Liby placed a hand over her chest. "I need you, I need a fighter. And you- You've always been stronger than me, how could you just leave me all defenseless?"

"Really gonna go there, aren't you?"

"We've lost white-haired Lucy, haven't we? It's just us- Unless you..."

"I can't come," Lacy mouthed. "But if that place is occupied, then you'll have friends. You'll have your own protection, which means you won't depend on me, rely on me."

"For God's sakes, you're my sister!" Liby slapped her and Lacy did nothing. "We've been separated for too many years! I can't see you go! I won't-!" She grabbed and locked onto Lacy's arms. "HEY, WHATEVER YOU CAN DO, I SUGGEST YOU DO IT NOW!"

"Nice trick!" Alex jogged at the clones as Lacy tried to break free. "Here goes nothing!"

**Mexico**

Lacy, Liby and Alex, or rather Alex in a dark blue suit of some sort, ended up in a dirt field just close to a town thirty feet away. Alex got up and brushed the dirt off her suit. "You've made the right call, Luan," Alex told Liby with a grin. "Come this way."

"Why the hell did you do that?! I didn't want... To..." Lacy looked around at the setting. It was as Alex had promised so far. Desert-like setting. Tumbleweeds rolling about, the night having taken over. Waves of dusty storms that picked up the sand and blew it into their eyes. "Mexico..."

Liby tagged along Alex's side, following her into the assortment of tiny houses. "Is- is that it?"

"Still filling up the populace here, but yeah, it's what they've got as of yet. Fifty-seven of them, now fifty-nine with you two here."

"Fifty-eight," Lacy corrected.

"No, she's right!" Liby blocked. "You and I will live here without a second thought."

"We'll see about that."

"So we will," Liby agreed. "So we will."

They came up to the town- five streets of cement brick houses and storage shacks- and met with various townsfolk of all ages. Old men and women, young ones, and one kid for every batch of six or so they saw. Not much of that around here, but most of them were of Caucasian descent. The lights filled the porches and illuminated the sides and back of the houses. Liby's stomach dared to betray her by growling away.

"Tortilla is aplenty here," Alex shared joyfully. "You can never know hungry. Most of these people here, the adults, were declared missing or dead, so their loved ones cleared their bank accounts, transferring all that they've worked for. Only a few here still had access to their money, but cash-cash, not from the banks. Sheesh, it's almost too painful to think about."

"That money was tossed into a pile for everyone, right?"

"Oh, yes," Alex nodded, leading them into the first street. "This place is only five streets wide, but no one's gonna pave the roads. We don't have the resources to do it, nor the cars to use on it. Fresh start for everyone, but it's not always the best thing."

"All of these poor people," Liby lamented. "They've got the bad end of life..." She stopped and looked down, feeling a sort of sad pity upon them.

"Don't mourn for how shitty their lives turned out," Alex pressed, wrapping a hand around Liby. "You have a wide heart, I admire that, but this isn't as bad as having been killed. They've survived and they will adapt and flourish here! The rare second chance grantee by the likes of God, and who could say otherwise?"

"I- I guess..."

"Come, the last house on the first street is like the town hall," Alex led. "The walls are carved with the names of the good people of... Um, they call this Grimmtown, just an Eff-Why-Eye, I'm not sure why exactly. I know for a fact that someone among the original group named it that."

The people they've come across smiled and waved at Liby and Lacy with hearty attitudes, none of the radiating any hostility that would make Lacy fly into battle or retreat from this dump. Right now, her main concern was if they had working toilets and showers and meaty foods. Her mouth might have just been watering for a beef burrito right about now. Liby herself smiled and flung her hand to wave back at the nice townsfolk as she and the two girls walked around.

"Hey, sorry to do this to you but I have to get going, I've a long day ahead of me, the relocating of phenos is almost never ebding." Alex pointed to a wide house at the end on the right of the street. "Ms. Demonet there cooks a mean steak. She is friendly and kind, go tell her you're new and she will fill your stomach. We'll pick this up later, okay?"

"Steak?" Lacy rubbed her stomach. "The Holy Grail of meat is-" She booked it and ran to the house Alex had referred her to.

"I guess she's been hungry, too," Alex laughed. "You'll be fine here, Luan. You can trust me... You do trust me, right?"

"Yes," Liby nodded happily. "Thank you... Really, thank you for this, uhhh-"

"Right, I never introduced myself, haven't I?" Alex took Liby's hand and shook it. "Alejandra Santiago at your service. Now I'm off! See you later, gator!"

Liby turned back and followed Lacy after Alex had disappeared in the blink of an eye; science stuff was always meant to elude her, but in the today world, it wasn't make-believe anymore. Lisa Loud was singing and dancing out of overwhelming joy, wherever she was. She joined her younger clone sister and sat down on the rectangular table on the kitchen of the house that one Ms. Demonet lived in. The middle-aged woman was a mother of three in the before time, and one silent night, Black Network goons came and kidnapped her and the kids. She lived through their experiments, but the poor two boys and the one girl had their insides destroyed, the end. Sharon Demonet lived here a widow and with her young now gone from the world. Liby would hear Ms. Demonet's story and be touched right in the artificial heart.

Liby didn't fully have the stomach to gobble down the sizzling steak on her plate. Her hands had indeed been gripping the knife and fork, but the knife had never cut through the steak, nor had the fork tried to take it whole and put it into her mouth. Meanwhile, our young Lacy wasn't paying attention. The clone athlete was halfway through the steak, not slowing down for any silly old wives' tale. "I'm- I'm sorry to hear that..." was Liby's fair, mindful response. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"I'm sure," the older woman told not just Liby, but to herself as some reminder, "that they're up there with God. They're with their father and one fine day... One fine day, I will leave my vessel and take flight to the gates. But enough of this speaking of ill tragedy... Eat, my girls."

Liby looked down to her steak; she had been hungry but... "I will, ma'am."

"It's good to see the faces of young again," Demonet pleasantly stated. "You are such sweet, and mighy I add famished as well. I hope we can accommodate you two in any way we can."

"That's awfully nice of you..." Liby smiled at the woman, but then her eyes broke from contact and she had herself looking down on her lap. "Actually, all I would like right now is for my other sister to be here. You see, Miss Demonet, there were three of us but she- Her name is Lucy by the way- We were in a pickle, and-" Lacy stopped her ravenous munching and turned to Liby. "'-she was fending off people who were attacking us. Others like us, it seems. Like-" Liby then turned the knife on herself and ran it across her palm.

"Sweetie, what are you-?!" Demonet gasped and placed her hands over her mouth, sensitive to such scenes. Liby's wound closed by itself, and the elder woman then lowered her aging hands, astonished and bewildered. "Is this-?"

"What they've done to me?" Liby began nodding. "One of many things, there's more, I'm sure-"

"Luan-" Lacy meant for Liby to stop talking, but Liby wouldn't.

"The three of us can do that, but it's Lucy who has... Well, we think it really is telekinesis, we believe."

"Tele-" Demonet hiccuped hard. "Funny you should mention that. Earlier today the scouts brought a girl who displayed that ability. She moved stuff with her hands as if she were controlling the air, and she was also able to fly. Couldn't be her, could it?"

Liby shook her head. "I'm not sure, Lucy was fighting a group, it was... It seemed that she would lose, but I pray for her... I hope she made it out alive."

"She did, she's out there somewhere," Lacy hoped. "I'm sure of it, but we can have that Mexican girl look for her. Girl with white hair and a moody attitude, not hard to find."

Sharon Demonet's eyes widened with realization. "Wait, is that how Lucy looks like? That girl who came by today matches this exact description!"

Liby dropped her utensils. "Are you sure?!"

Lacy choked on the next piece of steak that entered her windpipe. "Luthy!"

"That's her, gotta be!"

"Oh... Are you sure you aren't four sisters?" Demonet then presented the girls with a greater surprise. "She came with another girl of white hair, but... The other one didn't have telekinesis."

"Other one-?" Liby scratched her head, lost. "Wait..."

Lacy nudged at Liby's shoulder. "Come on!' she insisted, swallowing her steak piece hard. "We have to find her! Miss, where did you see her last?"

"She was on the third street, helping out the men build another shack down there."

"Wait, Lacy-" Liby stopped her from talking. "Ma'am, could you tell me about this other girl? Was she shorter than our sister Lucy? Longer hair?"

"Yes, long hair, but..." A third guest entered the house without warning, and Old Lady Demonet flashed her eyes up. "Ah, well, here she is now!"

Liby tensed up, expecting to see the crazy girl Linka again. Lacy had looked back and stared at _Liberty _standing on the doorway, her arms crossed as she greeted the youngsters. "And I see that Alex brought us a duo of little-widdle chicky-chick chicks! Hello there!"

"Uh-" Lacy zipped up, not having much to say.

Liby formed a sly smile and waved. "Hi there, I'm Luan, and this is Lynn."

"Oh! Small world, my name starts with the same letter," Liberty laughed. "I'm Liberty, and I'm certain you're acquainted with the lovely Ms. Demonet here!"

"Always the modest one, aren't you, Liberty?" For Demonet, it was always a pleasure seeing Liberty droop by every now and again.

Liberty had come with a weaved basket in her hands, lifting it up to place on the table. "Apple and rhubarb pie here from Evans just down the street. He didn't remember which one you said you loved so he baked both."

"Oh, why isn't he a dear peach?" It surely delighted Demonet in the wholesome way, as Liby and Lacy could see. Why, this place seemed... Friendly. Lively. A positive community just like- "Do give him my gratitude, will you? And thank you for delivering it to me personally, Liberty. You are a sweet girl."

Liberty smiled widely, closed her eyes and rolled around in the compliment, the very pride she was feeling, the sense of great importance here. "I sure will! I'll see you later!" She turned to leave- and flashed Liby and Lacy a cruel grin that bypassed Ms. Demonet's sightlines. The calling card of death. _Soon, clones, you will fulfill his purpose._

"I must be tired or..." Lacy yawned, believing her eyes to be deceiving. "I could use a nap..."

"Certainly!" Ms. Demonet pointed to the wall of the kitchen. "You can take a nap on my own bedroom if you'd like, just as long as you don't pull the covers over."

"Nice!" Lacy cheered.

"Ma'am, are you certain?" Liby questioned the woman's good nature.

"Hey, just cause I might smell-" Lacy tried to defend.

"This is fine," she responded to assure. "You two look like you could use more than just a nap and food. This place is to provide for all the people who seek it. Like I said, we accommodate each other as God wills it."

"Right... God..." Liby nodded, albeit slowly. "Lynn, go ahead if you want. Heck, it's late, maybe a good night's sleep is due."

"Just a nap is fine, miss," Lacy agreed upon. "I wouldn't want go intrude. Luan?"

"I'll be around taking a look here in... Grimmtown..." Liby looked down at her plate. Nothing had been eaten from her own platter. _What's wrong with me to not eat? I... I don't know what to say here..._

"Hey," Lacy noticed it. "You feeling okay? I thought you'd be necking that steak."

"Necking? What does that mean?"

Lacy slapped herself upside the head. "That's Luna's British slang. Wow, she rubbed off on me this much..." Lacy shared a quick, humorous laugh. "What, are you not hungry?"

"It is good steak," Demonet cut in. "I've made it with love."

"And she went overboard with it!" Lacy practically licked her lips when she was done eating. "I have not had steak in... Well, it feels so long ago..." The frown and her happy mood subsided. "Actually... No, I can't remember when I had it. The taste, the sizzled skin and the grease on it, my taste buds know all of that by heart, but..."

Liby touched Lacy on the shoulder. "It tastes as good as you remember, doesn't it?"

Lacy looked to her- there were tears there already- but didn't form the smile that Liby was forming. "It does, it's just like before." She turned to Ms. Demonet. "I can't thank you enough for cooking us such a yummy meal. You are a good cook."

"Thank you deary," Demonet smiled. "Now wipe your tears, it is unbecoming of you."

Liby grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped Lacy's eyes for her. "How about now? Do you still want to run from this?"

"Don't hold me to my previous thoughts..." At last, Lacy smiled and laughed. "Dang it, you wanted that, didn't you? You sly devil, you!"

"I take it as a yes..." Liby set the moist napkin onto the table and turned to finish her steak piece. "Looks real thick."

"Thick is good and you know it, Luan!" Lacy squealed, sniffing. "Make me proud."

Outside, Liberty had hung back, eavesdropping on the girls. And all that she'd heard had made its way into her heart. It was a worm, but not a bad worm at all. It dug and wiggled through her body and wrapped around her heart and it did some good to make her feel that sort of sisterhood even the clones shared when, back home... _Why are they closer? Why doesn't Mercer and Chang treat me-? Why doesn't my own birth mother-_

Alex returned and strutted along the dirt ground in between the first two rows of buildings, just barely visible in the shine of the porch lights. Liberty noticed her and tiptoed her way from Demonet's place, walking over to her slowly. Alex rolled her eyes at the sight of her own clone. "Keeping out of trouble, I hope," Alex warned.

"Sure," Liberty muttered without any care. "What's Mercer doing now?"

"She's just seeing the world for herself," Alex answered, not looking at the clone. "And You, how are you feeling in this new world?"

"New world..." Liberty found the choice of words funny. "It's going to die, why do you-?"

"I mean to say it's new to us, smartass..." Alex crossed her arms. "New to us, and we may never come back here after this is over. Make the most of it, go meet some guy and have sex. Eat a cheeseburger- we can all do things we can't back home. Lissandra's been downloading off The Pirate Bay to take back."

"Lissandra..." Liberty felt attacked now. "First name basis, since when?"

Alex then looked at Liberty and then away from her. "I don't know..." was her lie.

"Okay..." Liberty saw through her- mainly because she was her. "Cool."

"Is there any place you wanted to go see?" Alex motioned her hands around like a teacher going over a lecture. "Malls, arcades. Hey, we both love Space Invaders. Remember that? You share my memories, so I know you know of that..."

"I do..." Liberty nodded. "Space Invaders, it was fun."

"And so many more games to be played. There's this place called Dave and Buster's. That's where the magic-"

"Hard pass..." Liberty faced away from Alex and left down the street. "You can take me anywhere and everywhere in this new world as you claim, but at the end of the day, you made it clear you didn't want me to be a Primer. You didn't want me around..."

Alex never followed Liberty; she knew how destructive her words were, and she accepted that the damage might have been done. She sighed in exasperation. _But... You're the only person in the world... Who could possibly understand what I'm feeling now..._

**Later**

Liby went outside and went to where Demonet had told her Link-D would be. Lupa was her branded name, thanks to Linka, but the name Lucy had still stuck. Lupa had not yet given herself a different name yet, despite the facts that had now been. Clone, not the real Lucy, and it had been proven to Lupa direct when she and the real Lucy were kidnapped and then cloned themselves, spawning in Lilith and Lumi. One new entity after the other.

She found the white-haired goth moving cement bricks around in the air, taking them into one of the shacks with a couple of older men. "Hey, Lucy!"

Lupa dropped the cinder blocks when she heard Lucy's name. "Shit."

"Really? Is that the first thing you're gonna say?"

"Hi! Shit..." Lupa tried again. "What the fuck brings you here?! I thought I'd seen the last of you uo north."

"Same for you!" Liby hugged her sister tightly. "Oh, my God, I thought you were dead! I thought they'd have killed you!"

"Hey..." Lupa hugged Liby back, happy to see her in good shape. Is... Uh, is Lynn here too?"

"Oh yeah, she's napping over at Demonet's right now. We've had a rough couple of days."

"I'll bet..." Lupa cleared her throat. "I just came here today, I didn't miss you, did I?"

"No, we did the same, too!"

"Nice!" Lupa looked over Liby's side. "Hey, I'll be right back!"

"Sure thing, Lucy!" one of the men said. "Don't worry a bunch."

"Thanks!" Lupa grabbed Liby by her arm and then ran, taking her away from the scene. "Come, we can catch up in private! Although there isn't much I have to tell."

"Uh, sure..." Liby had only wonder for what happened after she and Lacy ran away. Nothing more. They moved past outside the town perimeter, up some fifty feet away. Lupa had to make sure she wasn't in range of anyone, not even those of super-hearing. She put a hand to her lips to keep Liby from talking.

"Listen," Lupa whispered like a mouse. "It's not good up there, I learned way more stuff than you can imagine."

"What-?" Lupa cupped Liby's mouth shut when Liby used her normal voice, then shook her head.

"Don't- don't speak, you'll just listen."

Liby nodded, and Lupa let go.

"Somehow, the connection has been made here," Lupa warned. "Lisa Loud, you know her, I know her- She was behind everything that we ask questions about now. The place we woke up in, the missing years- You do know what this year is, don't you? Or... I bet you have a sense of long-passed events" you can remember things but not the senses synonymous with them, right?"

"Oh..." Liby's mind raced to earlier, how Lacy went weird with the steak. "Oh, so that's what it was..."

"Yes, yes, now... Here, I learned that they hate the Louds, they really do. Not just the one who did this to them, but the entire family tree. And you know who we are!"

"They... Hate us!"

"Such is the nature of the situation..." Lupa cleared her throat. "Don't tell anyone your full names. What did you say?"

"Told a few we're Luan and Lynn, but only a few, but..." Liby went silent. "Never mind. No, we didn't give our last names."

"It would be better if you didn't... But I did," Lupa revealed. "Here, I'm Lucy Grimm, that's the alias I've been sticking to. Didn't tell anyone about you just yet, but if you told anyone you two were sisters, we can all stick to the Grimm girls lie. Funny that the town had to be named Grimmtown of all things, though. I got it off some novel I saw in a bookstand and I was just in the heat of the moment..." She moaned with disgust. "I hate this, all of this "

"Lisa, I could get... But the rest of them? No, they weren't involved-"

"These guys don't care. They believe in an eye for an eye and they also believe trouble could come here. They want to protect themselves, even some are willing to go back just to raid facilities with their powers. Well I say good luck to them and that they may never find out about us. I've told you before, I will again. We're only clones with the faces of our originals. The files of us exist and roam on the internet. Just the files, nothing on our faces."

"I haven't seen anyone who looked like me-"

"But you've seen that other Lynn, same as I have too!" Lupa reminded. "That's not all..."

Lupa ran her hands down on her chest. This was where Lincoln had shot her with the boomstick her had around back there. She could still feel the full force of the blast. "I've run into the real Lucy. It was her, the real her, she was alive and I couldn't believe it. Whoever you think you are here, you're a clone. I am a clone, and the Lynn sleeping in Demonet's place isn't the real Lynn..."

"Then... Okay."

"Sorry..." Lupa spat on the ground. "Last thing I want to do is hurt you, you know that-"

"Are- Are we monsters...?"

Lupa shook her head rapidly. "No, we did no wrong here, I know that. You know that, too. You're both good."

"Hey, so are you!" Liby let Lupa know. "You saved us from them- Him. He would have-"

"Shut up," Lupa cut in. "Don't think about the "if" in this equation. We're here together again, we got real lucky and I hope you know that..."

"Okay... Okay, sorry."

"Hey, did you eat?" Lupa raised an eyebrow and observed her. She then leaned in and sniffed Liby's mouth. "Oh, whaddya know? Steak!"

"Steak," Liby repeated.

"Good, wouldn't have you sleeping with an empty stomach. Know no hunger."

"Yeah..."

"I'm sorry I was never able to catch up to you..." Lupa apologized from within. "He got me good, I was... Out of commission for awhile but I'm fine now."

"He did?" Liby closed her eyes. "Oh, God..." She couldn't help but sob a bit.

Lupa made no effort to wipe her sister's tears away. "It'll be okay, he can do us no harm if we hide here until we die of old age. We're safe here. We'll be safe here."

**Elsewhere - The Next Day**

Lissandra Autumn Mercer, the blonde teenager with a faint Southern accent, seen sporting a red cap worn backwards, a green-blue cut top that showed skin, and blue jeans and white sneakers, rocked the world of today with a Strawberry Acai drink and a sunshine smile on her face. Boy-oh-boy, the world pre-World War III was full of life. Social media galore. Memes. Vines. Tiktok bullshit for days and weeks. Was it this way before the war ravaged the planet?

She discovered pizza! She knew a triple cheeseburger's divine taste. The smell of yummy meat, and no decomposing corpses lying in the street. No cities in ruins. No smoke and fire that kept the nights lit for days. Everything was working one way and the only day. And the best part was when she saw dogs and cats and birds- Wait, what the fuck were birds? Lissandra had never seen birds before. Picture books never amounted to the real thing. Birds! Those happy winged bastards sung their song and moved all over the place. They...

Lissandra noticed them and the joy that was brought out in her suddenly drained. They were free. They were able to go anywhere and everywhere they so desired- and here she was, walking the sidewalks, physically unable to fly. A human condemned to move with two legs, in her case, four when she transformed into her alter ego, the reptilian beast of green skin, deadly claws and teeth, and a plug-ugly snout. The Luna Loud of the Primers. Lizy.

"Yeah..." She minded the birds and sat on the curb, suddenly forgetting the current objective. "You can fly anywhere, but can you time travel? Can you go arrange it so that-?"

"Hey," Alex popped up from behind and sat next to Lissandra. "How do you like this place?"

"All the world is bigger than I thought it was," Lissandra stated in a wondrous sense. "Milkshakes, you ever tried that? Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate! Alex, there's- There's fucking chocolate milkshakes before it all went to shit!"

"Yeah, there really is..." Alex agreed, conveying some sort of disappointment. "Maybe too big for us."

"Too big-?" Things slowly began falling in place. "Oh, right,.the four of us are here doing Dylan Blood's bidding. Hmph... You know, being here, seeing things differently, I've been thinking it dangerously. Alex, do we really need to go back?"

"You know we do," Alex scoffed at the notion. "Liberty does, I do, you and Bethany included."

"Beg pardon..." A young girl of Chinese-Japanese descent, perched up on a tree, looked over them while she read a manga novel. "We could stay for awhile and come back to the present in a year or to. He won't notice it, it'll have been hours for him there, wouldn't you agree?"

"See, Bethany is the smart one here, and you ain't," Lissandra insulted.

"He'll notice, I'm sure," Alex believed.

"Not a month, no," Bethany countered. "Or maybe... Hey, Lissandra. Be wary that he told her and her clone we'd all be coming back. And of the four of us, you and Liberty are the frontliners for the Grimmtown operation. Now what about us? What did he put us here for?"

"Umm..." Lissandra had questioned it. "He said-"

"Providing protection for them both?" Bethany Chang dropped from the tree, dropping her My Hero Academia manga novel. "That isn't right. Not when Alex here has an anti-pheno battle suit. And what's more, Liberty used that Silver Element. The magic fucking watch that Blood keeps guarded under three layers of Compound C."

Alex went silent.

"Wait, what? The Silver Element-"

"I'm only telling you that something isn't right here..." Bethany pulled out a dagger from her back. "What is our role here?! You know the reason we were told to join you, don't you?!"

"Don't you point that thing on me!" Alex switched to her dark blue battle suit, raising her arms into fists. "You're about to be Ching-Chang-Chingado a la madre, pendeja!"

"Guys, cool it!"

"We weren't aware you'd come! Blood told us it was just me, Liberty and Lissandra only!"

"Bullshit!" Bethany roared. "Take off the suit and fight-"

A blinding flash of light filled the world, and they covered their eyes. And when they opened them, the found themselves in the middle of a desert, maybe Nevada by the looks of it. Lissandra looked around, baffled. "I was going to the ice cream shop, for fuck's sake!"

"What was that?" Bethany checked her hand and found no dagger in it. "How-?"

"Liberty!" Alex pointed to the latest addition to the Primers group, just standing twenty feet before them. Liberty held up her wrist and revealed the all-powerful watch-shaped device on her wrist. "Holy shit... He let you-?"

"Stop fighting, you animals..." Liberty addressed. "You wanna know why Blood brought us l together when he didn't have to?! This is why! We're still at each other's throats like we really wanna kill each other! Team bonding, that's what he called it!"

"Team bonding...?" Bethany repeated.

"Of course, he knew you two would object to it if you were directly asked to strengthen the relationship!" Liberty lowered her hand. "I was the only person entrusted to know of his plans, but I can see that it wasn't working as expected. All of us were set to Grimmtown despite his orders for you two not to set foot. Don't be stupid, how could you protect us if we were miles away?!"

"Oh..." Bethany felt pretty stupid. "What-?"

"Oh..." Alex exited her battle mode. "Geez."

"Can you three just regroup to Grimmtown?"

"Ugh..." Lissandra let out a moan. "I was enjoying myself! Do we have to?"

"Now!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Alex laughed. "Help us out!"

"Don't push it, mother..."

"Tsch... Spoilsport," Alex cursed. "Lizy, Bed, I'll give you the tour if you want."

"Yeah, why not?" Bethany inhaled deeply. "Liberty, do your thing, clone."

"Lazy bums!" Liberty complied, lifting her arm out and engulfing the world again in the endless, blinding light again. "LONG LIVE THE PRI-"

**Grimmtown, Mexico**

Lupa carried the sleepy Lacy up on her shoulders. "Nice to see you again, sporty, now how about some champion breakfast?"

Lacy held on and yawned. "Please, mom... I want b-bacon..."

Liby trailed beside Lupa, constantly holding her hand behind Lacy to keep her from falling. "We couldn't bring it to her?"

"She has to wake up for her own good," Lupa firmly believed, deciding on that. When she, Liby and Lacy stepped foot in the dining hall of Grimmtown, they were greeted warmly by everyone around. "Hello, people! Hope you have a good mornijg!" Lupa greeted while Liby merely waved, multitasking here. "My sister here needs a good dosage of coffee if you can!"

The tables were assorted near symmetrical to each other, most of the occupied. The hall looked like that of a camp's own, but the people did not totally give it camp vibes it was due. Lupa found the trio a table and turned around, bending her knees. "Sit, girl," she introduced Lacy, her knees then quaking vividly. "I can't support you."

Lacy dropped herself from Lupa's back, sliding down and striking her buttocks hard against the plank seat. "Ouchie!"

"Be more careful!" Lupa bashed. "You're just as heavy as I imagined a Lynn would be."

"You're mean!" Lacy whimpered, then yawned. "I could use a side of bacon to whatever we're having-"

"I don't even know what we're having, actually," Lupa looked around to the end of the hall. "Wait, how does this work?"

Three older folk, with one of them being Demonet, bringing the three girls the same breakfast players of eggs sunny-side up with a side of toast and three bacon strips, setting them on the table in their midst. Lacy sniffed the bacon and grew more awake, her tongue peering through her lips and so graciously licking around them counter-clockwise. "Oh, momma!"

"It is made to be of your liking," Sharon Demonet happily announced. "As much as I wished we had syrup for the toast-"

"No, this is fine," Liby implored, assuring the kind woman the breakfast was as good as it was. "It's perfect is what it is!"

"I'll say!" Lacy placed the bacon pieces over the toast and began eating away like a wild animal to a carcass. "Mmmm!"

"She likes it," Lupa shared. "It must be good, thank you."

Lacy was halfway done with her breakfast by the time Lupa and Liby touched theirs; they were the slower, natural ones here. Bite by bite, one swallow at a time. It wasn't much, but it was delicious for what it was. Five minutes later, some drink, they called it horchate or something, had come in plastic, small cups. It looked like milk but the taste was nothing like milk, and neither three girls could describe the taste. At all. Lacy burped the minute she devoured all on her plate- and had the piggish audacity to look upon the plates of her sisters and glaze in desire. She was about to ask, but Lupa took her head from her plate and said, "No," just like that. Surely made Lacy frown.

"Here..." Liby slid her plate to Lacy, of which the bacon strips were still intact. "You can have these."

"Far out!" Lacy grinned. "I love you!"

Liby took a free glance around the halll and spotted Alex and Liberty sitting together on a table at the far left. They were facing the entire hall from where they sat, but were digging into their own breakfasts, mindful of their food. "Hey..." Liby signaled her sisters towards the direction of the two. "Not-Lucy, we've been told that you came with that girl. Do you know her?"

Lupa took a look at Liberty, but shook her head. "Barely. Yeah, we were both picked up by that other one next to her, that Alex chick. She found her before she found me... At least that's what they've told me, but-"

Liby then made a connection the more she stared at them. "They look like each other... The hair, the face features- Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"Alex..." Lupa ran a finger down on the table and scratched against the wood. "Liberty..."

"Wait a second..." Liby narrowed her green eyes at Alex. "That face- I thought it was just me but... Tell me, who does Alex remind you of? Who does she bear uncanny resemblance to?"

Lacy chugged the last of her horchata- and she spit it back out when it connected her mind, spraying about like a mist. "Ronnie Anne!"

"What, that girl Lincoln dated back fucking then?" Lupa blew her lips, feeling they were being ridiculous. "There is no way, the odds are too-" Lupa looked at Liberty again. -...F-fucking-" Her eyes widened. "...You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Lincoln and Ronnie Anne got together and had twins!" Liby concluded.

Behind the trio, Lissandra and Bethany watched them. The blonde southerner had herself a laugh and covered her mouth. "Ohmalooooo-"

"What are they saying?" Bethany wished she had Lissandra's super-hearing.

"Liberty just had to sit next to Alex," Lizy wheezed. "The tall girl there got wise. She just said the name of Alex's mother. She thinks they're twins."

"Wow..." The Asian teenager shared a chuckle with Lizy. "What a clingy albino."

"Don't see how Liberty is beneficial to the Primers," Lizy pondered in retort. "Alex isn't even in the top three, so why... What is Blood's agenda with her?"

"I'm sure he has plans for her, does it matter?" Lizy took another bite from the toast in hand. "This ain't half bad."

Alex left her platter and left from the table, leaving Liberty alone. She went over to Lizy and Bed while Liby kept her eyes on Liberty. "Hey, ladies-"

"You idiot," Lizy scolded, bopping her on her nose. "I've been eavesdropping on the clones, and they already suspect who your parents are!"

"What? What?!" Alex grew alarmed. "That couldn't be, they..." She zipped up and gave it the critical thought; not, it was in the range of possibility, Lincoln had introduced her mother to his sisters all those years ago. The memories of these three clones were burned with the young face of one Ronnie Anne Santiago. And putting Liberty right next to her- "Shit!"

"You dimwits are compromised, take off now."

"We can't..." Alex denied. "He gave us a list of specific individuals to bring back. We've dealt with the easier bunch now, but... I know he didn't tell you but, among these names..."

**Freight Base**

_"...Is Lincoln Loud."_

They were all silent when he made his entrance. They stood back, moving away from him as he entered the floor. Chandler was there. Cristina was there. Dana Hall. Rebekka Letenko without any baby. Fiona. And-

Lori was barely alive when she saw Lincoln. Her body seemed to be malnourished at most, her skin paler than any ghost he'd ever seen on the television. Why, it wasn't Lori but the corpse in a weaker shape of her, moving and strolling through the crowd cut in two. She was this way because she had been doing a series of drugs. Her mind was barely alive when he found her, and he suspected she was as she was now because of him. To her, he had gone missing for a total of four years. Wasn't true, her Lincoln was kidnapped and prevented from bombing the Freights. Lori and the rest didn't need to know, but here was a Lincoln. Granted, there was an age difference that made him older.

_Jesus fucking Christ, I'm thirty-nine... _Lincoln stopped and held out his hand to greet the frail Lori. "Big sister-" It felt too odd to say that. Strange. False. "You're-"

"Y-y-you bastard..." Lori moaned it out like some ghost, her eyes barely opened now that he noticed it. "Four years... Four years-" She lost balance and fell at his feet. Still, not a single soul apart from them uttered any word. "Left me alone-"

Lincoln bent down to help her up- and then noticed the row of cuts on her arms. Suicide-motivated. He pulled up both sleeves of the dark gray sweater on her and his mouth went open. "What the fuck is this? Lori, no-"

"You were gone..." Lori let escape. "Miserable bastard, I thought I made some mistake-"

Finally, Cristina the redhead stepped in. "You've gotta be the worst brother in the world. You broke her heart when you upped and left. She blamed herself, we don't know what or why or what the fuck, but Lori just..." She shook her head and shot daggers at him.

Chandler and Dana closed in on him and put themselves in between him and Lori. "Thinking you should just fuck off, you're not welcome here."

_Wait... Why did I come here? _Lincoln kept his eyes on Lori. _What was my reason-? _"I'm not leaving here without her," Lincoln protested. "Hand her to me or-"

"Or what?" Rebekka tucked her hands in pockets, eyebrow raised. "Threaten us, big boy?"

"Get out of my way..." Lincoln reached for the gun on his back. "Or die."

"Lincy..." Lori let out. "Don't kill anyone! I'll- I'll go w-willingly..." Her hands stretched out to strike against Chandler and Dana. "No death in my name, no death- No death!"

Lincoln's hand froze behind. After a few seconds of off-putting paranoia, Chandler and Dana moved away from Lori, allowing Lincoln to take her. He lifted her with both arms and took her away from this awful place. A hotspot of hell. Devil's playground. A gas chamber that killed the morals and innocence of American teenagers mostly. Lost and damned.

He said nothing to them in the end, when, long ago he had settled on burying them with their own toys and blueprints and ideologies. He stopped keeping up with them because they had never stopped. They had never been caught, his guess was that the system needed people like the Freights. One of the Lincolns whom he met had found out the truth and it had never passed onto him. It wouldn't have matter, he guessed. Not anymore.

"Was- Was this your plan all along?" Lori tried to run her nails along his throat desperately. "You planned this- You knew I'd lose my sense of-" She closed her eyes, sniveling hard. "K-kill me... Just kill me, Lincy."

"I'm here to rescue you, Lori," Lincoln explained. "Didn't plan anything, but I decided I... I might have missed you."

_No, that wasn't it. That wasn't it at all. I've carried some guilt over from that day where-_

Lincoln walked down the building, coming across Alejandra Santiago and her crew of three others. Yeah, he recognized her and said nothing. Liberty raised her arm with the silver watch, and it emitted a bright light that made him squint his blue eyes.

_-Chloe Binsley died. I fell in love, or whatever the true term is here, with girls aplenty. In the end, it came down to me thinking about Chloe more than the others. It isn't because she was my recent fling, but because... She might have been the furthest from me. _

**Grimmtown, Mexico**

Lincoln set Lori down on the bed of a house on the fourth street over, doing so carefully. "You don't need to suffer anymore... I'm here, big sister. I'm here and I want to say that I'm sorry."

"Fuck you-" Lori slapped at him weakly. "Kill me, Lincy. Stab me, suffocate me- anything... It hurts so much-"

Lincoln went down to his knees and grabbed Lori's bony hand, connecting it tightly and putting it over her chest. "Lore-"

Alex entered the room and presented to Lincoln a needle with a special substance in it, ready for injection. "Hey, she's gonna need this."

"What the hell is in this?" Lincoln eyed the needle suspiciously.

"The only thing that can help her," Alex vaguely answered. "Do it now or you can kill her as she so desires, but the choice is yours." She set it over Lori, leaving Lincoln to take the decision. "Trust me, if I wanted her dead and gone, I wouldn't need to speed it up with a needle of death."

Lincoln wound up believing her and grabbed the thing. "What could this liquid do that I can't?"

"All the good shit, man"" Alex promised. "All the good shit."

Lincoln made his choice and poked the needle into the side of Lori's arm. "For your own good, big sister."

"OW, THAT'S COLD!"

"Good." He stood back up and took away the needle after he injected her with the special fluid. "You rest now."

"She'll be fine now," Alex assured platonically. "Sorry, didn't get to introduce myself-" _Your skin reeks so much, I don't ever want to touch you- yet I have to. _

Lincoln shook her hand when Alex lifted it out. "Hi, thanks for your help." _Horseshit, we've met before- Well, is this the same one I've met before? She doesn't seem to remember me- Unless this is some act... Oh, how can I tell without alerting her? ...Does she know it's that me she met before? TIME TRAVEL IS CRAZY!_

"I'm Alejandra... Nopales-"

"Jerry Cruise, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Nice name." _Interesting..._

"I'm guessing you're in the business of picking up phenos?" He walked outside and she followed close behind. "Where is this place anyway? Don't care about the what, just wanna know... Are we in Texas?"

"Mexico," Alex replied.

_So, she lied about her name this time... Or maybe she's being truthful this time. Everything but her name and connection to me is a lie. _

Alex pointed down the streets. "These fine people are phenos in search of a new life after everything that happened up in the states. New life, fresh start, no worrying over being captured by their own fellow American."

"Peace being preserved here?"

"Not a single fight, no."

"Well, Nopales, I'm not sure about a streak, but I can't say much now. Thanks for-" He froze in place. "Bringing me here..."

Liberty, Bethany and Lissandra were close by, watching Lincoln from the corners of the tiny edifices around. He could feel it, he could sense the many eyes on him as it was, and they picked at his hair and made them stand in alarm. He wasn't here just to take care of Lori as he thought; someone with an ulterior motive had willed it without a second thought. Lincoln was not here to be part of the so-called illusion of peace. _Couldn't you just feel the silent hostility in the atmosphere? I did, and it was just as cold as a normal winter morning. I have a funny feeling right now..._

"Don't thank me just yet," Alex brushed off. "Do hope you stay around long enough for you to see... Just how important you really are."

Lincoln made a grab for the gun tucked behind- and the piece was gone. No shooty-shooty. "Huh?"

"Your gun's been disposed of, you needn't worry about anyone here."

"I'm not worried about this town's phenos," the albino grunted. "You're the one here being a person of interest, Nopales... Or, would you prefer Alejandra Santiago instead?"

Alex gasped heavily. "No way, you're that Lincoln Loud?!"

Liberty, Bethany and Lissandra knew their cue and circled around Lincoln. "And I see the other girl is here too," he meant Liberty. "Nice to see you two aren't at each other's throats like last time."

"Yes, you used time travel to escape, but..." Alex grew closer just as her pack did. "I couldn't go after you, none of us could, but I have to ask, I want to know!"

"Curious?"

"What was it that you changed?" Alex raised a hand and held it to her chest. "I've been told it was beneficial, but I did not think I would be running into the same you, the very same Lincoln I've first met."

"Changed?" Lincoln laughed and shook his head. "I fixed a mistake I've made, that's all that it is. This timeline here as you see it... It is the one more aligned to the written one, don't you know? We all stand in the destined timeline. Do not tell yourself I altered the timeline, because that would not be true."

"You-" Alex pointed right at him like an enemy. "You are so lucky you're needed alive. You see, we're not here to harm you, but to make sure you're safe and sound. You ought to have known that was the point, my goal when we first met, and now the timer has still extended. Well, it's more extra credit for me if we're being technical, but you are preferred alive. However..." Alex walked around Lincoln. "I have a theory..."

Lincoln followed her steps. "Oh?"

"You're the Plus One here, you're not this timeline's Lincoln..."

_What a wise headache... _"Okay, I'll humor you. Let's say there were two of me- Where could the other have been? Where is he now?"

Alex stopped right as she reached Lissandra, then leaned on her and faced away. "Knowing you, that one must be dead, or maybe a hostage somewhere in a hole, the poor bastard. I do have a a Question only I can answer. Lissandra-" Alex turned and spun the blonde to face her. "Claw my neck!"

"What?" Alex raised Lizy's hand up and shook. "Are you crazy?"

"We're going to test something! Do it!"

Lizy hesitated momentarily, but her fingers grew those sharp triangle nails again, and she swung once and scratched at Alex's neck. In seconds, three deep lines of red appeared, and it was enough to make Alex choke for it. Her hands tried to cup on the neck. Bethany pushed Lizy out of the way and helped Alex to the ground. Liberty's face drained of color, her eyes and mouth terribly wide in pure horror. Then-

Alex took her hands off her neck, the three wounds then shrinking- healing- like nothing had happened. Lizy and Bed gave each other surprised looks, unable to comprehend this. "No, it can't be-"

"Alex, what fucking gives?!" Lizy rasped in her hick accent. "You- We thought-"

"Test, test-" Alex had no trouble speaking. "Oh! It seems I really am right after all!"

"C-could you explain?!"

Even Lincoln Loud had been mesmerized silly by Alex's discovery. "You really risked your life, such confidence can get you dead."

"But not here, not in this case..." Alex formed a curvy smile and laughed nervously, almost as she had snapped. "There are two of you, that was one half of my guess, and the second half-"

Lincoln's hands became fists without him knowing.

"-You're the one who's the pheno, but the other one isn't, and that only means-" She shot him a dirty, deviant look that paved way from her stupidly-crazy look. _You're the man who will get mother pregnant!_

And then, Lori cut in, breaking right through the door, having met up with Lincoln, Alex and the other girls. No longer was she a chain of white bony limbs, nor were the bags under her eyes visible anymore. She looked more lifelike, her entire hair blowing with the wind. Her skin was back to its Orange tone. And what was more, Lori had emerged right out of bed a superhuman, the same brand as Lincoln. "I literally hope I didn't miss anything!"


	70. Chapter 70

**July 28th, 2030**

Lyra had herself another shot at coming into Loanne Wardell's room and getting a killer-ass autograph. The woman was an actress before her time- time period- the world where she was dead as were the A-listers and John Travolta. Instead of barging into the hospital room like the first time, Lyra had used her zoom powers and phased through without anyone noticing. Godsend all around!

The Laude girl from the future had coughed to make her presence known and smiled damned silly when Loanne opened her eyes and looked up to see the strange teenager in a purple jacket and tight blue jeans look up at her. "G-good morning-"

"Oh-" Loanne had not yet prepared for this stage in her life. The blonde had seen better days and this morning in late July was not one of them. Her hair was messy and undone and she gave a rather generic smell from being here long enough. She supposed she was here because she loved being here but that was a lie. The Chester Flanagan ordeal had broken her left arm- broken or did they say dislocated? Shit, she didn't pay attention in transit. The uttering of his name had stunned her, put her back in that visionary hell. Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Scary, gruesome edgefest that could maybe rival one of the Rambo movies, or maybe something from the foreign cinema. Come on, go toe-to-toe with the dark ones. Joker. Parasite. That new one, The Color Of Suicide- oh yeah, that one was a good one. "Uh, how- How did you get past my security?"

"Security?" Lyra formed the act and pointed her thumb and threw it over her shoulder. "Didn't see anyone there."

"Wow, I must be small-time for them to remotely care..." Loanne sighed, taking injury. "I'm not even gonna ask how you found me, I'm sure there are leaks or peepers out there-" Loanne eyed the window. "Yeah, they don't even bother closing it. Truth be told, I have a fear of scarecrow, they could jump in and take me away!" When she laughed, Lyra laughed back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude- Or to stalk, I wasn't stalking-"

Loanne waved a hand to hush Lyra. "You don't look like one, but since you're here, I suppose you want an autograph-" And she then noticed Lyra's purple diary and then cocked an eyebrow. "Then again..."

"Uh, okay so maybe I did know you'd be here-"

Loanne had ceased her laughing, not smiling at Lyra. "A diary? Really, miss?"

"Uh- It's Lyra, Lyra Laude-" The brunette with long hair and two bangs running down on either side of her face leaned closer to offer her hand. Loanne did wind up shaking but slowly. "I don't know, I was just so- I mean, I wanted a wider autograph-"

"Okay, okay," Loanne went, extending her hands out. "Gimme, and I'm sure you brought a PE"

"A pe-" Lyra froze and dripped sweat. _I KNEW I FORGOT SOMETHING._

"Really?" Loanne found humor again. "All of that work you've put into just to tell me you forgot a pen?"

"Nobody's perfect, ugh!"

"You're funny, Lyra," Loanne giggled. "I'll give you that."

Lyra sighed, embarrssed heavily- and in front of one of her favorite actresses of old. Loanne took the diary regardless and peered at it. "Sorry-"

"No, don't do that, I can see that you really wanted an autograph, nothing else from me," Loanne smiled with her teeth in tow. "You're simple, Lyra, would do us both best if you stay that way. Just be prepared better next time, okay?"

"Yes, I will."

"I can give you something better than a signature." Loanne pointed to the counter. "Get my phone, just disconnect it from the charger. I'll cement your status as a good girl forever! Pose for the camera!"

Loanne snapped a selfie of herself and of Lyra, both of them smiling their best grins. Lyra was touching Loanne's face with hers- Warm! Lyra would not wash her face for a week or so, but she thanked Loanne and raced out the door- and the two guards were there when Lyra had lied. "SEEYASUCKERS!"

"Let her go!" Loanne ordered them. "She was harmless... Shut the door."

"Ma'am," they both said, one of them closing the door.

_What a nice, but wild girl, _she thought calmly, her phone resting face down on her chest. _Good morning, world. _

* * *

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter IV: What She'll Be Missing**

* * *

She wasn't planning to sleep again. Nap, later perhaps but not around now. To spare her from the faces of the death and the dead. For starters, Chester was still plaguing her mind, chasing after her, running into her dreams. Damned was his soul but what did that mean when he had left his bloody insignia in the discomfort of her mind? She twitched and turned and twisted in bed, trapped in those cycles of great horror. Chester stabbing Jen on repeat- It was not only in a loop, Chester stabbed her multiple times in those dreams- No, they weren't dreams, they were nightmares and she hated to even shut her eyes, see the dark and them again. It was for a second, less even, and yet.

Blink. Jen. Blink. Chester. Blink.

Someone screaming, always. Loanne brought her attention to the sun. It came again, another easier day. This day, where she wouldn't be bothered by her agents or the director of that new movie she was filming with the girlfriend. If she had the power to cancel it...

Knowing them, it was delayed, they thought of the money and not of the actors'/actress' well-being. Money, stupid, greedy company. Loanne laughed and then shielded her eyes after a minute or so of looking out the window. The dawn phase had already gone away, now the rest of the day was there. Just outside of this medium room, the world went on. Mroning traffic, pet owners walking their dogs, and other studios filling up with crew members galore- no telling which one of them was another Chester lying in wait. Maybe in reverse; a female one creeping up on a handsome actor. The thought had made her filthy, feel filthy.

And then, it made her feel goddamned angry. And that's where the shadow crept up ever so slowly... It first stretched out like a blanket over the wall at the opposite end. She had taken notice because it was simply too wide to ignore. She knew it was rather strange but at first glance, it might have been nothing. Could have been just that, if not for the raspy, chilly voice that then rocked her world. "Loooooooanne... My raaaaaaging daaarling..."

Not of a man's normal voice, but of some demonic entity, an unwanted presence of a place unfamiliar to humans. The shadow sank back over the ceiling, ceasing its expansion process. Loanne shot her eyes up- and the being's pair of eyes looked back at her, down on her. The shape of those eyes were not the round human eyes, but they took the shape of that of obtuse- no, rhombus- eyes. They were white and deadly already, before she got herself the spooks and became entranced in them. _I'm going crazy, I'm hearing voices-_

The head of the dark demon stretched out from the ceiling, mouth forming a dastardly, unsettling smile. Where there should have been teeth was replaced by rows of narrow sticks- they looked like rusty nails sticking out of some plank- looking rather sharp at the tip. Oh how she wished she would never come to feel those jaws or anything similar. She stood still in bed, never looking away from the descending head. She dare not move for it, even when it had opened its mouth wide, emitting an inhuman snarl. _Why me? Why not... Someone else?_

It touched her face with its cold hands, freezing, gray hands with black, long nails of death. It closed its mouth and sank back to the ceiling, disappearing. "Wiiiiiill you be my mooooother?"

Loanne blinked, and it was gone just like that. She blinked again. And it was back, this time it showed itself in full. A humanoid demon with all the right features. "Will you?"

Loanne gasped and spread her lips apart. "What are you?" was all she had to say in a staggering sentence. "Are you even real?" Then, she laughed. "Of course not, it's impossible."

"It is a pleeeeeasure to meeeeet you," the illusion said, opening its mouth once more and released its tongue, a long, wet snake of pink-red skin, squirming down to lick her left ear. For some cheap mind trick that played, Loanne could really feel the tongue lick at her. It made her head jerk away from the tongue, to the side. She squinted her eyes and hissed. "Stop!"

"Nyarghhhhhhh." It pulled its tongue back, and with it, a speck of ear wax with it. "Oh, mooooother, how troubled- How trawwwwwwbuld you areeee.."

"You aren't real... Are you?" Loanne's hands now trembled. "You are-"

"I'm real enough... For you!" the insidious demon hoarsely said. "Be not alarmed, I do not- I so nooooot want to kill you... I want you to kill-"

Her eyes winced with the demon's intentions.

"-for me."

_God, I'm- I'm shaking! I'm too scared to move or scream! I've seen how it goes in movies, I make a run or cry for help, I'm dead already. Holy fuck Jesus- Dear Christ, what did I do to deserve this? I- I've only ever sinned you by coming out as bisexual- _

Her mind raced to Chester's face again. That man, a sort of devil in human skin with a mission to cleanse the world of- Wait, girls like her? Was that all he had bedn doing before he met her? Loanne had not even once looked upon the entire camera crew like people- They were workers moving the technology this way and that, getting the right angles and being told what, where and how. Nothing more. But that was only true in the world of filmmaking. Loanne had never looked beyond that, there just was enough time-

Blink.

_Why am I being punished again? I... I only want to live. I did no wrong, and neither did my..._

Jen was still dead.

_Why not me? Why you? Why did you-? _

Loanne was now shaking completely, dreading the next few minutes. It stated it didn't want to kill her, but for her to do the killing?! What sort of monster would speak a request upon a human so easily? "Me, k-kill-?"

"I craaaaave for sin, Loaaaaanne! Feeeeed your anger, fuuuuel your raaaaage, aveeeenge her!"

Loanne tended to disagree. "I will not- I will not become the animal he was!"

Things turn a weirder turn of events for her; the cold hands grabbed her jaws and spread them apart. The demon, of a skull, gray face now that she had begun to notice when it was that close, peered into the darkness of her throat and then took a smoky, evaporate form. It went inside of her as if she had become a vacuum and sucked it all in. The hands had still kept on her jaws by force until there was nothing left but these icy hands. Then, they doubled back by flipping over into her mouth and turned into the gray smoke, following the procedure. Loanne clanked her teeth shut hard, hurting and stinging them a bit. She then tried to cough up the creature out of her in an act of desperation, but she had no such luck. Her body gave her no trouble, but she repeated the process and smacked a hand against her chest, sitting upright in pure discomfort. "Get out of me... Get out of me!"

And then, the burning inside of her stomach kicked in, flared up. It was the thing at work. _This is your rage that you are trying to lock up. You need not chain your feelings. Deny your Terrethian nature not, my mother! You are to be angry! You are to seek some abominable retribution! You have seen the horrors of his way, the consequences of his actions! Be not a bystander again and walk away like it never happened! Get out, take initiative and rename yourself. Rebirth yourself. You will never be alone again. _

It gave her an encouraging speech- A little on the edgier, darker side, but it talked to her like someone who needed to be pushed to make a move. Maybe it was right or maybe it was wrong, but in this state, what could Loanne Wardell have possibly done to get... Yeah, the creature was crying for justice but- "I don't get it..." Loanne grabbed her phone and stared at herself in the blank reflection of the screen. "He's dead, it's over. I can do nothing but move on with my life."

_This is your anger, and you dare lie to me-_

"Yes, I feel it but it is beneath me!" Loanne barked back, feeling awkward and embarrassed to have to answer to a voice to her head. "I'm allowed to be angry but I will not... Do anything regrettable, I'm better than that! I am..."

Silence. Blinked again.

"Back then, I couldn't actually do it, I could not hurt him that it was fatal. Could have done anything else but, when it came right down it, if it wasn't for my Jenny-" Loanne sighed and knew it. "I can't do it, I could never do it. Anyone should depend on me and I think I'd let them down, fail them when it comes to that. Right now, I just want to live-"

_This is no way to live. You may never get another chance to redeem yourself, your cowardice-_

"Cowardice?" Loanne ran a finger across her arm. "Is it cowardice to not want to take someone's life whent they're trying to kill you? No, I- My morality is intact, it's always been that way as long as I can remember."

_You got lucky once, but will you be again?_

"If I'm lucky, it will never happen again," Loanne reasoned. "If I'm lucky-"

_This big ball of dirt is just a cesspit of conflict and violence, girl. I should know, I've..._

"What even are you anyway?" Loanne looked into her palm. "You're like a shadowy demon... A shadow demon, that's what you are. That's what you look like to me."

The burning sensation in her system had subsided but her body didn't move much. The demon stayed around, possibly flowing through her good veins. Whatever it was really doing, she did not wish to ask. _Shadow demon... I like that, I like that a looooooot._

"Of anyone you could have bothered, why-?"

_You? Oh, the simple, reasonable answer to that it, I was drawn in by you. I smelled, and I smelled, and I smelled a nice odor coming from here, from youuuuu- And I liked it! I like it and I like youuuuuu..._

"Smell-?" Loanne didn't take too long to realize the shadow demon referred to not an actual smell, but maybe her aura- or something she was radiating, some force that was not seen or detected by human senses. "Did- Did my anger draw you in? Was that it?"

_The smell burns mine skull nostrils, but I love it- I love you._

"Creepy..."

_There are of those out there similar to the man you have encountered. You are a survivor, but will telling the story suffice? Surely not when you have me, the ticket to greater power._

"You? Greater power?" Loanne was about to let out a dry snicker when her entire skin was engulfed with a cold liquid running under her clothes and the sheets over her. It coated her body in a layer of darkness- it was the thing at work, possessing her body for control. "S-stop!"

_This is what I can offer youuuuuu... _It moved, and she moved. It got up, she got up. It undid the covers and had her move up on her feet, disconnecting the wires on her. The monitor flatlined and filled the room with its irritable sound. Loanne's hands came up to her, but these hands were dark, longer and deadlier. It was the shadow demon's own hands on her. She understood it, she was wearing it while it was wearing her, controlling her.

Loanne wiggled her fingers as it willed for her. Claws for fingernails. Strong arms over her own. "I've seen the Venom movie, and this is exactly like it. Wait, are you some lab experiment? Or alien?"

_Do you want to embark on this crusade?_

Loanne lowered her hands- she didn't, but she thought she did. "You're asking me to partake on some-" She knew what it wanted. "No, I'm not a monster. Find someone else-"

_Only you would understand it... Plenty of Chesters and only one Loanne Wardell. I chose you because I felt it, I felt a dark presence in you and nobody else._

Loanne looked back to her bed. "Dark, huh? I'm not troubled-"

_I think you are..._

Loanne paused.

_You can make a difference... Leave the world you know and say goodbye to it._

"You just might have been right," she finally agreed. "Actually, you might be right even now... I'm an abomination, I didn't do my best to-" Her hand did a trick of its own and swung and ripped her pillow into pieces. Not half but shred it up messily. "I didn't do my best."

_You'll live and you'll learn" yes! Yeeees you will! Yes you will, mother! I believe and love you!_

"Maybe you might be in my head, and I am losing my marbles..." Loanne walked to the window. "It's a sunny day and I'm dead. I don't think I can stay... I don't wanna, not anymore."

_Say it!_

Blink. Jen again.

_You and I have a date with destiny!_

Blinked again. Chester and his devilish smile. He was guttin' for all of the bisexual girls, that one.

_Kill them all! Feed your anger and kill all the monsters of human and inhuman flesh! In this world, there are more than one species, but... We all want thing! Don't we? We all want-_

"To spill blood like the primitive animals we are..." And Loanne had never stopped staring at her reflection in the window. Still the same face of the same girl she saw every morning, only now there was a layer of gray skin over the normal orange tone. "Maybe, just maybe..."

She nodded to accept.

"I am one after all."

* * *

**AN: Wow, this makes seventy chapters but I find no reason to celebrate this milestone just yet. Maybe when we get to the full hundred, and that's a certainty, I'll throw my hands into the air for one second. What a long journey this has been... But alas, I walk alone. **


	71. Chapter 71

Lori leaned against the support beam and looked into the street. Its floor of dust and dirt, and the rest of the lined-up abodes steady in place. She could have never pictured this type of scenery before. In her own years when she was growing up, she saw a suburban neighborhood in her future. She married into a rich family, nice husband whom she'd give three kids. Maybe it was Bobby, maybe it wasn't in the end, but it was always someone lucky. A man of no face. He'd pull into the driveway of the colorful house and be welcomed by her, the trophy wife, and their three kids. But Lori blinked now and again, knowing what reality was and how it separated from her would-be fantasy. Whether or not it would have been was another question to be asked. Thanks, gods of fire, you really did them all dirty. She never looked that reader, even when she had been laughing and stretching her body not too long ago. Life did that to her, broke her again. It was as if her mind-

Lori needed more than just a pheno serum, but Lincoln and Alex did all they could for this. For her.

Lincoln, on the other hand, was at the other end of the porch, staring blankly at her. In truth, he was waiting for her to say something. Dialogue was lost on him, what could he say to her? What could he-

"Darcy's dead," Lori revealed, not looking his way. She said it, soul lacking from place. No hint of emotion of grief. He bet there was, but gathering it now, Darcy had been dead so long that they no longer mourned. It hit him hard. "She got knifed hard sometime after you left."

And he realized it back then that he hadn't spotted her among the other Freights. He felt to have been disrespected her good memory. "Knifed? What-?" Lincoln had taken Darcy's ticket to a limited godhood, killed her by not making her invulnerable to simple attacks. Lincoln found himself suddenly mourning when he would never have, for anyone. But Darcy was Darcy, the youngest girl of the bunch. "You're kidding me, right? She can't be-"

"But she is..." Lori then turned to him as if to appoint the blame. "I thought you should know, considering the last time she went out was with you."

His blue eyed went down. "Yeah..."

"That's- that's all you have to say?" Lori grew disgusted, face acting as if she smelled some rancid three-day-old puke, then she switched over to a hopeless reading on it. "No, wait, that's to be expected from you. You are that much of a piece of shit, Lincy."

"Nice to see you again, big sister," he rolled from the tongue.

"Really?" Lori motorboated her lips. "Wow, you really aren't going to commemorate her or-"

"What do you want me to say?" Lincoln retorted back, having enough of her mouthy Lois Lane attitude. "I could say anything here, maybe everything right down to a tee, but I'm no idiot. It would do nothing because she's already gone- and... Maybe it's better for her to have her eternal rest. Why would she throw her life with the Freights?"

"Hey- Hey, those were my-" Lori was rendered mute when he shot a deathly glare back at her. This such glare, the one where he was about to unload unto her what was and what should have never been. His stone-cold face had made her uneasy to look anywhere but him. "So, why did you come for me so last-minute?"

"Uh-" Lincoln snorted out through his nose. "Yeah, I should have just left you there."

"Given that you've forgotten me, left me to die without any of my siblings..." Lori put a hand to her chest. "Not a day goes by where I don't think about them, and... Leni. I really miss Leni, you know? Her and the others, but I can't really feel anymore. It's like-"

"You've exhausted yourself on feelings?"

"Yeah, that sounds like it," Lori heavily nodded to it. "Must be it, it... It's the most horrible feeling in the world, and you... You do know it, don't you?" She formed a happy smile as if she had received some happy news, or discovered some oil under her feet, making her rich. That haply grin where she loved everything again. "You do... You understand me, that's why I'm here, isn't it? You needed me, you wanted me, and now we can be together at the end of this cruel world."

She crawled to him on all fours, him never budging from place. She was a nice doll of a woman. Perfect hips, thick legs, and a nice set of blonde hair that was half-scruffled, half-straight, a mess she didn't tend to, she didn't try and comb with her plain fingers. "Lincy..." she beckoned, her voice going soft and warmly. She wanted something from him, and when she had met right next to him, she grabbed his shoulder with both hands and leaned on him. "You're a huge fucking asshole, but you came for me so that has to mean something, right?"

"Yes, it does-" Lincoln was disrupted by her pressing a hand on his face to kiss him. Not on the cheek but on his lips. Soft and tender, her eyes closed. He shut his as well and let her shove her mouth into his. He gave into that temptation and soon found himself to kiss her right back, but his mind had developed no thought about it, about how feral and gross this incest play was. Out of many worse things they've ever done, this wasn't so bad. This sibling tonguing wasn't so bad.

At the south end of this street, the third one at that, Alex, Bed, Lizy and Liberty were sat down, leaning against one of the storage shacks. Alex and Liberty were on the side looking into the street, and Bed and Lizy were leaning pointed northways, but they were obstructed by a house in front of them in view. Only Alex had been watching them the whole way while the other three girls had then lost interest. She saw that thing she had earlier before, mere days ago when she was here- This year, on the other timeline- and saw him put his lips on her. Oh yes, Alex knew their relation to each other and regarded this as abomination and complete mockery. She called it mockery her own way given the circumstances and the life story left on her by Lincoln.

Life story; he fucked off for some reason and left one Ronnie Anne pregnant and vulnerable. That brought Alex here, hating him. Of course, Alex had an uncle... But she knew how that went and she hated it. It, them, it came all from them. Alex saw him and knew that, moving forward, he would be bumping into mom again and they'd do the no-no and he'd go away. Pretend it didn't happen. It angered and hurt the girl of two races just the same.

"So you're a pheno," Lizy's Southern accent sprung at her, "I wanna know, how does it feel?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Alex let out, eyes still on the two Louds.

"Wait, then..." Liberty looked up and finally got her end of the equation. "Does that mean I'm-?"

* * *

Lizy pushed Liberty into the wall and jammed her claws into the latter's shoulder. Liberty did howl in utmost pain, leaving Lizy to pull out and lick the fresh blood from her fingers. Might fine tasty, this human was. Liberty hissed and cupped her mouth to muffle her high-pitch cries. She did, and it only stopped when the three gores made from Lizy closed up, leaving only a trio of blood lines running down. Lizy lost control and ran her tongue out against Liberty's shoulder to lick at them all sloppily, and then kissed Liberty's cheek to compensate her unnatural act. "Mwuah!"

"Oh, joy!" Liberty had looked down and cracked a smile. "That's awesome! Wait, but you were able to hurt me... So, what am I invulnerable to?"

"We must be the same as him," Alex suggested. "Normal bullets can't harm us if that's the case-"

"Wrong," Bethany shared, index finger raised at her. "You're comparing yourself to him in exact. Okay, yes, we do know that you two possess phenogenes, hereditary, but how can you be certain it's a hundred percent? Why could it not be less than you say?"

Alex rubbed her chin and actually wondered it from Bed's stance. "Oh, I see what you mean, you're saying I've got his abilities to some degree because of genetics. Right, it wouldn't be pure, I'm of mixed cells from them. Then-"

"You might be half as strong as him or maybe a third-" Bed concluded. "But the only person who really knows is the Prime Supreme, and I doubt he would share that to you, it's all classified and there are files that even us Primers can't access."

"So..." Alex looked down to her feet. "He knew we would both be-"

"Yeah, even he would keep secrets, that much was given." Bethany planted her hand on Alex and had her meet contact with her eyes. "From where I'm standing, the both of you- No, you two, and you, Lizy- You're all lucky to be phenos. You know I'm not one, but I can get by with what I've got, what he offers me. It is an honor to be working with you and the commander."

"Did- Did she really-?"

"Way to show initiative, sport," Lizy giggled. "Tell you what, Alex and clone. I-" there was some sarcasm in her voice, or maybe she was trying to brush it off as comical, "-Thought of nothing but to hate you. I mean, you-" she touched Alex by the nose and flicked it with fun, "-Are of blood Loud, so my first instinct is to hate you and your guts. I could not forgive what the other reptile bitch did to me, I could not forgive them all for being, simply for being."

Liberty stood behind Alex, suddenly cowering from Lizy.

"Maybe I've been too hard on you, maybe I've been a bitch here, at first-" Lizy's smile flipped on itself. "I guess this is the reason he put us four together. He was able to sniff our pettiness and intended us to be wise, to be the team he wanted us to be. The fact that he entrusted you, Liberty, that means he favors you more for some reason. A clone and not the rest of us _humans._ I find it funny and disgraceful. We worked hard to be here, trained with the elite soldiers of the Prime Federation, went on scouting missions. Hell, it was even me, Bed and the commander who went chasing the Domicile's zoomer scouts. Where the fuck were you when we got here the right way? The long way?"

"Lissandra!" Bethany grabbed both of her blonde teammate's arms from behind. "I know where you're going with this."

"Maybe that's why he cloned me and not you," Alex threw back to defend Liberty. "You're a pubk bitch with attitude."

"DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN!" Lizy went for a running start but Bethany held her back tightly. "LEMME GO! THIS HALF-BEANER FUCK IS DUE A FULL 'MURICA LESS'N!"

"Calm down, Lissandra," Bethany tried to ease. "Don't make a scene here."

"I'll be the better Primer and not feed you what you want," Alex scoffed, grabbing Liberty's hand and taking off.

"IF YOU ASK ME, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR SISTER!"

And it was this that made Alex go back to the pit with Lizy. She climbed out of it but these tugs had become more stronger. Liberty moved forward and tugged on Alex. "No, don't do anything-" And Alex jerked it away, spun around and came galloping out with fist in hand. She let Lissandra have her knuckle sandwich, striking her head to the left. "Fuck you if you think that!"

"HIT ME AGAIN!" Lizy shrieked, still unable to liberate herself from Bed. She then thought to use her legs and kicked at the air hoping to land a hit. Alex had backed away by then, but she had been angered where it could possibly hurt her. "SHOW ME HOW UNWORTHY YOU ARE!"

"Lizy, that's enough!" Bed lifted a knee and pulled Lizy back with more force, winding up giving the blonde's back the full force of her knee strike. "Take this-"

"YEOW! BUTT OUT, BETH!"

"You're making a scene here!" Bethany never spared the details and proved both disputing girls, one minor and the other an adult, right. Some wandering Grimmtown residents were close by and observed. Wasn't just the random, but Lincoln and Lori had been eyeing the four with grand interest. "Honestly, if we're going to have this debate, I can wholeheartedly agree it should have been me. You two bark more often than not, regardless if it's at each other. Just... Jeez, make out already."

"I'M-" Lizy stopped jerking around, reinforcing the grip for Bed again. "You know what, fine! Fuck you, it's whatever."

Alex raised her fist at Lizy. "I haven't finished pounding it into you."

"Maybe some other time," Lizy promised. "This doesn't end here, I can promise you that."

"I'll be waiting, then," Alex accepted, staying as Bed and Lizy went away, Bed seemingly taking Lizy to have her swallow the chill pill. Then, Alex and Liberty went away but walking the opposite direction, and everyone else around no longer batted an eye. Questions would be asked later by those who would care of the safe haven's sanctity, but that was all.

Lincoln, holding Lori- she sat on his lap now- had not let out a comment until she did so first. Unto him, she asked, "What was all that about?"

And his quiet but firm response; "They're just like us, Lori. They fight and they make up and they live, they're just like us. Doesn't matter what their relation are to each other, they act just like us."

"Well, that's too philosophical, don't you think?"

"Maybe it is, big sister..."

She turned and rubbed her cheek on his face and leaned in for a kiss- it was a weird kiss that hadn't the full affection of a lover or sibling, but it had something to it, some power, a significant message she had to get out of her. No word could express it, and that was why she planted it. She was telling him she wanted something from him now; he could give it to her and he didn't fully have it at thid second. She knew he didn't have it wholly but he had _something,_ and she wanted that which he could supply. And for her, it was the same thing. She had a portion of that thing as well, and she could give it to him- and it occurred to her that in the end, an hour later from this moment, they had never had anything to give- and they gave it anyway. She got up and grabbed his aging hands to hoist him up. "Do you remember when you kissed me?"

"I do..."

"And how I-" Lori felt her hands loosen up after she had pulled him to his feet. "Well... You know what I did, I'm sure you-" Then, her eyes had looked down and they saddened, gleaming with that hurt that you'd get when you found out your best friend had spoke an ugly truth, or maybe when mother or father had disowned you after drugs. Take that, Nicky Cromwell. And for Leia Prescott, somewhere north in the states with her cronies, it came in the form of a burning van. Lynnette and Lyra Laude, a future that was no future at all. Poor Lemy the orphan. It was everywhere and you could have never seen that sadness because it was unable to be seen. It creeps up on you like a shadow formed when you moved towards the sun, shadow stretching out behind you forever. For Lori, it was just that. The shadow of her burdens, the unconstitutional role she played here. She, who drove him away- _Yes, I'm the one! I rejected his advances and I made him go away to a place I know not where. I- I blame me, myself. Never him. Never know. Never see through me, because I just may never accept it if it came from a second person not me._

"Lori?"

"Huh?" She snapped out of it; what demon got ahold of her just now? "Oh, sorry- I'm sorry..."

"I remember it still, I had you down and I made the first move-"

"And I pushed you away like trash..." Lori looked deep into his eyes. "It was weird, it was sudden... I don't know how to have felt about it. I mean, back then- I didn't know-"

He touched her, hand on her face. "And if I kissed you again?"

"We've just..." Lori stopped and then started to answer all over again. "I would let you... You wanted me because you saw me as the only one closest to you. You thought I could give you that different love, but I could not. Not back then, but..." She leaned in and kissed him again. "I- I think things are different now. Are they? Are they, Lincoln?"

"Believe me, they are..." Her hands felt rather nice, soft as a blanket that came back from the laundry, but firm and sincere like the cup of hot chocolate coming from mother's hand. He rubbed on her hands and liked how they felt under his fingertips for a change. "Lore-"

"Come inside, I want to be alone with you," she told him with gentle ease, but also some desperation in her eyes. _With you. _

"Alright," he swiftly nodded, letting her take him inside the house that had, surprisingly, not been taken by any other pheno around. Didn't matter, more structures were quickly going up around the clock.

* * *

They were naked, lumped over each other. Lori was on top of him and had her knees bent and spread away as she continued to thrust and ride her younger brother, taking in his big manhood inside of her, welcoming him into Her Kingdom. She was tight for him and he felt that, his own skin being tugged down and then back in place for the cycle. "Tell me-" she huffed, letting the squeamish of girl moans she could ever let out. He was so damn big, she didn't complain- not until he would rupture her and make her bleed. Sex wasn't so heart-racing by itself, ya know. "-when you're-"

Lincoln had hapoily inserted his hands on her body. He ran them down her back, he grabbed her neck- he slid down with two fingers rather slowly and seductively- and then felt her breasts. The flesh orbs with beautiful nipples he applied two fingers to for each and then pulled and twirled. She moaned more, embracing his touch, feeling the-

"-about to-" Lori kept up at her steady rate, leaning down every ten seconds to give him a sloppy kiss- not just in the mouth but also on his neck. She kissed and licked him and he said nothing. She noticed it too. He didn't seem to be in it. She gave him pussy and he wasn't in it. No, she was the one who jumped onto his erect penis and bounded up and down on it. "-cum."

Couldn't be disinterest; he was touching her, feeling the privacy of her body. She unlocked it all for him, one summer day in the middle of nowhere-xico. Her vagina was moist soon enough, dripping with sin and the love liquid that poured away and got on his penis. It surely showered the man's cock, but one-two-three, clean-up on aisle four! _What's wrong? Don't you want me? Don't you want my body- You're touching me but you're..._

She rode him slower and dropped herself on him to whisper in his ear. "Do you- Uh- Know that- Oh!- I love youuuuuhhhhhgod- You?"

He said nothing even know. She asked and he said nothing- but he did make a move. And this move was to grab her, lift her, and then flip sides. She was soon on the bedside, laying down, her breasts sinking back a little, looking less grab-able but yummy just the same. He was still inside her and he had the plan to return the favor. He wasn't finished with her snd neither her with him. He had still to blow his load. By her request and common sense, he would pull it out but he would do so and give her face a makeover. And she was going to like it, one way or another.

Her eyes widened with delight. "Oh yes, Lincy! Fuck me, fuck my brains out-"

And he gave it to her fast and hard. He didn't stop, his engine was on maximum overdrive, the sound of wet flesh being smacked filled the room. That Goddamn sweet spot was being found again, and this time, it was not in Vanzilla but deep past Lori's clit. The special place where the tip of his dick was able to hit against and make her orgasm hard. She put her arms around him, scratched at his back and moaned out her satisfaction. "Ohhhhh yes! Yessssss! I love you!" She was a grateful bitch who needed a good fucking, here he was. "Oh!" she gasped, flying into an orgasmic moan.

* * *

As Lori and Lincoln continued having sex, Alex and Liberty had wandered away from the town, going north towards a steep hill and together they overlooked this hill, standing on higher ground. For a second, young Alex believed this could be the center of the world. Be it the center or the top, what would that make her? Something special or nothing else at all?

Beyond that hill was nothing; it went downwards from there on and only showed them the rest of the landscape, barren emptiness in golden yellow, faint orange and lifeless. Not even a tumbleweed, unless it was just too far and tiny to have been seen from here. Oh, it was there, but far, far away. Maybe more.

"Alex?" Liberty had been questioning herself to no end as to why the original had defended her. "Why?"

"Ask me in full, Liberty. I don't follow."

"You made it clear where your stance was here, it defending me like that-"

"Is that what you want to know?" Alex let out a dry laugh. "Why didn't I let her tear you a new one?"

"Yeah, that." The white-haired girl of buck teeth clamped her hands together, right over her flat stomach. "You didn't need to-"

"I know what I wanted to do, Liberty.'

"Oh- Well..." She had reason to give gratitude. "Thanks, I guess."

"You hid behind me," Alex recalled. "Oh yeah, you did. Does she scare you?"

"Did I?" She knew but she wanted to deny it- anything for a brave face in front of mother. "It happened so fast."

"Even when I don't look at you, I can see right through you," Alex commented. "You got scared of her, or her words, or maybe both. Maybe a little of both, right?"

"N-no..." Liberty's voice all but betrayed her. "Didn't get scared. Didn't get scared..."

"Right..." Alex grabbed and threw Liberty down the hill without warning. The wee clone took multiple rolls before she stopped herself (it was fun at first but she was not here for fun) before it ran stable flat. "Hey-"

"What was that about?!"

"Look here!" Alex set her hands behind her back. "Know your place for now! This is why you're to belong down there, beneath the rest of the Primers! We are six now, but Lizy and Bed said the Prime Supreme wants a full eight for the Primers. That's all I know. More clones to fill in the blanks or total newbies. I don't know, but replacing you is a thoughtful choice he could make. I'll stand by what I said-"

Liberty never made an effort to pat the dirt-sand off her.

"-this is no life for the frightened and weak. You've told me all I need to know, so thank you."

"Mo-" For a second, she was about to use that false label on her. "Alex, I can't change your mind, can I?"

"You're me, and if I die, and if you did on one of his-" You could believe it hurt like hell to her. Liberty wasn't understanding it from her point of view. Wait, no, it was something else- had to be. Was. And Alex had already been told not long ago. _You want to stick to me like glue. You're afraid of being alone with yourself. You believe you have nobody so you turn to me, don't you, kiddo? You really are just like me... But why don't I-_

"Then that'll be it- That's my resolve-"

Alex shook her head. "You're still a child underneath that artificial skin. Everything you are comes from my bloodstream and my cellular structure, so I get to believe that your thoughts and your ideas are just like mine!"

"Oh, that does make sense-"

"Dare you to tell me I'm wrong! I know I'm not."

Liberty scaled upwards. "I think you are, but I'm not sure of it myself."

"Are you willing to fight me?"

She stopped, disagreed. "No, I don't want to fight you. There is no reason to."

"Maybe I'm feeling it."

"Are you? Alex, you hated the idea of... Of, my aunt- Do I call her my aunt? You didn't want her having her own me so... Are you content with me as it is or was that just an act? No... You're playing with either me or those two. I can't tell with you, and I'm confused..."

Alex kicked at the dirt lazily. "Alright... Maybe I'm being too...-"

"You're conflicted, doesn't take another to-" Liberty blew air into the wind, exhaling as if she had been weary. "I don't want to give you trouble, that's not why he brought me into the world, whatever I am to you "

"Clean yourself up," Alex suggested. "So, he wants us all on equal footing, does he?" If it went on anymore, Alex was sure she'd hurt Liberty quite enough. Maybe Alex has felt that she was loading rocks of burden onto the backpack Liberty was wearing. Too much of it would leave her unable to go forward. _Shit, I'm the world's worst... Mommy. _

"Yes, I get to toy with this silver watch again!" Liberty had then smiled, meeting with Alex back up top.

"Liberty!"

"Right, right."

"We're almost done here, there are only three others to bring here. The last two..." Alex hated that part. "Shit..."

"Yeah, yeah," Liberty had also known the significance of the final two names on the list. "Hide your face, remember to."

"Thanks, Yoda."

"Head back into town, have Bed and Lizy keep watch on B, C and D." Her suit took over her body, covering her from head to toe. She flashed a thumbs-up at Liberty. "This one, he told me, is gonna give trouble. What was her-? Oh yeah... Allison Taggart."

* * *

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter V: Grimmtown Attack**

* * *

**Elsewhere**

He appeared out of nowhere, coming at her with a revolver aimed at her. He thought of shooting her for her affiliation with the enemy here. The big dog, the behemoth of greed and blood and selfishness. The human sins, all in one. He had all six rounds in the chamber, and any one could break her face, destroy it like a watermelon. So easily. But he wasn't here to kill her even when it came to mind. He knew it.

Allison Taggart was alone and broken, hiding out in a trailer park. This trailer park was abandoned, all of them empty, part of the wastelands. Rats and possums took it over now, but the one where he found her was the one she had called home long ago. Square one with Mustard-Green Hair Bitch, her rich uncle had been executed before her very eyes, and since he had disowned her that very minute before he was nothing but a corpse-

Yeah, Allie had never had it easy for a second. She believed in him, a man who could possibly never lie or deceive her as long as she became his minion, a cat, a dangerous feline with claws that would scratch his enemies to death. They could bleed out and she'd have a home. She had a safe house with Lemuel, best he could do for her while she worked in the shadows and kept their lines as separate as possible so that he could not ever be traced back from her. Shit, she failed. And knew the real him.

Why, she could die in the very place-

No, Allie _had_ died here, who was she kidding? This very same trailer where her innocence left the window. Grew right out of childhood to never finish it. Hurt and kill and be threatened by the men who wanted Tammy and no crying brat hungry for a PB and J sandwich, or for warm milk. They never liked kids, they only wanted to blow Tammy so hard she'd never walk again.

Dylan Blood was a man and he was a gun-toting intruder staring at the depressed girl of young. She looked up at him but she was looking past him. Those eyes, those lifeless eyes had not acknowledged his presence. He expected a fight here, but not even that. Allie was looking rather brain-dead. He didn't like it, he couldn't say he wanted it either. "Hey, you-"

"Go away, just go away and leave me alone..." Her voice, raspy as a dying animal. The girl was thirsty! Not even a sip of piss down her gutter. Hungry, thirsty, choosing this to be her deathbed. "Let me die."

Alex was atop the trailer, sitting on it while camouflaged with the invisible feature. _Prime Supreme, it is as you said! You really did come here- And you gave her your gun to-_

"The choice can be yours now, Allison." Dylan Blood forfeited his revolver for her to take. "Sux bullets here, five to kill and then it turns on you when you're ready. These bullets inside are anti-pheno. Take revenge or just end your suffering. I'll be leaving now. Have no regrets, that is all I can say."

_And she turns the gun on herself and blows her brains out not long after as you've reported... _Alex patiently waited for the young Blood to take his leave, strolling away from the trailer park. Once he was out of range, Alex made a leap down and gracefully entered the trailer to meet Allie. The plan was for her to be extracted and placed in Grimmtown. Alex would offer her Lincoln there, and then the rest of their plan would follow. Blood was here being fair, moreso than before, making use out of her. She had to say yes. She had to agree. She had to have wanted it, a tasty plate of imperfectly perfect revenge. Gun. Pheno. Kill. Six dead by her hands. The weak door was nearly off its hinges- coming off by half when Alex pulled the tiny white handle to let herself in. She saw the revolver and little Allie curled up like a sad kitten on the left end of the trailer, perched right under the built-in brown couch. _So this is the face of suicide. This is what the dead looks like up close._

Allie didn't advance on the gun just yet. Her eyes had taken notice of Alex, the Alex in rocker clothes. "Go away..."

Alex bobbed her head side to side, ignoring her wish and moved forward. "Can't do that, there's something I wish to propose to you, although I'm not sure if you would be interested. I don't even know at all, but I know you. I know your name-"

Alex related to the girl more than you'd think. She lost her mother, then her uncle (granted, Allie had no idea Tammy Taggart and Peter McMahon were related, the girl had seen his face a few times before through the bits of magazine that flopped around the trailer time to time), and that left her truly alone in the world. Alex was staring down at not Allie, but a girl who could very well wind up harboring a resentment for the Loud clan. They were responsible, and they ran underground and hid from the light like cowardly rats retreating after hours on a carcass- maybe a living person. That was the idea, fill the dead with that sort of anger that could transform any person into a living weapon, and in the world of the CIA, they applied this to grieving fathers whose kids were reduced to cannon fodder following a FIVE attack. Scythe. Hell, the Freights' doings even.

All the Dylan Bloods in the world didn't care. Allie could have been utilized properly, he believed that- and he also believed in making that alteration happen. It was that, by way he talked. Allie Taggart dies here soon enough, with only one shot that breaks open the back top of her head. Nevermore.

"I know how you're feeling," Alex soothingly exhaled, joining Allie down and sitting on her right side. A gentle hand applied to the side of her face, the exposed one, and Alex rubbed around her hair and cheek. One thing she had noticed was that the Caucasian girl's hair was softer. Of course it was, she probably had it more conditioned that Alex had bothered. "You're soft."

Allie never attacked Alex, never bothered to fight back. Were she a boy- Allie admitted it to herself; Alex had the touch of a goddess. That hand was stroking so gently, with such elegance. Was this woman a mother, perhaps? Did she know her way with young? My, she looked no older than thirty but she wasn't (she felt) a teenager. But her words had her doubt her honesty. "You lie..."

"You really are soft," Alex nodded.

"No, not that..." Allie choked on herself and swallowed her spit; she needed water real bad.

"Oh," Alex realized. "I'm not, Allie. I know about you. Mom and uncle, it happened to me too, if I'm to be honest. They were taken- Killed, I mean. They were killed and they're not coming back. My own father, he's such a piece of shit. What about you? Do you know who your father is?"

Allie lifted herself up but had been drooping downwards and frontwards, head looking like it was going to fall right off. But she shook her head, body rotating about. No, she didn't know. No, it didn't even matter. They could both agree that daddy was shitty, and the mutual connection had more power now. Allie studied Alex, questioning her motives. Ulterior still, not upfront. Of course. "What do you want?"

"I want to give you something not even the guy who gave you that shooting iron could have." Alex rubbed on Allie's shoulders from behind. "You have a bone to pick with the enemies of your uncle, I know it."

But uncle had disowned her. Uncle Peter had-

"They put you in this position," Alex said, and revealed the key fact that began to do the trick in the young girl's mind. _They put you... In this... You. Position. Put._

It clicked for Allie; they put Peter McMahon in that situation where he was too backed into the corner and in a desperate act- He relinquished his ties with her, and Lincoln had spared her. Spared her. Spared her because... Uncle was done using her?! Had he done this so that she could not be any threat to him?! Allie gasped lightly and her eyes shifted about a random. Yes, that's what it begun to feel like. _Find him! Find him and take righteous revenge! Kill the pheno!_

Alex pulled away from Allie. "Hey, you okay?"

Clarity obtained, a reason not to drop out of this just yet. "Yeah..." She found it again, and it was because of this Mexican stranger who never existed before a few minutes ago. "Yes, I think so."

Alex had then smelled the dump of this place and waved her hand in front of her face. "This place stinks..."

"Open a window then-"

"Actually I'm going to leave... With you..." The next second, Alex was in for a lovely surprise; Allie had turned and looked surprised to hear that Alex intended to take her back. Then, her eyes closed and she leaned her head in, planting her soft, tiny lips onto Alex's own. For the Taggart girl, she didn't care anymore if they were of different age groups, but Alex wasn't a hag at least. Curvy and might fine tasty up there- maybe down there too. Allie had also revealed her sexuality status to Alex without being afraid as well. If she had balls, they'd be fucking brass. _Is this what kissing feels like?"_

They were both also inexperienced in the matters of the heart as well. Neither girl had what was known as a boyfriend. Allie had worked Lemy's mind only, and on occasion she let him do her to keep up the charade. Fuckin' charade, she didn't want to keep letting herself be a it forever. She was the Dayna Jurgens to his Lloyd Henreid, but the sides were reversed. A dyke that faked orgasms when it needed to be. Hey, Lemy, you're not so big after all, she'd want to tell him. But he ran off with zoomer punk Nyla, that was what she called herself, looking like Lynn Loud. Pretty funny, ain't it?

Allie loved the kiss for what it was, sloppy and amateur. In reality, the kiss could be comparable to the awkward, cringe ones that James and Alyssa had in a British show that streamed on Netflix. Allie had heard of it, only remembered it because the F-word was on the title. Profanity on titles. More like life, I tell ya.

It didn't last long but it surely felt long. Allie left her moist saliva upon Alex's lips when she pulled away, but not smiling. She needed it, she had just been shown a kindness rare, so rare that it might as well have been an ore. Alex did wind up blushing uncontrollably, and the straight fact that Allie was a minor didn't help matters. "Uh-"

"Oh-" Allie shut her yapper and buried half her face unto Alex's chest, pressing against her breasts. "I'm sorry- I know you must be an adult, I won't pull a fast one on you. But thank you for that."

"I didn't do anything."

Allie hugged the woman. "Yeah, you didn't do anything to deny me."

Alex did agree... She did do nothing to stop her. So, did she also like the kiss? "Come on, we've gotta go. I know where Lincoln Loud is hiding, I can take you to him and you will have your chance. And bring that gun."

Allie grinned, purred and rubbed her head along Alex's chest, secretly feeling the squishiness of her breasts. And the Santiago-Loud woman was no fool. Allie was as as straight as a circle. "You are a goddess."

"So you say." Alex kept still, letting the Taggart girl embrace her, finding comfort and secret, silent affection where it laid. _I just might be the girl's last hope, but I am not a goddess. I am no goddess... I wonder what Liberty and company are doing._

* * *

Lizy currently rested upon the diagonal surface of the roof. The shingles never gave way, not for her or the monster inside her. Next to her, Bethany Chang, sat upright, had her knees closed together, arms wrapped around her knees. Bethany stared around the streets, able to look over to the one ahead. Everyone else moved along, to the left, to the right. Grimmtown was busy-busy-busy, wheelbarrows rolling their one-wheelers along the dirt, holding tools and blocks and bricks. Someone had even brought an abandoned food truck and brought it over to strip for parts. Bethany paid no mind. Her interest was keeping watch on the Link trio. Those select clones were still inside Old Lady Dermont's- Was that her name?

The Chinese-Japanese girl had somehow wandered back to Hong Kong again. She was there, running, crying and screaming for her parents. They were dead. Sid and Adelaide Chang weren't yet. Neither were their parents, her aunt Rebecca and uncle Stanley. The four of them moved as a group, but Bethany tripped upon the earth's sudden rumbling. Some buildings had collapsed, making devastating messes all around. You could be certain that many civilians were crushed in the catastrophic event. And it was indeed catastrophic, but it just wasn't earth-natural. It was no earthquake. It was not a series of bombs that went off in just about everywhere. It was _them._ The tall beings of six feet and silver skin. They had heads but the shape of their heads, it was like they had motorcycle helmets for heads, also to be in silver as well. Silver and shiny as could be.

Bethany had no idea what to make of these floating humanoids, soaring in all directions and declaring war on planet earth. This had to be happening everywhere, no way was this a hate-crime on a genocidal level, right?

And Bethany had been discarded and disregarded by the other Chang family. They ran into a hotel on the block without ever looking back. She yelled at them in Mandarin, in Japanese, and finally in English, hoping to snag Rebecca Chang's attention. No, the four turned the corner and beat it into the hotel along with several others. So many screams that overlapped hers. Endless explosions that rocked the ground and filled their ears and engulfed their captivated eyes. Fire, debris falling, cars being blown up by the shower of white beams (later to be called the Flare of Stars) raining from above. In mere seconds, the city became ground zero. And the hotel where she last saw them blew up to high hell caving in on itself.

She screamed-

Lizy slapped a backhand across her face. "Hey, you're acting up again!"

Bethany was no longer in that dark place. She blinked and rubbed her eyes crazily before lowering her heavy-beating heart, telling herself it could not happen again. "S-sorry..."

"Does that still faze you?" Lizy had no regret about slapping the Asian at all. "It can't hurt you no more."

"But it does..." Bethany tilted upwards. "I'm far from there but the memory can never elude me."

"I... Sorry, I have no words for you, but I wish-"

"It helps that you listen with an open mind," Bethany told her, facing her. "I mean, you listen to me at least, but you've a lot to work out."

"Babygirl, I'm the bomb!" Lizy wailed with a cheer. "My pussy is bomb, too."

"There are kids here!" Bethany had herself a laugh. "Keep it PG."

Lizy was feeling the silliness and hollered out, "THE LORD BLESSETH MINE VAGINA!"

"Lissandra, dear God!" Bethany went red on the cheeks and broke into laughter.

"Ahhh! Ah haaaaa!" Lizy triumphed her victory and yoinked Bethany back down. "I have vanquished the inconsolable darkness from thy soul but alas, tis a temporary repelling."

Now Bed was grinning from cheek to cheek, highly amused by the raunchy youngling. And she turned to her to say something again- and met a soft welcome of Lizy's porky lips. The Asian girl closed her eyes and kissed Lizy back. To put it plainly, the two girls were lovers, locked into a lesbian relationship. Back at the main base, they shared a room. They slept on the same queen sizer and rubbed on each other naked. Lizy was the one who spooned Bed, her hands running up and down the latter's body. A handful of titty and maybe down on her legs- both felt great and she was always sure she had been a faggot girl from the start. Bed would be eaten out more often than not, or fingered when it didn't happen. Tell you, Lizy the Hick Pheno was a whore for women. Boys meant shit, she just wanted pussy and breasts on her face. And if you had to ask Lizy what she wanted to do to Lyra and Lynnette secretly, it would not be what the others had in mind. Rape them, molest them, touch them. Oh, Lizy, you horncat, you.

Right now, Lizy was in Fingering Mode; she slid down her hand down Bed's pants and rubbed two of her fingers on the latter's clit. "Oh, mmmmmf. I'm hungry for you, babygirl."

"Let's... Save it for when we get back, then we can scissor each other until we're tired to death, yeah?"

"Unf, you know what the fuck to say to me, dollface..." Lizy bit her bottom lip abd pictured a naked Bed running train on her. Pussy train; the Asian would thrust her pelvis back and forth, smacking against her clit. Oh, how it aroused her. "You're gonna get me wet."

"That's a Lizy problem." Bethany rolled over and mounted over Lizy, her butt pressing down in the blonde's thighs. From there, the Asian sought to tease Lizy by grabbing the bottom of her long-sleeved thin black shirt and pulling it upwards to reveal her chest. Voila! There was no bra on the Chang girl. Orbs of perfection, ripe for the taking. Lizy lifted her arms, feeling handsy to have some fun with the succulent lumps. But it was just a dirty teasing, and Bethany dropped her shirt back down and kept Lizy's intruding hands at bay. "Uh-uh-uh, not heeeeeere."

"You love to mock me, doncha?" Lizy developed a smug look. "You're a silly goose."

They stared at each other's eyes longingly, the sun sparkling that gleam of life within them. Stars, white little dots, they reflected in that light. And as good as this moment had been, a moment where two young lovers had been in perfect sync, they opened their mouths and said unto the other, "I love you," and then they gasped and blushed and looked away from each other to giggle. It was rather cute, sincere, but it was true of them to have to admit that. When their eyes had reconnected, Bethany went down and they kissed again, adding more gentle passion this time.

Lizy was the light that kept Bethany's darkness at bay; what more could the Chang girl ask for?

* * *

Liberty had finished a bowl of veggie stew from the dining hall and wandered away, going aimlessly nowhere. She moved around and only stopped when Alex had just about arrived with Allison Valeria Taggart at hand. For a second, the albino thought about pretending she didn't see them advancing towards her. She could have done that 180-degree turn and done it, but she didn't. The clone was slowly walking closer, and Alex was giving her the damn sour look that said to fuck right off from Allie's sightlines. Too late.

"Who is that?"

"My... Twin sister, the idiot too into anime," Alex lied. Well, the idiot part was true.

"Oh?" Allie immediately licked her lips; that sex drive kicked into overdrive. She wanted them both in bed. "She looks just as beautiful as you do."

"So, I'm ugly?" Alex raised a hard eyebrow at her. "Like them with colder skin, is that it? Maybe there's some goth girl out there with a burgundy dress just for you, and her name, it could be... I don't know, Lilith?"

"Goth girls, huh?" Allie grasped at the concept of those types. "I mean, they _are_ hot, yeah."

"There you go..." Alex wished the girl would stop hitting on her, or rebound on Liberty for that matter. "He's here, we'll leave you to it, okay? We're going to be in the crowd, we'll jump in to help you if you need it."

"You promise?' Alex had unwrapped her hand around Allie, and she pouted as she had become too giddy to be touched like someone's best friend. It was a nice feel while it lasted, but Alex vowed to have her best interest at heart.

"I do," Alex had agreed, nodding- and lying- to her. "Take it on the streets so that they can see."

"Right!" Allie smiled fiercely, filling herself with confidence. "Thank you... So um, are you free tonight?"

Alex rolled her eyes in her mind, but let out a pseudo-happy smile. "Wow, you like me, don't you?"

"I..." Allie blushed. "Goddesses don't come out the way you do."

"Too much ass-kissing, who do I look like? Flagg1991?"

Allie dripped sweat; she was Vale's OC. "I don't know how to respond to that."

"Once this is over, I'll get us a room where..." Alex raised her eyebrows suggestively. "We can be alone."

Liberty was joined in by the half-blood, then led away as Alex waved to Allie for good luck, blowing a kiss to her. That ought to get her motivated. "Where are we at with the clones?"

"Still silent," Liberty answered. "Place is as calm as the wind, feels weird."

"It feels as if we're back a hundred years. Barely any civilization here."

"Ghost town blues." Liberty put her back to the side when the winds picked up messed it up playfully. "That only leaves the final two, doesn't it?"

"As per his instructions, after they're all here, I have to move three people and explain what the situation is and that's the end. Allie is to make chaos without our intervention, we leave this dump to the phenos."

"And Lizy and Bed?"

"Team-bonding, my ass..." Alex shook her head. "If they want to, they can both leave. We don't need their protection, we've got this covered. Him, her and the clones might just lay waste to this town."

* * *

Lincoln dressed himself and left his beautiful sister lie sleeping on her side on the bed. He made no effort to, at the very least, wipe his penis dry from being soaked in her semen. He'd smell like pussy until dusk, he was sure, or until he was told to take a shower. Pants buckled, socks and shoes fitted in, and his shirt then coming down- why, he was ready to walk the mother earth again. The Ungodly Stormbringer set off, exiting the shithole house of weak foundation and thin walls and a frail roof. He was sure some few passersby heard her sexy moans.

Whatever the case, mind yer bizniz.

From the get-go, Alex said food mostly came from the dining halls. Off he went. And Allie followed him.

* * *

Lupa, Lacy and Liby also took off for the dining hall at the first street, going as trio when only one of them sufficed to fetch extra plastic cups for Old Lady Demonet. She wasn't even that old just yet, but in comparison to many of the phenos around, of course they made her be. Poor woman had Liby feeling sorry for her when Lacy and Lupa didn't seem to care. The woman had lost her kids, in the same world where these Loud kids lost their parents.

"Gonna help Tyler Rourke down over on the end of Third Street," Lupa told them as they entered the dining hall. "You two can go help Demonet, I told him I'd be there for the whole day. They love a telekinetic."

"Alright, we'll see you back-" Liby and Lacy had turned to wave Lupa off, and he was in view. Liby spotted him first and went pale white, freezing in time. She stuttered like a dying car engine that needed a fresh new V6 battery. "G-g-g-girls-"

"What's got you all worked-" Lacy had followed her eyes, and she could never have regret doing something so fast. "Luce... It- it's him, he's-"

Lincoln came walking faster, surprised to see the trio but had grown rather pleased. Especially when Lupa, the powerful of the three, was there. His nasty, demonizing smile curled into place, and Liby and Lacy knew what fear was again. Lupa had turned and faced her probable opponent, readying her arms. "Stay behind me."

"Funny seeing you three here," Lincoln simply said, greeting the trio with that ugly facial expression. Then, he frowned and then recollected that night's events. "Wait a second, how are you alive?"

Lupa hadn't shared that litte detail where she had been blasted by a shotgun where it hurt the most; at her head, point-blank range. There was a dispute between her, Lincoln and the real Lynn over the clones. That time around, all the clones were gone, Liby and Lacy having never met their real counterparts or the sisters. Not yet at least.

"I've blown out your lights when you made it clear you turned on Lynn. But hey, you both went berserk over your losses so I can understand it."

"What... What do you mean you've blown her out?" Liby asked.

"I killed her," Lincoln cleared up. "At least I thought I did. Fired a shotgun right in her face, and it was gone."

Liby and Lacy looked at each other, petrified. Lupa didn't need to see them, she just knew.

"I'm impressed, too," Lincoln revealed. "It must have been painful while you were regenerating, right? I've got no regrets though. Good to see you're alive, because I could use your help."

"No."

"No?"

"I'm not some black slave," Lupa hissed. "You can find someone else to do your own dirty work, monster."

"Calling me the monster?" It made him chuckle. "Last time I checked, I wasn't a weapon created by Lisa and her pack of elder friends."

"Last time I checked," Lupa countered, "we were running away from all that. No one was going to use us for things we didn't agree with. Clones or not, we're alive and we have been given the right to choose as we wish upon it."

"At the end of the day, you're still-"

"Hey, asshole!" Allie came from behind Lincoln. "What a wonderful surprise! The clones B, C and D are here as well! How I've lucked out today!"

"Who the hell is that?" Lupa leaned sideways to face Allie. "Another one of your allies until you dispose of them, at no doubt."

Allie pulled out the revolver from her back and lined it up with Lincoln's chest. "I'll kill you for taking everything away from me, you hear me?"

"I've given you a second chance, and you dare squander it so easily?"

"Silence!" Allie shouted, flaring up. "I'm the one with the gun! I'm the one who can finally end you!"

Lupa backed away and signaled her sisters to leave, but Allie had noticed them. "YOU THREE WILL NOT MOVE A MUSCLE!" Allie circled them to get clear shot on them all. "YOU'RE FAILURES FOR CLONES!"

"I don't know who you are," Lupa said, raising her hands. "Let's not do something we're going to regret."

"Too late for that," Allie coldly stated. "Far too late for that."

"Wanna bet?"

Allie snickered and fired one fine round from the silver gun. It clicked and it did its job, then rose up, a recoil, that was too strong for little ol' Allie. She got too cocky and missed the critical memo where it stated Lupa had herself an upgrade not part of the initial clone design. So she didn't expect Lupa to stop the bullet singlehandedly and levitate it above her opened hand. "WAIT, WHAT?!"

"Oh, that's right..."

Alex, Liberty, Bethany and Lissandra watched them from the edge of the street as it began to fill up. "Hey, Lizy, what are they saying?"

Lupa pinched the bullet and brought it close to her face. "No one told you, huh?"

Allie had trouble holding the gun steady after this. She grew afraid to shoot again at any of them when Lupa could so easily stop it. _Five bullets left, who wins the Wheel of Misfortune? _

"Did you want this back?"

"Put it down, girl," Lincoln warned. "Or the lady here-"

"Shut the fuck up, buddy, I'm not with you-" Lupa threw the bullet in the air and moved it around with her index finger, setting it in front of Lincoln's head. "These aren't regulars, you wouldn't come here with regular ammo here. However you knew to come, you were set on killing us."

"I've only been made aware of his presence," Allie stammered nervously. "I've come here for him but now that you are all here-"

Lupa had enough and redirected the bullet to Allie's hands; the bullet struck against the gun and spooked Allie to drop it. The weapon fell and didn't go off upon impact, Lupa made sure of that. Lupa dragged the gun away from Allie, welcoming it into her hands as Allie rubbed around hers, looking for any wound inflicted. "Bitch!"

"Shut your whore mouth." Lupa held the gun by its muzzle, not intending to have a massacre here. "Take off, you aren't a pheno welcome here."

"It's not over!" Allie threw a scowl at Lincoln. "Not until he's dead at least!"

"Take your conflict away from here!" Lupa pointed to the outskirts of the town. "North! Or south! East, west! Take it elsewhere! Take it far from this place! These people..."

Lincoln and Allie noticed the change in atmosphere around them. The eyes of the collective were fixated on them both, angry faces, cold steel written on them. They've just about- "These people are done with this shit. You'll both be killed and hung on crosses, they don't care."

Lincoln could see the weariness in their eyes. Yes, Lupa was right. These people would not have it in here, where they had run away to so that they could hide. This was purely pheno territory now, not America. Rules were likely- No, he knew they were.

"Hey, we should-" Liberty stayed in place by force; Alex wasn't allowing it. "What, why?"

"She was to drop in here, she'll do what we can't- or fail to."

"So, you brought her back so that she could get herself killed?"

"It was the Prime Supreme's order here," Alex reminded her squad. "Maybe he intended her to try and take revenge the first time around. He gave her that gun- His younger, present self, but she takes her life. This is a timeline change, by that logic, and he has me here to balance it, to give her that chance. She listened to me- I think it's because I'm a female and she was all over me."

"Lesbian, huh?" Lissandra kept her eyes and ears open. "But you're ugly."

"Fuck yourself."

"Focus," Bethany struck on them.

"Pity if she dies, but a suicide makes this wasted effort."

"Can't handle it?"

"No..." Alex shook. "If I had the power to choose my line-up of Primers, I'd select her."

"Talking about putting a time-displaced girl into a team of girls who operate in the future," Bethany laughed. "No, I don't see that happening. Over my dead body."

"I mean, she's got nerves of steel, gunning for them. And that albino one, the telekinetic. That's pretty brave and stupid."

"No..." Lissandra dropped. "She seemed to be unaware."

"Oh?" Alex flung her head to Lizy. "Is that so?"

Lincoln extended his hand out. "Sure, why do I want to hang here, anyway? Let's make a deal..." He went over to Allie and grabbed her. She went and allowed herself to be easily grabbed by him. "Give me the gun and you will never see me again."

Lupa winced. "You're not about to commit murder, I know you didn't just suggest that you'd clean this up your way."

"Of course I did..." He glared the death look again. "What would you all do?"

"We'd exile you all unless you go on and start, which is what I'd like. Show them who you are, show them how bloody you can be. Kill the girl, why don't you?"

"I can, and I will-" Lincoln pushed Allie down on the ground hard. "We're both leaving, but my business here isn't done here."

"Lincy?" The last two people on the special list Alex had come collecting had shown up. And while Alex was there, watching Lincoln, Allie and the clones, another Alex, sporting her dark-blue suit, led these two figures with her, and they came closer and closer-

"Who goes there?" He saw them and they were strangers until they weren't anymore. He was soon facing them with a state of shock. Ronalda and Roberto Santiago had gotten older with the passing time, but it was them. He knew her mouth- buckteeth- and her hair, and her open-mouthed expression, and she had called him Lincy, not Lame-O.

Alex- the one in the suit came to current Alex and the others. "Told you I'd be right back."

"WHAT- HOW ARE-?" Liberty's head twisted up.

The Alex next to them and had a laugh. Then, she said, "I'll be right back," and disappeared around the corner. The second Alex deactivated her suit and showed her form, replacing the other Alex. "So I went back and brought them back. You three have just witnessed a paradox."

"Fucking hell," Lizy cursed.

"Just have one last thing to do here..."

"You've got it covered, I trust," Bethany wondered. "No, you do. Lizy and I want to take off."

"By all means," Alex allowed. "Thanks for... Not helping."

"You ungrateful shit."

"Ronnie Anne?" Lincoln began to forget where he was, and what he was doing. "Hey..."

Lupa had cocked an eyebrow, drawing confusion. _Of all the people to come step foot in here..._

"It really is you, isn't it?" Ronnie Anne was closer to her mother's age, but young at that. She had a green sweater wrapped around her, but unzipped. This and shorts as well, plus leggings that went as high as to cover her whole leg. "You've grown so much."

He guessed that next to her was Bobby. Older and with a beard, but it was definitely him. Same damn hairstyle had been kept, too. _Things never change._

Allie found her chance and ran away from everyone, running into the empty desert landscape. Lupa allowed it if it meant she wouldn't return. Maybe she'd die of dehydration out there, or stupid luck would be with her. Whichever, Lupa agreed she was no threat without any weapon.

"It's okay, people," Lupa relieved upon the folk, rising into the air. "This little altercation has been diffused as could be, and for the sake of Grimmtown, if you see that girl again, apprehend her immediately. Whom you have just seen is an affiliate of those who have held you captive, and I wish to gain more information from her if possible! Thank you!" She caused a series of whispers and murmurs instead of an ovation of cheers. Very well, but she was not here to play good girl here.

"Wow, Lucy, you sounded like a figure of authority," Lacy complimented. "Nicely done!"

"This place will be safe and I will do anything I can to keep it that way. Maybe they'll make me part of some defense squad."

"Not a bad idea!" Lacy agreed.

"So... How have you been?" Ronnie Anne zeroed in on him and locked her hands to his bare arm. Neither she or Bobby had known what just happened. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise-" He actually smiled. "Hey, Bobby- It is you, right?"

"Hey, little- Well, you're not little anymore, shit! You're taller than me now. Pinche gringo."

"Hey, I'll bet Lori would want to see you," Lincoln thought. "She's here too."

"Lori...?t brought back the train of memories for him instantly. There was a happy, goofy smile on him that he would not shake off until after seeing her again. "Could you...?"

"Let's go say hi."

* * *

**The Next Day**

Bethany and Lissandra were no longer present in Grimmtown, and Lupa was more watchful on the new entries of town. She had no reason to be suspicious of anyone yet but Liby and Lacy were close to her at all times now. Liberty sat alone eating porridge this time, and it wasn't very good. Not even without anyone's company; tears has streamed down her face in stealth.

Alex, on the other hand, had to keep a straight face when she was finishing her job here. Lori, Ronnie Anne and Bobby were already getting ready on her behalf. She was taking Ronnie Anne and Bobby away; she had promised them a day with their old lovers, and had fulfilled it just right. Up until then Bobby was skeptical and rubbed the wrong way until she showed them by transporting them there. Here. This place.

Lori had gotten rather lovesick and made her tough choice; go with them. Alex had tossed that bone her way and it seemed impossible to believe. She said yes and Bobby seemed... A little happy but something else, too.

And there was Lincoln, who had not received any gift to stay with Ronnie Anne, and secretly he had wanted to. But it wasn't there, maybe Alex had known that it could have never been. And she had known it, but it was out of her hands. _Say goodbye, you'll never see them again... And I don't just mean you..._

Lincoln had said nothing yet, and maybe he wouldn't in the end. No tearful goodbye for the Lori promised a better sanctuary (so Alex says), a life with Bobby away from the United States. No way could she have a life there, but here? Grimmtown was alright, but Alex proposed another location. And she took it if it meant being with her old-time boyfriend. She'd have to leave Lincoln behind... Just when he had come back to get her out.

She didn't need saving anymore, and she forgot his significance somehow. She replaced him with Bobby and never batted an eye. She could not. She was his sister and they had sex and it was incest and it was- Forbidden love would never be. She needed to cut him off from her; he was no good in the end. She said nothing either and regrouped with the Santiagos on the tiny living room. Alex had done some stretches while still in her suit. Lori had come in and signaled her readiness.

Lincoln didn't move until he saw that flash of blue light. They were gone, all gone again. And he felt nothing but harsh loneliness again. _I'll see you someday..._

**Later**

Lupa had been helping the men out with stripping down the metal out and off the taco truck. The wheels had already been gone, made into tire swings for the kids around. Lupa used her abilities to rip the fender off, and from there, break it all apart. "These make good batons or something," she told them suggestively.

"We'll see what use we can make of these," one man said, taking two of the fender pieces. "See if you can remove that battery, we could use it as some generator. Where's Calder?"

"Hey, Lu- Uh, Lucy," Lincoln echoed from behind, coming to Lupa.

The group of guys working around the truck had stopped what they were doing and dropped the metal scraps they held in their hands. "Stop right there-"

"Hey, easy now," Lupa calmed unto the older phenos. "We're not going to have a repeat of yesterday, are we?"

Lincoln held his arms up. "I've come in peace, earthlings," he joked.

"What did you want this time?" Lupa got to the point. "Told you, I'm not a tool on display to be bought and sold."

"Relax, is isn't about that," he assured with one bob of his head. "Come on, walk with me."

"Alright..." Lupa turned to the crew. "Girl's gotta take a break."

"I want that battery out when you get back!"

"Count on it!" And Lua strode off with Lincoln, walking slow with him. "Anyone ever told you how much of a dickhead you are? I'll be blunt with you because I don't think I could give a shit about sugarcoating it. You need sixty hours of therapy a week."

"Thanks for the advice," Lincoln scoffed. "And don't worry about me trying to kidnap you. I have a feeling you won't go down easy."

"You forget I'm protected here, just as much as I protect my sisters- Well, the clone sisters, I mean. Meanwhile you don't-"

"I have been trying, but they cast me out because they can't seem to handle the fact that I do what must be done."

"So dark!" Lupa slapped her hands on her face and made an 'O' with her mouth. "So bloodthirsty! But you can't keep that running long, can you?"

He said nothing.

"Look, I'm going to be real here. Me and... Well, the three of us don't plan to come back up there given the nature of the situation. Fresh start for us here, just like it is for the others. They won't have any worries about being made out-of-place undesirables by the rest of the world. I feel like it's gonna come to that at some point."

"Safe haven, right."

"Bottom line, we cannot possibly be your enemies, so there is no need for us to be killed by you. We're out of the Black Network, now and forever. And I won't have you rope me back into all of that. I may have been born to fight you but I have chosen what I want for myself, and this is what I want."

Lincoln listened.

"Maybe you could stop, too. Throw away everything and start over here. You could be an enforcer here even, keeping and preserving the peace."

"Preserving the peace...?"

"You know, stop any scoundrels around. And considering we are in Mexico, we'll have run-ins with cartels unless we can hide the whole town somehow. We're all hoping for some pheno who can conceal it with their abilities, however that will be."

"Sounds like you might need to go on raid runs. The technology exists, don't have to tell you to peek into Kapacity Korp to find and loot them dry."

"Kapacity Korp... I'll be sure to remember that, thanks."

"Anyways, I've still got my own mission on U.S. soil, I can't stop until I've succeeded. Just one thing I need, and I could totally use your help. I mean-"

"Yeah, no." Lupa had made up her mind. "Don't wanna know, don't care."

"Fine, I guess I'm alone."

"Don't try that guilt trip shit with me, idiot," Lupa slapped at him. "Now that I know you won't stay, I'll be happy to give you back that gun the idiot girl brought. Hey, who was she and what did you do?"

"Killed her uncle, the one giving the orders with Lisa from a distance."

"What, an affiliate of theirs?"

"He was more than that, he was the boss just above her, and he bought out the entire Kapacity Korp corporation."

"You..." She nodded slowly. "You've done the head in, that's good work. Okay-" Lupa took out the gun from behind her. "Here, I've kept it with me. I don't trust myself to leave it under the bed or hidden in a box."

Lincoln didn't hesitate to grab the gun, and checked the chambers. Five bullets as it had been left. "I appreciate it."

"We both still have enemies up there, so I'm guessing that's your mission, right? Wiping them all one person at a time."

"The monster killeth."

"Be on your way, man with a mission." Lupa tucked her hands in her sweater pockets and walked back to her job. "Come down when you're done. You can settle down and start over, and you know you need it. You need it."

"You might be right about that."

"Just don't bring any trouble or killing tools, that's all I could ask of you," she said, voice fading as she spoke. "Goodbye for now, I hope we will see each other again under better circumstances."

"Sure."

* * *

"Liberty?"

Liberty looked up from her porridge; there was Alex again, joining her on the table. "It's done, Liberty."

"Of course it is... Are we finally going home?"

Alex nodded. "Back to the present, yeah."

"How do you feel?"

Alex noticed the clone's red eyes. "Same way you do, but this is for the better. I didn't understand it at first, understood why he...-"

Liberty got up. "Don't hurt me."

"Sorry."

"Let's go then."

* * *

**Days Later - Niagara Falls**

An RV had rolled nearby and stopped. In it, only two occupants had gotten out, and the night had been close to reaching midnight. First to step out was Allison Taggart, the young girl mostly everyone had come to know her as Allie. She was tied up, arms only and at frontal position. She was forced out of there by Lincoln, but the engine had not been turned off, only set in park, headlights breaking the dark with their two spotlights, miniature ones right for a bug circus.

They advanced to the edge of the waterfall, and he had her back up right to the railing. She couldn't completely see the waterfall but she heard it. Mother nature was beautiful here, and she only then wished that she had seen enough- no, participated was more the right word here- to say that she lived a full life. The world was too big for someone as small as her, someone confined to a trailer to have an idea of the size and the many places out there waiting to be explored and experienced by her. This place was one less spot, and she enjoyed it. She closed her eyes and got in touch with it. This was where she was destined to die.

Lincoln pulled out Dylan Blood's revolver. "Are you ready?"

"Of all places, why here?" Allie set her tied hands on the railing. "It's so... Wrong for my grave. Look at it, it's so peaceful and natural."

"You want to know why?"

"Aren't I right?"

"They won't find your body," Lincoln dropped. "One shot and you'll be tossed over like the trash you chose to be."

A faint gasp escaped her throat.

"No one will find you."

"So... That's it, then?" Allie began breathing hard. "Like an animal..."

"No, not like an animal. You get two minutes to unload any burden vocally. Whatever had been consuming you, it'll help that you-"

"I- I don't want to die anymore!" Allie ran her hands up and down, repeatedly striking the railing. "I thought about ending my life! What reason did I have to live?! What reason, when my own dad was never there?! My own mom left me- She- She just-"

Lincoln kept the gun on her.

"And my uncle used me- He did, didn't he? You could tell me, can't you?! I've just been some tool to use- I know that now... I know that and I worked that boy Lemy, I used him and I used Nyla, too."

"Those two I've fought with you, right?"

"Yeah, them. I hate everything so much, it's all unfair. I got chances and I never lucked out. I never got lucky..."

"If things were different, girl..." He moved in and spun her around so she faced him. "I have given you a chance to better yourself, and you went after me to avenge someone who gave no shit for you."

"I'm- Okay- Okay! Do you want me to say sorry!?" Allie cried, tears steadily coming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time! I'll reform- I'll-!"

The gun went off once, thunder erupting from it to fill the perimeter. Where Allie's left eye once was had now been replaced by a meaty flesh found; the bullet dug deep inside her skull, burrowing into her brain. Her body jerked back into the railing, legs losing balance. Lincoln lowered the gun and picked up Allie from her shirt and put her over the railing. Before he let go to sacrifice her to Poseidon, he had a sorrow look on his face. _No, this wasn't your fault. I can admit it, I know you're just a victim here. You've been roped into this. My decision to kill you was to free you from this hell. I know you may never understand now, but you'll have all the time to... In the afterlife._

He dropped her, leaving her to be buried in the waters.

_This won't end... Not for any of us until we're all... Dead._

And he found reason to cry; he was alone again.


	72. Chapter 72

**August 2nd, 2030**

_Lindsey... Where did you go? _Lyle wondered as he entered the vacant house that once in name of the Jefferson family. Vacant, with a For Sale sign on the front lawn of the calm, blue, two-story home on Burton avenue. He knocked a few times but he found that it was unlocked for some reason. It was just him and he and Lindsey had separated days before, when the young man of pale skin and spiky hair had come tailing after them. He was crazy, and he was scary, too. Still, Lyle Edward Jefferson, the teenager with sandy-blonde hair that had not been cut in years, had come back home. No, the place he called home. He blinked and it was in the same status. No Liena. No mom or dad. No convertible that was made in the sixties in the driveway. No fucking dice.

Had they left something for him?

He went inside and he explored the entire house, starting at the main floor. Kitchen, empty. Bathroom on this floor, empty. Balcony could not have been left with any clue either, he disregarded it. Then, he made his way to the basement. Furnace was already catching dust and covered in cobwebs- that meant that it had been awhile since anyone stepped foot in here. Basement lights went out within five minutes, leaving him to stumble in the dark as he made his way back up again. If something was there, he missed it because it had gone dark. Curse him for not being Speedy Gonzalez.

Second floor, where the three bedrooms were. Nothing in the parental unit. Bathroom? Nope. Liena's room? Apart from a turquoise comb left behind, nothing. And then, the last place he could ever fear; his own private quarters.

He grabbed the bronze handle and turned it slowly and dramatically. Like all the other rooms, he expected to find nothing. Why would they leave something intentionally? Why, he could already see them and hear their arguments when they stepped foot here from time to time. They wondered his condition, his status. Hell, maybe even cops and detectives also entered this room. It was depressing to think about, to know that, in all the time he was gone, locked in a cell underneath ground, they mourned him heavily. They surely had to have cried and begged the gods above to return him safe and sound. And older sister Liena- What did Liena think? How devastated was she?

He pushed the door and let it go ajar widely, and he saw nothing there. He entered anyways, it was rather funny for him. Where there was a bed with a racecar cover, there was a pocket of space. Where there was a desktop and a gaming chair, there was space. His dresser, tan-white with five drawers on it, gone. His closet, full of clothes and the laundry basket beneath it to stuff his smelly clothes from school, gone. The posters of Halo and Call of Duty games, also gone. His life was gone, he was-

Who was he, if no longer Lyle?

He fell to his knees; he was too heartbroken and wished he never missed all that missing time. They moved on without him, that was the painful nature of all this. Liena and their parents had birthdays he missed, the parents had wedding anniversaries and went to dinner, never thinking of Lyle. The worse feeling in the world-

Lyle broke into heavy tears and succumbed onto the floor. He bawled his eyes out and wiped them away as fast as they were falling. The horrid concept where you just stopped existing to the people that gave birth to you, to the sister who made an oath to be with you until time said otherwise- it hurt him, it hurt him so much that it could have killed him. Given him a fatal heart attack.

He knew that they moved on, because if anything, they had moved. They had done what Lindsey's own family had done to her. He felt what she felt and now he needed her comfort, she could relate to his pain and remedy it by being there for him. Only, Lindsey was gone. Lindsey took another direction, ran another path- He believed that, but there was no way of knowing. Never.

_Give me a sign that you're still around... _

He kept crying, not noticing the shadow creeping into the room. Heather Eleanor White- Gloom- had come with a growling stomach. She licked her lips and decided Lyle was the next meal.

* * *

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter VI: Gloomy Night**

* * *

Lyle rolled down the stairs, tripping on a step while eluding the horrific girl with shark teeth. He got on all fours and tried to rush out the door- but Gloom came down soaring, avoiding all the steps to get him. "MEAT! LONELY MEAT, TASTY MEAT!"

"Tasty-?!" Lyle was flung back to the wall across from the front door, creating a crater where the bookshelf once was. How the girl was strong, he had no idea. His back caught pain, aching sorely all over. "What do you-?"

Gloom lunged at him, mouth wide open. "GLOOM IS HUNGRY!"

Lyle rolled to the side, frantic to escape her- _Wait, why am I trying to outrun her?! I have-_

Gloom jumped again, trying to devour him. She put out her hands to grasp as him, claw at him with her nails if she needed to. "HOLD STILL!"

Lyle let her have it, pushing himself off the ground with his special canine jaws brought out to play. They dug and bit into Gloom's neck when she landed, her hands pushing hard against Lyle's chest. She pulled back her hands and directed them onto his head, trying to pry his jaws from her neck.

"AGH, MY NECK!" Gloom scratched at Lyle's head, then thought to pull his hair. "LET GO! LET GO!"

Lyle drew blood.

"OW, THAT HURTS!"

Lyle let go; his ears could not withstand her crying. And he pushed her away, gaining space between them. "What business do you have breaking into my house?"

"Wha- Your house?" Gloom let out a confused moan, hands rubbing around her neck. "But this place is for sale-"

"Leave this house at once!" Lyle shouted, keeping his distance. "I don't wish to be bothered by... Strange girls with deformed teeth."

"MY TEETH?! WHAT- WHAT ABOUT YOUR TEETH?!" Gloom pointed at him and frantically shook. "THERE IS NO WAY!"

"Uh..."

"Wait... I know!" Gloom laid a hand flat and struck the other down down as a fist. "You're one of them, aren't you?! One of those phenos on the news!"

"Phenos?" He drew confusion. "I don't understand-"

"Those escapees from those horrible places!"

And he knew what she meant. "Oh... Oh, yeah..." And he grew visibly sad. "Yeah..."

Gloom gasped and frowned. "Whoa, uhhhh... I'm sorry-"

"What the-?" Lyle looked puzzled. "Weren't you just attacking me?"

"I'm a woman of many-" But she coughed violently, drooling blood- and vomited buckshot. "Oh, God."

"You're one of us?'

"W-well-" Gloom had bent over, making a mess in the living room. "Yeah, m-more or less-"

"Could you take this to the kitchen sink? Or maybe just get out?"

Gloom wretched out more in front of him. She spilled her blood and intestines gruesomely before him. Lyle acted quickly and dragged Gloom to the kitchen, not having her barf her insides all over his old home. "Thank you!"

"You're crazy, you know that?!" He dropped her head over the sink and turned the faucet on, letting water run down. Gloom was then cupping water to her mouth and cleaning her face. "What were hoping to accomplish here?"

"Kill and eat you," Gloom lightly answered. "I want you, I want food, I'm-"

"You... Eat people?" Lyle felt his insides rattle, his stomach churning from the fact. This girl was a freak. More or less, she said, so maybe she was a pheno. But she couldn't have been... Right? "Do you?"

"Dead or alive, I consume the flesh of my own kind, yes," Gloom answered through the water in her mouth. She finally closed the faucet and wiped her mouth dry, turning to him. "Thanks for that-"

"Excuse me?" Lyle crossed his arms. "I didn't do it for you, but for the house! This is my house and you've come here an intruder."

"Your house?" Gloom grinned, showing her shark teeth again. "This place is empty, waiting to be sold."

"Now, but before... It wasn't."

Gloom rubbed again on her neck, the teeth marks having vanished now. "Oh, so this was your place? I get it now."

"Where'd you come from?"

"Everywhere," Gloom replied, looking at him with hungry eyes. "Didn't think I'd be running into one of those mutates out there. Bet you'd put up much of a fight, so I think I'll call this a draw." Gloom strolled out of the kitchen- but Lyle grabbed her by her dress and kept her there. "What?"

"Hang on, I still want to talk."

"Well, I don't!" Gloom jerked him away and in doing so, she ripped her new dress. "Hey! You meanie!"

"Agh, oops!"

Gloom raced her hands over her back. "I can't reach it! Where is-? Oh!"

"Serves you right," Lyle pleasantly said. "You're not going anywhere."

"As if you have any say in what I do!" Gloom brushed him away and made an attempt to leave again. She would not find her lunch here, and he was getting what he'd wanted. "Goodbye, freak."

"No!" Lyle followed after her, running like a dog on all fours, circling her to block the front door. "Hold on, you! I won't allow you to leave and find someone else if it is as you say!"

"Hmm?" Gloom crossed her arms, her breasts being crushed visibly. "Get out of my way! You're lucky I won't waste my time with you! And what do you care if I take someone else? That should be of no concern of yours!"

"Well, it is because it's wrong!" Lyle protested. "What you're doing has a name. Cannibalism! And it is a crime, the last time I've checked."

"Crime?" Gloom had a scarier laugh. "You dare call survival crime? By that logic, we're all offenders! Hey, you should know all about that, too! You've been locked up and freed some months ago, right? You're just like me, you're a survivor with those freak abilities and those freak physical traits and you have the gull to call me out?! Are you some sort of hypocrite?!"

"No," he shook. "I don't go eating people, miss. That's a crime against humanity."

"Crime against-" Gloom had underwent a series of darker changes since Dadetown. Things mattered not to her. Everyone who was caught in the range of her deadly shark teeth was dead. If they fought back- just like Lyle- no biggie, she'd move on and take to another place and lie in wait for the next victim. "I guess I'm a danger to all mankind, pffffft."

"I didn't say that-"

"If I could eat the whole world's population, you would be right."

He shivered; she meant it in the coldest way possible. "You can be changed, I'm sure they're working on a cure, then-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Gloom held up the index finger from her right hand. "I'm not one of you, we just have similarities, I could so easily pass myself off as one of you."

"It's that easy?" Lyle stood up now, but had not moved. "Is... Eating easy?"

"I tend not to care anymore," Gloom honestly revealed.

"Well, you're looking at someone who does! A life's a life, and I value my own greatly. And if I can learn to do that, I can with everyone else. How dare you take that from them..."

Gloom had not been seeking to have a moral debate over this. "I want to live, too. I eat to survive-"

"BLASPHEMY!"

"It's unfair, so get over yourself, youngster."

"THAT'S YOUR JUSTIFICATION?!" Lyle didn't know what to do, but his bodily instinct said to go and attack her. Maybe he could have bested her when it came right down to it- Stop her and hand her off to the cops or whoever qualified to handle these matters. He rushed her and she sprung high, hands reaching the ceiling, and landed at the base of the door. She turned the knob and pulled- "How can I let you leave-"

She took a step outside.

"-when you could endanger the girl I've escaped with?"

Gloom halted her movements, hand still on the knob. "Girl?"

"I wasn't alone-"

Gloom turned to sniff the air inside. "I don't smell anyone else."

"That's because I've lost her, the girl I was supposed to be protecting, and I royally messed up by losing her..."

Gloom began to catch on his secret message. "Oh, I think I finally understand your anger. You're worried that I'll..." She nodded slowly. "Okay, okay..."

"The odds are never impossible these days," Lyle believed. "We were both kidnapped, experimented on and survived all their tests. You know about us, but were you aware that plenty of people died in those cold places?"

"I... I didn't-"

"What chance did we have to survive, right?" Lyle grit his teeth. "She is thirteen right now, and I'm seventeen. We've been there for the last four years, care to do the math?"

"Oh..." Gloom closed the door back shut. "You don't like the idea of her facing dangers alone. You could try to stop me but it'll just be one less danger for her out there. Big world, big number of obstacles."

"Still, you're inhuman. That's enough reason-"

"What was her name?"

"Don't sidetrack me!"

"I'll make sure not to eat her if I come across her," Gloom proposed. "Name and face features?"

"But you're still gonna-"

"Then fight me if it means that much to you!" Gloom then offered. "I don't plan to stop, I've always loved the taste of human flesh for years! Do you think you're the first male to demand that of me?! You think you're the first who wanted me to change?! I won't! I am who I am and no one should ever expect me to be any different! You know why?! Because... Because everyone else eventually leaves me!" Her mind had raced to Jerry Cruise, the man of white hair and a stone-cold nature.

_Everyone else eventually leaves me, she says. Everyone else... Who was everyone else to a thing like her?_

"I'm sorry, is this where I'm supposed to feel sympathy for you? Are you kidding me?"

"This is the part where you understand your effort is futile!"

"I'll try again, I don't believe that!"

"Then you'd have to chase me, won't you?" Gloom put his skills and determination to the test by running out as fast as she could. He gave chase, starting on two feet yet. He lost his way from home. Down these familiar streets. Past the old Hayden home. Past the Mulligans. Past the Tones. All these houses had changed in the time he was gone, he had seen to it. He noticed and compared them. Of course he had known that not everyone had remained. Out of all neighbors, maybe less than half still lived there- and not any of the remainders had noticed Lyle. Maybe they were at work or taking a nap. Lyle Edward Jefferson had come home for the first time in years and no one had welcomed him. No one had noticed him, if anyone had.

Gloom had been enjoying herself, laughing merrily along the sidewalk. Lyle raced to catch up to her, and five blocks away from his old place, he was right on her, reaching a hand out to finally stop her. And Gloom jotted her head to the side, saw him too close, and bounced up into the air, soaring ten feet above. Lyle had nearly fallen over, but slowed down and circled around below her. _She can actually fly! Good Lord, what more surprises do You have in store for me?'_

"What's wrong, can't you fly?" Seemed Gloom didn't care about being seen. In her own mind she had known phenos weren't a secret anymore. She used that as an excuse to be more freer than she had before. And she had been spotted time to time in these past few weeks, flying as high as a bird heading south for the winter. "What could you do?"

"Come down here and I'll show you!"

"Why be on your feet when you can be up here?" Gloom tossed the peace sign with her fingers, winking and giggling. "Maybe you'd like to see it with me. Tell me, Mister Doggy Boy, have you ever been high enough to see the world? It's so big and wide, you could never believe its size."

"No, I have never. Not even from a plane."

"Plane..." Gloom rubbed her chin. "Those flying things..."

_Flying things...? _Lyle cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe someday I will see it from your angle."

"Yeah, I have a better idea!" Gloom fell back down to earth, right in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him and then flew back up. The special guest gasped but didn't try to budge free; he'd have a painful drop if he did just that, so Lyle stayed calm and let her do what she wanted. And what she wanted was to show him what she could see when she soared higher to the clouds. "You're surprisingly lighter than I thought you'd be! Talk about a twig."

"I've always been scrawny, what do you want from me?"

"Take a look, tell me it isn't pretty."

And Lyle looked around. The sun, the skyline, the entire board of landscape down- this part of the world was colorful and calm. He saw that the goth-looking girl was right. The air was fresher up here. Colder somehow but more purified here, more relieving. He had no idea how to explain it. And he didn't need to; she knew it all too well. "It's... Cool up here."

"What if I decided to drop you?" Gloom giggled. "Would you like to freefall by yourself?"

"No- No!" Lyle begged. "I don't want to!"

"What if I'd catch you?"

"Stop playing with me!" Lyle chortled. "It's not how I'd want to go."

"I promise I'll catch you, really!"

"No!"

"Why? Why, when you belong down there anyway?" Gloom touched his mind, infiltrated through the cracks. "You've always been there, confined to grounds. Cement, grass, carpet- and never up here. Are you telling me you don't want to go back down?"

"Not when I could be killed!"

"Think less about the dying and more about the falling."

"Same thing!'

Gloom released her hold on him, letting him take a dive out of the sky. "It isn't."

""HEEEEEEY!" Lyle plummeted down, screaming while the winds smacked his face and blew his hair like a pack of streamers.

"AND CLOSE YOUR MOUTH!" Gloom let herself fall face-first, chasing after Lyle this time. "DON'T WORRY, I'VE GOT YOU!"

Not how he'd imagine he would die. He could become street pizza, if he was lucky. No telling where he could land- die. Die. Of any places down there- but Gloom caught him, lifted him up with both hands and stopped him from having a messy death. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE?!"

"The idea was for you to have fun!"

"WHAT FUN IS THAT?!"

"Why, the fun kind, silly!" She made a cute, happy face along with her statement. "Wowee, wasn't that simply amazing?"

"You're insane!" Lyle's heart beat so fast it was ready to break free from his ribcage. "Leave me alone! Set me down and just leave me alone!"

"Don't tell me that wasn't fun! It was! The adrenaline, the breathtaking dive! The-"

"PUT ME DOWN!"

"Okayyyyy..." Gloom came down over a park and dropped Lyle next to a tree, witnessed by some kids and their parents. She didn't care at first but Lyle had spotted a handful of curious critters suddenly charge at them with cheery, content expressions. His first thought was that they'd put themselves in danger of being eaten by the shark-toothed man-eater. He had been too shaken up yet to get up and stand steady; he lied on his side among the tree, breathing hard still. "Hey, it looks like we've been noticed!"

"Hey..." Lyle reached out and tugged on her dress. "Don't hurt these children!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Gloom slapped his hands away. "I mean, these ones are too young. Teenagers, on the other hand-"

Lyle winced, heart skipping a beat.

Gloom faced the fascinated kids who gasped and looked to her in wondrous awe. A few of those boys there waved their arms up and wanted to be picked up. Gloom smiled and laughed and complied to their demands, levitating only ten feet and taking two at a time like she was some ride at an amusement park. She spun around for further joy, and went back down to repeat it. But the parents that had shown up slowly made their way over to voice their inevitable concerns. Lyle had no idea what was to be, but he gulped. Gloom didn't seem to be raving human limbs just yet, but he kept a close watch from down there.

"Hey, you! Put those kids down!"

Gloom had stopped spinning for the fifth time and came back down, letting the boy and the girl whom held tightly onto her go. The kids retreated like a pack, but the group was replaced with another- and the second one was hostile, the opposite of the kids. Her smile faded, the enthusiasm leaving her like Elvis Presley leaving the building. "Sorry, thought we could all use the fun!"

"She's one of those beings on the news!"

"What were they called? Phenoms or something?"

Gloom laughed nervously. "Oh, c-come on, I'm not a danger for the little boogers-"

"Get out of here, we don't want your kind!"

Gloom raised her hands at them. "I'm not here to-"

"Leave the park, witch!"

"Fly away like you were just doing!"

Lyle finally got up. "Hey-"

"Go away, demon bird!"

"Witch!"

"Worthless pheno-girl!"

"Filth!"

Gloom backed into the tree, where Lyle then saw a new expression on her face; pain and sadness, on the brink of tears. She retreated, driven away by the scornful wrath of the parent collective. From there, they turned their heated attention to Lyle. "Hey, boy, are you one of them too? Were you with her?"

He shook his head quickly. "No, I can't fly."

"Wait," one of them, a father had noticed, "I know that face! By God Almighty, Lyle Jefferson, is that you?!"

Lyle blinked a few times and had not identified the man yet. "Yes- Yes, it is..." The fact that he had now been recognized should have made him smile, but the joy did not come. "I'm sorry, I- I don't know who you are. I can't-"

"Lyle, you don't recognize me?" To the others, he spun and said, "it's okay, he lives here."

"Lives...?" Lyle brushed himself off. "But my house is empty."

"Oh, have you gone to your old house on Burton? Your folks have moved, but they're still here, they just relocated just east of here. A house on Camden street, I believe."

"What- They're here?!" Hope had begun to fill in him.

The firm, nice man had changed his eyes. "You have been away, haven't you? Dear Lord, do not tell me that it was them, wasn't it?"

Lyle exhaled through his nostrils and said nothing to this, as much as he wanted to. "I'd love to see my family, that I know."

"Go, Lyle..." The strange man put his right arm out and pointed to the end of the park. "They await you."

"Yeah... I bet they are..." He looked up, hoping to spot Shark Teeth again. She wasn't there. "But I have something to do first."

He returned to his old house first, the center where most memories were made. Here, where the birthdays happened. The past Christmas holidays. New Year's Eve. Thanksgiving. Many of those, enough of those. He'd sit in a table where his mother recited a prayer and they blessed God for the wonderful gift. He'd fall asleep dreaming of Santy Claus! All the presents underneath the triangle tree, as he called it, would be there wrapped in colorful wrapping paper, waiting to be torn, and the anticipation had him excitement. He spent it all with family, a perfect family. Liena would hug him, love him, help him up to a chair and serve him that hot cocoa mother made. Why, even now, he could feel how warm and tight her hugs were. And that smile was just as motherly as that of the missus of the family. Lyle thought he saw Liena briefly and raised his hand to grab her hand- and it was just a hallucination being played from his mind; he was tired and he was missing her just the same.

And then... He had a darker thought; four years later, just how had Liena changed? _You got older, but how older and... What's new? Why don't I get to know before I come in? Do you all... Is there a possibility that I'm dead to you all? Do you guys have a blank casket in my name? Do you...?_

His next thought was to get to the cemetery first, to see if his conclusion was valid or not. And part of him had been butterfly-in-the-stomach scared to go and see. It just could not be just or fair if it was true.

Gloom had entered and leaned against the wall silently, but she made her presence known. "You came back here... Why?"

"Ahhh! Jeez, can't you knock?" Lyle had exhausted breath on Gloom now. "What did you want? I thought you had gone."

"Could say the same about you and this place," Gloom huffed. "Will you answer my question?"

"I've come to say goodbye before I left forever."

"Oh..."

"Are you stalking me now?"

"No, not at all..." Gloom pointed up. "Did you see the world from my perspective?"

"I did and it was scary!"

"Why was it scary?"

"Um, hello?! I was falling!"

"Well, that too but you missed my whole point."

"I don't-" Lyle stopped and put his head down, hand covering it. "Okay, okay, enough of your games. Could you please just tell me why, and don't feed me that 'fun' crap. That was not fun, not in any way."

"Alright..." Gloom did a 360 degree turn and made a circle with her finger. "All of this, the entire earth, the ground- we start here when we're all born. Correct?"

"Duh."

"And gods are up there, they can move up and down, but they are not here, right?"

"Yes, they're powerful-"

"I wasn't born like this, you see... I've been remolded and I can fly. Essentially, I am able to move up."

"Yeah...?"

"I thought I was happy to be able to do that, and I did it on my earliest days, but... I had to learn the hard way that it was just me in the skies. And the gods are too far away for me to reach. Always."

"Sorry, I don't have a tissue for you."

"Wanted you to see what I see everytime I go up. The entire globe looks peaceful but what does that mean when you're alone, with no one to see it with?"

"Well, you dropped me...! I didn't have time to-"

"Because you cared too much about being down there. You're too scared to fly, too scared to go high, if you had this power."

"Where is this coming from?! Do you hear yourself?!"

"Fly with me again."

"No!" Lyle shrieked. "I don't know what your game is!"

"I just want to see you ascend."

"What?!"

"Fly, for once."

"I-"

"Don't be afraid of the fall."

_The fall... What is this fall she actually refers to? _

**Later**

He went down that path, crossing sidewalks and passing streets he had never seen before. Looked at the street names, tried to find that one he'd been told. And he found that street; it was then a matter of finding out which house it was. He looked thoroughly, but he didn't need to for long. One of the driveways had a familiar Cadillac resting right on the driveway. This was it, this was the one.

This was where Lyle could be re-integrated into society. _It's you! After all this time!_

Lyle took a step into the path from the street to the front porch, taking longingly to reach the door to knock. He had a wide smile placed on, already picturing how perfect today could be. Perhaps it could have been- but he froze when his formed fist was just ready to signal the household of his presence. Who was in there? Would they be happy? Surprised? Why did they move eastwards?

And he thought of Lindsey. _Wait... She's still out there, lost and alone. She needs me._

There was conflict there. One outcome or the other, when there should not have been. He had an obligation here that he had not been bothering. And why was that?

_Don't be afraid of the fall._

Lyle couldn't make up his mind. Returning home and live the rest of his life in peace. And then, on the other hand, Lindsey Sweetwater was by herself. Scared and alone, he believed. Wait, how did he get here and forgot about her? Why did he-?

_The fall._

Lyle began to pant. It worked into his body.

_Fall. _

He looked down in confusion before his mind made up. Walking through that door made him selfish, and leaving, selfless. The hunt for her had to go on.

"Don't be afraid to fall..." Gloom had followed him. "Not from this."

"Why do you follow me?"

"You make me curious, that's all. I want to see where you go and if you remember you want to stop me."

"You could fly and there would be no way-"

"I don't feel like flying now." Gloom set her hands behind her back. "What about you? What are you going to do here? Try to catch up to me or fall for her?"

He blinked, twitched. "Fall for her... Fall from this path. That's what you've meant."

"I mean many things," Gloom corrected. "And nothing at all."

"Are you always this cryptic?"

"You'll never know."

Lyle looked back at the door, and then the street. Home. Lindsey. Old life. The life of another. "Which one...? Which one?" Then- "No, I'm sorry, I have to hold off on this..."

Lyle backed away from the home and sprinted away. _I need to find you, I need to take you and lead you home before I can come home. I need to-_

Gloom followed him, but he made no effort to fight her off.

_I need to fall from this path to save the only girl I know depended on me. I- I failed her, and I will have done so without redeeming myself if I-_

"I'm coming with you!"

"Like heck you are!"

"I'll make it easier for you by giving myself up so that you can keep watch on me. I'm sure you would like that little compromise."

"You're not letting this go, are you?"

"Oh, I don't plan on letting you go, my dear. I'll follow you to see where you'll take me."

"What about eating people?"

"Oh, I'm hungry!" Gloom showed, rubbing her stomach. "But I've gone long without eating so I'll hold off. And don't worry, I won't try you or the girl."

"You're still concerning."

"Tehe, that's fine! By the way, what's your name?"

"Don't!"

"I'm Gloom!" she happily answered as if he had shared his. "Well, it's what I wanna be called. My real name, I've begun to hate it."

"Alright," he said uncaringly. "As much as I don't want to, it beats going into some wild goose chase. I only say yes because I can have a say on your meals now."

"Still have to eat."

"Then we can dumpster dive grocery outlets!" Lyle suggested. "They toss meat that isn just about to expire! You can stuff yourself like a king."

"Sorry... What's dumpster diving?"

"Hoo boy..." He rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long journey. And this first night, a gloomy night.

**Night**

Gloom chewed her way through the packaging and ate the temperature meat. It was lukewarm and too mushy but she gobbled it down messily. Lyle preferred this over her chewing on legs and arms and anything else of a living person, even as disgusting as it was. She made too many slopping noises just the same, and he lied down on the living room of the empty house. Why it hadn't been sold yet, he didn't know.

"I'm sorry, do you not have manners?"

"I did, once," she answered him, spilling bit and pieces of ribs over the floor. "Manners were part of the old world. This is the Dark Renaissance now. Everyone seems to want the one thing these days."

"One thing?" Lyle scoffed, hearing a joke from her. "I'm part of that everyone, so what do I want if you're so confident and smart?"

"Well..." Gloom took her next bites slow. "I don't know... I'm not sure yet, I can't read you well. You're different from the others."

"Others?"

Gloom wiped her mouth and lowered her package of frank sausages. "Awhile back, I've been kept in a basement by this sheriff in a Colorado town. He'd kill offenders and lawbreakers. You know, people he figured nobody would miss. He'd drop them down and had me eat them as long as I served his needs. To him, I was a tool and a sex toy, not a girl who wanted to live."

"You... You were...?" Lyle sat upright and shivered, facing her.

"The natural order of things is to kill or be killed, that's what I've understood. But for me, I was the better of the two. I was a predator but with this man- this cruel sheriff, he made me feel like weak prey. I didn't know it before, I don't know if it was pure ignorance or I just chose not to accept that my own free will had been taken."

"Jeez, I... I don't know what to say? What... What happened next?"

"A knight in shining armor came to my rescue, of course."

"And he saved you?"

"Well, yes- He busted me out and presented to me a new deal. Together we flipped the town upside down and brought all the conspirators to justice. The sheriff's friends were trying to make him some bad guy with propaganda and trickery but he plowed through it all. But..." Gloom sighed. "I've bled for him, I've taken maybe one or two bullets for him, and he just gave me up. I know he intended to leave me to the right people but I didn't want him to leave. I wish he said goodbye- I can't remember if he did- And I wish I had the chance to tell him that I've developed feelings for him. The kicker here was that he was over eighteen, and that's called... Well, you know."

"Oh..."

"I have a shameful tendency to fall in love with the guys that aren't good for me..." Gloom shook her head with a touch of sadness. "The very first man I've ever been with is the one who did this to me-" Gloom tossed her meat away from her. "It's true, they can call me a monster and a cannibal and- Hey, a vampire, too. Hell, I'm just like a vampire, I know that. But I still bleed, I still hurt and I long for a companion. I long..."

Lyle listened to her needs with his heart.

"I want to fly as close to the ground so the next flier won't be afraid to go the altitude I usually soar at. I want..."

Lyle moved closer to Gloom, now being reeled in by her emotional state. Again, Gloom wiped herself and set her hands on her lap. "I know what you need," he told her, then laid his hand on the side of her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were more than just some carnivorous fiend, Gloom."

"I just want someone who can stay, someone who could..." She knew her words but she could not say it to him. He didn't need to; he leaned in and closed his eyes and she knew where this was going and accepted it with welcoming hands.

They shared their first kiss. Glyle.

* * *

**AN: I said it to the threads, had plans for Glyle and another ship (spoiler) built in for the same arc. They know where I'm going with this and I've actually, once, specified what direction I would be going. Of course, they thought I was Flagg so they cannot link it back to me LOL. Glyle y'all, done weirdly but I've done my best. **

**Next chapter would have been posted by the time you've scrolled down here. Unless you just scrolled down right away. Shame on you. **


	73. Chapter 73

**Disclaimer; written for fictional purposes. Disclaimer #2; started writing this long before I got to this act. This has been sitting around since Act III at the least. Disclaimer #3; this is told through the original (first) Lincoln's eyes.**

* * *

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter VII: Lincoln Loud's War Diary**

_However long I've been being a Freight I don't know exactly, but I spent some years, so there's that. It's not like we have access to time and dates. We hide out in this place, this ugly and smelly factory that's been run down and abandoned way back when. _

_I've had my fair share of knowledge of guns and other unconventional, homemade weapons. Let me get right into that._

_The first gun I've ever held was a Glock 17, and in the same day it was Lori and I who were practicing off of it, sharing just the one and running on only three clips. We were in a field with some trees a few yards away. Lori wasted a clip before I did, and even when she did that, I could tell she was scared of how loud the noise was. When it was my turn, I, too, had the same fear, or maybe calling it an irritable distraction might have also been best. We hit a few trees, but some bullets had to have missed. We weren't that good right off the bat, even though I distinctly remember Lori telling me she had some practice before coming here. _

_The Freights had more guns, of course, rather than just one pistol and limited weapons. Turns out they've been mugging anyone they knew had guns. Shotguns, many handguns, rifles even, and in one such case, Chandler had a damn M60, and it landed on our arsenal. _

_I got to see what they had. Only, they had no fortifications to guard them, when no one was able to, so it was no surprise to my eyes that all guns were scattered on the floor of the re-used storage room, as if we were Taliban terrorists, messily hiding our armory like this. The idiot Chandler was sure we could not be robbed, however. _

_Among these weapons, I scavenged through and picked up a double barrel. The gun was still loaded, and Chandler dodged nervously when I moved out of the storage room with it. Idiot. _

_Because I knew jack shit about these, he allowed me to take practice. No. He was acting to mold me, to sell me his ideas of destroying the world one bomb at a time. To make victims so that his little army of lost, broken souls could expand his power and influence. With this kind of thinking and emotional manipulation, he could have had possibly destroyed a third of the nation, maybe even half. Thinking about it now had made me really sick. _

_And I'm glad I killed them all to this day. _

_No one, and I mean no one should have to go through that type of tragedy. I, of all people, can say for certain that I truly understand it, and what it does after. Always. That's why I turned my back on them and defied their very ideals. All of them, victims. Chandler. Cristina. Dana. Rebekka. Fiona. My sister Lori. They fell... And then, so did I. I fell, but this place where I was now, was I still falling? _

_I took the double barrel with me to practice, as well as an M14, the standard-issue semi-automatic rifle that I thought I recognized from a video game. Only, I knew this was no game, and the recoil on it might have done my younger body by surprise. Turns out they aren't just set for semi-auto. I targeted the same trees, hit more than with the popguns. Only, there was a trick that even from the games I knew; I held my breath and steadied the rifle, taking this from when the players would do with the sniper rifles. It proved to help, of course, but the accuracy and handling did need improving on my part. I vowed to get better... If I didn't right off the bat run out of the only rounds this clip had. Oops. _

_Next was the double barrel, which no one knew the real name to. I suspected it had an official name, but back then I just didn't know what it was. For this one, I had to get up close and personal, as I was sure this shotgun was not made for long-range combat. I went and aimed at a tree that I hadn't hit yet, for the other one was ravaged with bullets. _

_Lori, who had been watching me, followed close, but not too close. I held the shotgun firmly in my hands before firing. The thing about this weapon was that it had two triggers condensed into one, meaning I had to be fast with them to get max damage, and to master whatever bounce-back I would receive. Oh, I fired, hit the tree, and had the thing come out of my hands, falling onto the ground. Well, at least I got my answer and a general idea on what to expect. _

_Needless to say, I went on to master it more. _

_Someone from the wide group in our ranks had killed a black drug dealer some time ago, and stole his whip. The dealer's car trunk had a bunch of Uzis, AKs, and some revolvers, the rifles being of both regular and compact versions, __small enough to supply a private army. _

_I decided to test out the Uzi first. It was the same type you'd see in gangster movies. Small but not unnoticeable. I first tested with semi mode, tapping repeatedly into the trees. One. Two. Hit. Hit. Three. _

_Miss. _

_Impossible, I wasn't that far away... _

_The rest of them, I sprayed with full auto. Gunsmoke formed at the barrel. I thought I overheated the thing and dropped it. My dumbass had so much to learn. Lori was laughing in the background. At least she was having a good time. _

_The AK-47, a black variant, differentiated from the regular one I've seen in so many games. Truthfully, I didn't know that there had been different types of AKs back then. There was the AK-74, AKM, this one, and a few more I didn't really consider as part of that family. The grip was from, and the stock on my shoulder felt pretty nice. I didn't bother to check back then that it had setting preferences; or, put simply, I thought all automatics only fired automatics. Turned out most of them had select fire options on the side of the guns. I never really played Battlefield back then either, and that was because my friends bitched about the recoil and gameplay. Thanks, Liam. _

_If only they could see me now. Except Clyde, he knew how that went. _

_I double-tapped just as I did with the Uzi, and grew liking it. The rifle was pretty loud, but I had to suck it up and take the ringing. And right before I let out my sixth shot, I spotted a majestic gazelle, prancing like a lost, deaf animal. It moved smoothly through the forest where the trees marked. I had the funny idea to practice on a live target. _

_"Lincoln..." That was Lori's response, who had somehow read my mind back then. She knew my plans, and knew I wasn't going to back down. She came running, but I was faster. I heard her footsteps close in as I aimed and-_

_I fired, but she ran into me like I was her enemy. And to tell you the truth, if I was one second late, the gazelle might have been breathing today. Whether it hurt Lori or not was of no concern of mine; I scored the team deer meat for the entire day, and I did so with this rifle I hadn't touched before. _

_Maybe Lori might've been afraid of what I was able to do. Granted, I could not blame her if it was like that. I've come a long way, but I turned a new leaf, that's for sure. The Freight life was done, so no more hurting of the innocents. _

_And yet- Even after I had killed that animal, I returned to fire the bullets of the rifle, shooting my own soul and morality away in the process. Hmmm. _

_I distinctly remember I wanted to fuck with the light machine gun, a mesmerizing beauty with the sound of thunder that it erupted, but Chandler made it off-limits, a let-down for me._

_When I inquired about suppressors, I've been told that none of them actually worked the way you would see in movies and games. Right before I got here, they did have one for the M60, but the thing tore off when a full belt had been fired, tearing away at it by the burned-out barrel. I wondered if there were any actual good suppressors out there. Just in case. _

_Apart from the whole gun training, we collectively had to learn to fight with our fists, and would then advanced to knives and other melee weapons. _

_For knives, the combat training was tricky; we had to constantly keep moving our arms to land strikes and avoid strikes. This was basic Krav Maga at its finest, and with my then-lover Rebekka, I flourished past an amateur. Apart from this, I've been given a run down of where to strike. The human body had a few weak points to hit, brief examples of these being the neck, behind the knees, the side of the abdomen, and lastly, right in between the ribs. We threw that into the mix and made it an objective to strike each other in those places with the fake knives on us. _

_I had good old Becky flipped over when she came in like a crazy bitch, to which I dropped the fake knife and had her in a lock as she fake-stabbed the backside of my waist. I then grabbed her knife and beat her when I ran it across her neck. That impressed the other Freights right away, and later, I was given advice that I should jam my knife into the neck rather than a clean slitting. Like I said, media was bullshit, which also brought upon some form of suspicion as to why and how he knew exactly what he knew. Back then, it advanced to me theorizing good old Redboy had some indirect ties to the military._

_We could make weapons in disguise, and that's frankly what we did. We used zips- the store-bought brand- to put four wrenches into an umbrella, making a custom baton hard enough to create blunt-force trauma on whoever was unlucky to be kissed upside the head by the thing. We also reinforced it with lovely duct tape, later to save it for practice._

_Next was this weird weapon that didn't feel too promising; if I remember it right, it was basically a small bat made from a newspaper folded and taped together, with a nail sticking out. I didn't like this one, for the strength of it seemed weak for my taste. But it didn't look like a weapon at first glance, so that was something, if I were to be honest. _

_At this point, I can't be bothered to remember them all. Ugh, I'm getting old._

_So there was this book in existence. It was called The Anarchist Cookbook, the most dangerous book in the world. It had been banned in most places, and a heavily edited copy of it existed just for show, to prove how censored the government goons were- So Cristina claimed. It had the instructions on how to create bombs, wage war- anything that sounded and felt associated with terrorism, one could say. Maybe in good hands, it could be the guide to raise guerrilla warriors in the phenos and fight their battles. Oh, I would love to find the book and send it to Grimmtown. Lupa and the girls could use the Rambo tactics. _

_Anyways, back to the hand-mades._

_Molotovs. Explosive little things, they were. Alcohol and rags? If you think that would be all that was needed to make one, you'd be dead wrong. The third ingredient to it, the most essential, was soap shavings. Get Dove bars, slice them up into rectangular shavings, and dump them in with the liquid content inside. The idea was that the shavings were sticky enough to latch onto the clothes of your targets, making it harder for them to put out the fire- and there would not be any escape from that danger either way. Just make sure you have a survival knife with you at all times._

_So by then, I had a feel on shooting guns, and some fighting and using hand-helds. Next was bombs- Various ranges in blast size, some either of stuff we had, or the DIY types when resources were depleted. Claymore, C4 packs, TNT- we had so little of that, which surprised me. TNT was stripped of its gunpowder, serviced for a different type of explosive. The specifics weren't known to me at the time, but small ones, in the shape of water bottles, cylinders, and even, at one time, a soda can, had sat on one of the tables. These were just the beta testing, and the cycle was repeated for Lori and I to see and learn, right before they'd resupply and recreate it again with the real thing. In other words, these bombs were just for show, toys that I could use as target practice as long as I was far from their range._

_Yes, the M14 never missed hitting the nine bombs on another trial run- and I set them up in the middle of the field over placing them in the forest. Like fuck, we didn't need a forest fire, much less the attention to it. I was closer to the base and felt the eyes of mostly everyone watching me, even Lori. My aim got better, but only because I didn't squander it, breathed correctly and did my best to keep the alignment as straight as possible. No shots had strayed, and it blew me away, too, even. Me, and the pretty Becky as well. Becky, the nickname I had given the Russian girl. We had our nights as often as we'd look at each other. Becky, sweet Becky... The mother of my child we gave up and placed in an orphanage, which was so long ago. My daughter had been, is, and will always be better off without me, that's what I always believe. _

_I'm sorry, Laika._

_The MK3 grenade is a concussion grenade that kills when the pin is pulled. The idea is to drop one when you're cornered by a mob of enemy personnel- just make sure you get to cover before it goes off. The shockwave kills on instant, and none of us have ever used these in practice. We just have to remember to pull the pin, toss it and cover. It's awfully big and gray-white, not one of the round green ones were accustomed to seeing._

_Then there's- _

(**Notes stop here)**


	74. Chapter 74

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter VIII: Alienated**

* * *

_Dear diary, _

_today is a good day so far and im really excited more than everrrrr! Eight grade graduation is today and mom dad and Lyle are gonna be there cheering for me as i walk with my nest friends. We're gonna go to the ice cream shop and weve planned to watch movies, one of the scary ones too. never seen a scary movie in a theaters before so of course im nervous. Anyways im so happy, this is the day that will put me on the way to high school. _

_Love, Liena J._

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_Eeeeeek! First day of summer! After this comes high school and im so not ready, but ive been told by Shelleys older sister that there are school castes that make high school a different experience than middle school. I dont know what a caste is but i think ill know it when i see it. Anyways, me and my girls went out to the ice rink in town with James Young and some of his friends. Omg i love James Young, i want to have his babies. Perfect blue eyes and blond hair and-_

_He is sooooo dreamy, capiche? This night was one great night! Sleeping now. _

_Xoxo, Liena J._

* * *

_Dear diary, _

_I've started out and i found out that the halls are arranged by alphabet. A wing. B wing. C wing. You name it. Its weird but its smart of the facalltee or facaltie. I have periods, seven- and thats not including the period I have. I hate being a girl, I have to wear tampons and try training bras. Omg bras are painful, i wish i could make my boobies just stay up the way they do when im laying down in my bed. But wishes r horses. Id be so embarrassed if my little brother found this diary and red this entry. Omg i cant with him. Hes a dork._

_So anyways, high school seems pretty straightforward but its only day #1. Only 179 more days to go. I hope i don't get bullied_

_Love, Liena J._

* * *

_Dear diary,_

_Its my fifteenth birthday!_

_Love, Liena J._

* * *

_Deary diar_

_...so um... Ive lost my virginidy to Edwin Forrester... And I was bleeding and i was crying and it hurt... I dont know who to tell and im scared because mom n dad told me never to lay down with a boy until i was eighteen or older and... Oh god, it hurt down there when he put his weenie in me. I dont know who to tell but i can still feel a warm liquid suddenly fill me in deep, and there was this white goo that trickled right before i bled. _

_Im scared and i dont know what to do or who to go to. Mom and dad will be angry with me and i dont want to disapoint them..._

* * *

_still havent told them_

* * *

_still havent told anyone_

* * *

_im losing my mind, i cant keep this locked up... I can still feel the weenie wiggling in my vagina. God help me._

* * *

_Dear diary_

_Im back after spending Christmas with the cousins. It was fun. Daddy got silly drunk and Lyle was playing legos with the younger ones. We sang and we laughed and everyone was passing that yucky fruitcake with coke. Personally i dont like that cake but i had to suck it up to please aunt Jenna. I dont like aunt Jenna, shes obnoxious and loud like nobodys busines. I had to carry lyle to the car, he exhausted himself before it was ten. I just know he'll be excited to see what his presents are. Car trip was slow and smooth cause mom drove and daddy was all funny, slurring his words. I__ love my family._

_Loving regards, Liena J._

* * *

_I have these dreams about a girl of white hair. She wears orange and blue and she keeps telling me about the blonde woman with silver eyes who comes for me. But its just a dream_

* * *

_Dear diary_

_Havent written in you for awhile, everything is still the same but im now in softmore year. I know its not spelled that way but thats how i hear it. Things r okay for now but... Im getting older and this diary... Isnt as juicy as made it be. Im sorry, diary. I love you but our time comes to an end. Im getting older, so..._

_Im putting you until i need to pull you out. Goodbye for now._

* * *

_dear diary_

_Lyle hasnt come home. What could a thirteen year old be doing now? I never understood how boys worked and i might never will but we tried to call his phone. It was night when mom thought to call the police and idk i had the faint feeling that something was so terribly wrong. Dad said not to worry, lyle must be out playing with his friends over at ones house. I didn't think nothing of it nut i wanted to write this down tonight. Hopefully he comes home in the morning or something_

* * *

_lyle still hasnt come home and today marks two full days... Im getting worried now, but mom and dad dont seem like it yet. Cops cannot open the missing persons case just yet weve been told. Im sure its nothing, im sure hes fine. Hes my brother. He has a life ahead of him._

* * *

_day three of him not showing up... Lyle, please come home. This isnt like you._

* * *

_four days and mom said not to worry. I would not have but i heard her crying behind the locked door of her bedroom and there i began to make a hypothe... An idea that maybe Lyle wasnt coming back. It scared me because I've seen kidnappers on the news. Children got stolen and there were reports that this month the highest number of people have gone missing was fifty when it was ten on average. I thought of that spooky clown from that movie. Im really worried for him, it really isnt like him to just disappear._

* * *

_diary,_

_five days and nothing. I cant be alone without thinking of him. His room is empty and mom wanders in often. Its been cleaned but theres that sense of dreading emptiness i can feel creeping up on her, on me, on all of us. We keep trying to call him but the thing goes to voicemail, we know what that means. And just like yesterday, ive begun to cry myself to sleep... goodnight dia_

* * *

_today ive just graduated and it feels weird. I have to think about my future and college. I didnt make do enough for university but im settling for community college and that's okay, and mom and dad say so as long as i further my education. Im happy to keep going but itll be hard and... Even harder when my brother isnt here to comfort me and assure me its gonna be fine. He was a sweet little brat and we miss him greatly. Its been awhile since hes disappeared but we try not to think about him anymore. We just hope hes in a better place with gran-gran and chappy pops. I only do wish that id have said something that day. I didnt kno, how could ive? Lyle had gone out that day with a smile on his face. He was happy to go out and_

* * *

_I write to leave you behind. You will be placed in this closet so that the new homeowners will find and read you. Someone has to know of this, i think. Someone has to see why we left here. It was just too painful for us to look into that lonely room. Were moving to a house east of here. Its got only two bedrooms, not three. Oh and its a one level house too. Small but not cramped as ive seen it._

_Alright... I guess i should tear out the embarrassing entries and leave these last few ones for show. With that in mind, i bid this diary farewell _

* * *

Lyle closed the diary and fell onto it, weeping heavily into the last entry. Gloom, looking at the entries over his shoulder, had put her hand on his back and rubbed gracefully. "I'm sorry, Lyle. I really am sorry."

Lyle let his tears soak onto the entry as he let his emotions run rampant. He bawled like he never did before. He wanted to know this, but it was too much. If only he didn't peek into Liena's old closet. He shouldn't have, yet he did. And know he knew more. "She- She moved on-" his high-pitched voice let fly.

"Because she doesn't know-" Gloom wrapped her hands around him. "She doesn't know, Lyle! You're alive and they'll be happy!"

Lyle hugged her back tightly, putting his face into her chest to wipe away his tears. To hide. To- Gloom moved her hand onto the back of his head. "It's okay, Lyle..." she whispered into his ear. "Let it out. You're okay, you're okay."

And for a second, Gloom had thought of Lincoln again. _You're okay..._

She worked to comfort Lyle, to be there for him, as long as he needed her to be there, however long that would be. However long the road would take them.


	75. Chapter 75

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter IX: ALIENS (A Space Adventure)**

* * *

**July ... What Was The Date Again?**

Linka shot her eyes up at the date sequence. "Hey, isn't this the 20th?"

**July 20th, 2030**

"Much better! See, I'm essential to this fic like food delivery drivers are during the pandemic of good old twenty-twenty!"

"A, who are you talking to?" Leven never looked back but had his eyes center on the front mirror of the black van they had been driving/riding in for the past two days. He and Caroline Pingrey were on the front, while Linka and Carly, the younglings, sat in the back with a mounted minigun dividing them both. Thanks, Patriot Division.

"Fourth wall perks!" Linka cheered throwing her hands into the air. When they came down, her smile became a frown. "I am generally displeased with this new timeline shit."

"New what?" Carly rubbed her eyes and yawned. "When can we stop? Ride's too bumpy for a nap."

"Can't stop just yet, we have to find a good spot."

"We're all around clearings," Caroline proposed, "that means we can pull over and go far onto the grass. Pull over already!"

"Girls?"

"Do it!" Linka and Carly both begged in unison.

Leven steered to the right, exiting the long highway and drove onto the long fields of grass all around. He stopped just about over a mile away from the road and set the vehicle into park and killed the engine. "Stretch your legs, maybe get some rest. Might do us some good to relax for an hour or two."

Caroline stepped foot outside and smelled the air as the winds blew the three-inch grass at her feet. Linka and Carly made their way out through the back, finally relieved to be out. Linka fell onto the spot where the van cast shadow and laid down there. Carly did the same but laid opposite to her, from the other side. Nice and cool here, and their legs were feeling much better like this. "Finally feels good, doesn't it?"

"It does!" Carly agreed. "About time we took a break."

"I hope you don't mind if I touch myself inappropriately."

"What- Gross!" Carly raised a leg and hit Linka with it. "Don't you dare!"

"I need my happy hour."

"A, no!"

"A, yes," Linka mocked.

"A, don't act foolishly," Leven instructed, not wanting to take any weirdness from her. "We'll make you walk."

"NYAH, BUT MY LEGS ARE-!"

"Behave."

"Arghhhhh, always the party-pooper!" She brought her arms under her head and glared at the sky. "I guess I'll just look at the clouds."

"You do that."

Caroline went further away from the van, moving into the breezy grass. She removed her shoes and socks already, leaving them at the base of the van's fender, letting her feet feel the cool, soft freedom of touching grass. It was just as nice, not as hot as she expected. Nothing like those times at the beach. "Hey, you lazy bones! Come have yourself a shoeless experience over here!"

Leven faced Caroline's direction and looked down at his feet when he saw her skip around bare feet. The clones wore no shoes; their own spandex suits came built from the toe to the neck. But he improvised greatly by ripping at the suit where it met the kneecaps, making two spandex leggings that way. He put them over the hood and followed Caroline, embarking on the grasslands. "Hey, this feels good!"

"That's what I'm telling you!" Caroline stopped and bent down to touch the grass. "Nice and cool as it should be."

"No kidding!" He looked past her and saw no end to it. "How long do you think it goes on for?"

"I don't know, maybe fifteen miles?" She raised her shoulders and plopped them down. "Hey, maybe we should find out together! I'll race you!"

"Huh?" Leven wasn't sure. "We shouldn't separate too far from each other..."

"Hey, learn to live a little!" Caroline went back and forcibly led the thinking Leven further ahead. "They'll be fine! We're far away from the base and there is no way we can be tracked. No phones or cameras here."

"I guess so-"

"Hey, I'm happy to see that you're protective of her but there is a little thing called being overprotective, you know?" Caroline had become an expert salesman trying to relieve Leven of his current fear. She had her arm around him and did her thing. "Ninja girl can fight, and I think A can hold her own. They're both with that big gun, too! Tell me I'm wrong."

"Okay, those are fair points," Leven agreed.

"We need to clear our heads from this," she further added. "We're never gonna get this lucky again, I feel."

"Maybe not..." Leven closed his eyes and concentrated his body and senses to the atmosphere around. "You're right, we should make the most of it."

"That's the spirit-" Caroline panicked when Leven revved up and ran ahead. "YOU CHEATER!"

"Talkers are losers!" Leven laughed merrily.

"I'M SO GONNA MAKE YOU EAT MY DUST!" Caroline vowed, giving chase.

Linka and Carly rested in the shade, now trying to take naps. Linka had begun to lightly snore, and Carly clamped a hand over her mouth, otherwise trying to get shut-eye herself out here. It was a peaceful five minutes before a knight of silver and gold plating had appeared, looking down at the sleeping girls.

This knight, with weird markings on his chestplates, let out a groan and struck the van with a fist. Linka and Carly both awoke, and Linka had bit into the Asian girl's arm, making her scream. "YEOW!"

Carly retaliated by slapping Linka, making the clone let out a whimper too. "Ouchie!"

"Greetings-"

"ROUND TABLE'S REVENGE!" Linka cowered behind Carly. "They found out I stole one of their cups!"

"Who- Holy shit-" Carly raised her arms up as if she were under arrest. "Okay, we surrender."

"CARLY!" Linka screamed into her ear. "ATTACK!"

Carly kept still, but Linka picked Carly up with both hands abd heaved her like a log. She struck against the metal knight but the being inside had caught and held her in his arms. "Wait, I have come in peace."

"Wow, gee!" Carly pouted at Linka. "You're some friend! Asshole..."

"Peace! You'll be leaving in pieces! Ha, I've been waiting to say that never!" Linka ran towards the knight and failed to attack; he dropped Carly into her arms and had her fall down with the force of his throw. "Okay, I'm listening."

"Who are you?" Carly rolled away from Linka and got up, not to help Linka. "I know you're not Black Network."

"I am not from around these common parts," the knight vaguely answered. "But I have been monitoring the affairs of... Humankind for the past few months. Up until then, there was never the existence of superb beings with remarkable abilities. You see, you-" he pointed at Linka, "are of interest to me. There are certain phenos, as you call them, that I wish to join me in a very special quest that I cannot accomplish alone."

"You're seeking to recruit me?" Linka repeated.

"You and the other two who are with you."

"What, no Carly?" Carly blew her lips. "Fine."

"Forgive me, but this mission requires the supers planet Earth has to offer. The three out of the four of you meet this requirement, and the other is where you know to fight."

"Yeah, we know our way around guns and stuff. As for Caroline, she's a pair of blades. So, what does this quest about?"

"Do, A," Carly corrected.

"I have brain farts, I'm sorry."

"This quest is a coup, a seize of power."

"Taking over a country?! Where are we going, Venezuela?!" Linka clapped her hands cheerfully. "Dictators are canceled!"

"Negatory, this is another place."

"Whatever, give us more information, Forlorn Hope."

"But of course..." The metal knight placed a finger to the side of the van and made three circles arranged in a triangle position. One circle right above the other two. "There is a kingdom among three... Nations. These three nations have lived in peace of prosperity up until the royal princess had staged her own coup and killed the Royal Pair, her own parents. She used the Scythe regiment, the guards that live to serve the Royal Family, and they conspirated to take control."

"So..." Linka scratched her head. "This is like Princess Azula taking over Ba Sing Se with the Dai Lee?"

"The who and what?"

"A!" Carly elbowed the clone. "Please continue."

"The nation of Calagitos resides over a gold mine, as you say it here. I mean that in the figurative sense, it isn't actually gold. Princess Virescium and the Scythe regiment has since declared war with the two other nations the Royal Pair had connections and influence with while their own people enter a tyrannical state. I've done my research, best I can compare this to is... It is the equivalent of... Uh, Norf Konea?"

Linka snapped her fingers. "North Korea! God, if I've ever seen a big forehead-"

"A!"

"Right, I'm interrupting for my smartass remarks!"

"So, this war, it is this Calagitos versus the two?"

"At first it was, the neighboring nations had unified to restore order. Sometime during the war, they turned on each other because they begun to feel they deserved they needed to sit on the throne and the riches Calagitos sits on. As of right now, this war is a bloody three-way."

"Hm, I've never heard of this nation. What country is this Calagitos in?"

"That is the thing..." The metal knight removed his helmet to reveal that he was not human. "This war is on Quadrant Four of the galaxy."

"You're- A, that's an alien!" Now it was Carly's turn to cower behind Linka. "An alien!"

"Yes, I am an alien, and I was a Scythe regiment guard as well, but I have denounced that title as I would not serve the princess for her cold-hearted betrayal. My fate was to serve lr die, she told me. I have made a third fate, and that was to escape. However, I'm not the only escapee from Calagitos. I am aware that there are others out there, scattered across the universe. And there is a chance some are here. If I'm here-"

"Right..." Linka nodded slowly. "Aliens on earth, that's crazy. Hey, do you know E.T.?"

"I don't understand." The alien rubbed his light-red face, looking at the grass with his bright yellow eyes, and touched it. "This is a creature we don't have back home."

"That's just grass, it isn't alive... Is it?" Linka rubbed her chin, pondering.

"So you're a Calagitos alien?"

"The proper term is Calagitorian, and no, I'm of another race. The Scythe regiment is not of any of the three races, and this is to avoid personal issues that could cloud our judgment when we're put on the front lines. There have been those who did not like how the Royal Pair ran the kingdom."

"That's smart... I suppose."

"Uh, sorry but..." Carly raised her index finger. "How did you learn to speak our English?"

"Universal translator on my suit."

"Cheap writing, S-M-H," Linka groaned. "I don't know if I believe you. Gimme more details."

"Well, the Royal Palace is also known as Flegorensce, named after Flegor, the Calagitorian who established the kingdom and its monarchy government."

"Flegor... Consensus, A?"

"He's a good liar."

"What is this gold mine that Calagitos has?"

"A very special substance that glows and upon consumption will transform an ordinary Calagitorian stronger, faster and smarter. Its properties make it valuable to mine, but the substance has not been found for a long time. The peasants fear that it is gone for good. And I've been around to see the princess try to find it with her guards, myself included."

"So they need to find that and everyone could rise up?"

"That or we attack the princess and the Scythe regiment head on. I am thinking of using the good people of earth, such as yourselves, to aid me. Calagitos must be freed so that all three planets-"

"Wait, planets?! I thought it was three races?!"

"Each on a planet." The alien pointed to the circles. "These are planets."

"What the fuck?"

"Oh, wow, three times the effort."

"We just need to take Flegorensce in a coordinated attack. Considering I know how Scythe moves and who its members are, it shouldn't be too hard."

"Nice, but are you really not going to find other refugees around the galaxy? I feel this is their battle, not ours." Carly had voiced her opinion on the matter. "And we have our own fight here."

"Wait..." Linka had an idea. "Carly, we're all being hunted, so... Why not just take a break from the planet?"

"Huh?" Carly stood up. "W-wait a minute, are you insane?!"

"They can't catch us if we're not on the planet!"

"Hey, okay, I know I was feeling left out but this is different!" Carly slapped her hands on Linka's face. "Space! Allens! We might not even be able to breathe their toxic airs! Fatal to us!"

"Are you telling me you... Believe it?"

"It's- It's too descriptive to make up!" Carly pointed to the ex-Scythe guard's face. "Look! Red skin and yellow eyes! No hair! Bald alien!"

"Scythe is also the name of a terrorist cell here on earth."

"What is a terr-ist cell?"

"Huuuuuh?" Linka goofily murmured.

"He doesn't know about this earth's Scythe! How does he know what an actual scythe is?! It cannot be a universal tool!"

"What's a scythe in your world?" Linka questioned.

"A melee weapon, what is it here?"

"Death's favorite toy."

"Not so different, are they?" The alien put back his helmet. "We are compatible with each other's atmosphere, I can breathe here so easily. I do thank you for letting me explain myself before I... As you say, drop the ball on-"

"Never you mind the phrases!" Linka shared a triumphant grin. "The four of us are going, my friend here knows how to fight, but I hope you have armor for us all."

"It can be worked out if the three of you vouch for her."

"And we gotta take this bad boy there." Linka slapped her hand on the van. "I've got a feeling we might just use this. Wait, you _do_ have a ship, don'tcha?"

"Affirmative."

"So, uh, what do we call you? You do have a name, right?"

"When I wear this armor, I am Titan, but outside of it, I am Reng'r Klaar, ex-militant of the Alitor Armada."

"The what now?"

"The galactic peacekeepers. They are numbers by the thousands, but they do nkt extend to this part of the galaxy. Not yet at least."

"Why not?"

"The Allfathers have established at no race can cross over to the Quadrants that they don't belong to. This is far beyond Quadrant Four and I have broken one of their sacred rules by coming here, just like the others that escaped to live."

'Allfathers... Alitor Armada..." Linka felt giddy. "Alright, so what's this planet called? To you, I mean?"

"This is Terrenius, and you, the people in this civilization, are the beings Terrethians."

"Earthling term is so full of shit!"

"Allfathers..." Carly tried to keep up. "Those are your gods?"

"Yes, they were great, divine beings with immeasurable omnipotence. To this day, only one such Allfather exists, and this Allfather and his force ensure where even the Alitor Armada have no power. The Allfather and his own are above every living creature."

"What force is that?" The wind blew her hair into her face. "What is above us Terrethians?"

"The Silver Legion," Klaar ominously said. "Tall beings coated in chrome metal. They have no face, just a mouth. But when they open their mouths, you'd hear the scariest sounds you could not comprehend with your simple, primitive minds. They are hollow, lifeless beings that will not hesitate to destroy anyone who has broken any of the sacred rules. They can erase your mere existence at will, and in doing so, it will erase the memories of you in those you know."

Linka got scared. "Jesus... That is... Frightening."

"To face the wrath of the Legion means death upon the offenders."

"Now I don't wanna go-" Linka peed her suit, gulping. "Oh, god."

"EW!" Carly jumped back away from her. "NASTY!"

"Please, I implore you to see reason," Klaar begged. "I have not had much luck, but I have tried to covertly reveal myself by building a reputation here as a vigilante. Through your media, I had hoped that any Calagitorians would spot me and-"

"But how'd they know you're not with Scythe anymore?" Linka pointed out. "If I were one and discovered you, I'd keep being in hiding but that would be concerning. It would definitely terrify me."

"I think he meant to show his good nature through his good Samaritan role," Carly concluded. "Still... A war that goes three ways, a fight for throne and its power."

"What do these aliens look like?"

"They are similar to Terrethians-"

"Lazy writing!"

"But they are simply darker skinned and nocturnal. There is no such thing as a sun there "

"No sun?" Linka tried to dry herself off with her hands, wiping away among the grass. "There's a challenge."

"What are you even thinking?" Carly grew tired of the talk, not feeling obliged to the extraterrestrial stranger.

"Tell us how we'd need to attack to take the palace. Front side or backdoor?"

"I need all of you here so that I can go over this. Of course, there is still the matter of convincing-"

"ON TO THE NEXT SCENE!"

**Some Time Later**

Linka, Leven, Carly and Caroline had grouped together, eyes and ears surrendered for the alien knight. "I believe Flegorensce has had a remodeling as of late. There were numerous entrances leading to and from the palace, but those are sealed off by now, save for the main one. That's the front gates, but they're reinforced. We need three of me to break through, or... A bunch of phenos."

"Oh!" Leven yapped. "How strong are we in comparison to you?"

"We'll just have to find out the hard way."

"What's inside?"

"Just the entire Scythe guards between us and the princess," Klaar firmly answered. "No more than thirty of them wearing this exact armor."

"Got it," Linka nodded. "Thirty ground units and nothing else?"

"Yeah, that's about it, but the fight will not be easy. We're only five-"

"Five and a minigun!"

"But we need a sizeable number."

"Sounds like you need to turn the peasants of the nation into allies," Caroline suggested. "Have you considered that?"

"I have been, but it may prove to be folly."

"Hang on, your armor isn't just armor, is it?" Linka had an idea. "You've found us somehow, I think that's a suit that can do tricks. I mean, you did say you had a translator. You took off your helmet so I know the helmet wasn't making you understand."

"How perceptive of you..." Klaar raised his left arm. "Active and running since I've landed here. The battery runs for a long time but does die. The recharge is automatic but I am only left with the shield to protect my body in the meantime."

Then that means there are things I can tap into-" Linka jammed a finger to her head. "Although I won't know what anything means so I'll just play with their suits like I'm flipping switches that will do random things."

"That's good, it'll slow them down!" Leven agreed. "That's smart thinking."

"Earth weapons or not?"

"We'll acquire them along the way, but we must be heading off right now," Klaar pointed up. "Mind your heads."

"Mind our heads?" Linka grew confused. "Mind our heads for-?"

"WHOA!" Carly screeched, gaping away at the brown, oval object suddenly appearing in the sky directly above them.

"I'm so..." Linka had a nosebleed.

"Come, we must get moving now, time is not to be wasted."

"Is this really happening?" Linka suddenly felt a great deal of negative energy surge over her like a dark shroud. "Anything critical we need to know?"

"Don't die."

"Fair," she agreed.

"This is still freaky," Leven thought, "but A has a point. We need to get out of here for a bit. Trading a fight for another, I wouldn't be up for that but..." And he sighed, exhausted.

"I'm not looking forward to have an alien infection." Linka scratched her face. "Alright, I think I'm ready now. Guys?"

**Far Away**

The brown, oval spacecraft flew overhead, soaring past empty fields with triangular structures- tiny houses that were only at one-person capacity- all around in no pattern. The houses there were only ten miles away from the palace Flegorensce- or as Klaar said, one "Korthayip" whatever that was. Linka had moaned while the ship rattled. The four of them were semi-comfortably waiting in the van for the ride to end. According to the visitor, it wouldn't be long with the spacecraft he manned.

"Can't believe we said yes to this..." Caroline had begun feeling tensed up; she was mere seconds away from trying a cigarette. Who could blame her, really? "Ugh, I don't know if I can here. These beings aren't humans, and by the looks of it, we're not fighting pushovers."

"Worried?"

"Well, I don't wanna die on some foreign planet where bugs and creatures I've never seen before will eat my corpse."

"Talk about a Negative Nancy!" Linka joked- while she was secretly afraid all the same. "We'll get some plasma or gravity guns and we'll go ham on these Scythe guards!"

"Hey," Carly added, "I'm still the most vulnerable here. I'm not a pheno or a clone here, I know what Klaar said, and I have to agree that I'm not actually capable-"

"You're getting on the turret and you'll cover us!" Linka suggested. "That's as good as any assistance you can give here. Honk if you're in trouble, drive away if you're feeling cornered."

"Man... I don't know how to drive but alright."

The spaceship had come in landing near the triangle houses, and the four got on their defense. "Eyes out!"

The minute the ship had opened up- a circle underneath them slowly removing itself from the ship to lower them, Leven started the engine and found that the planet was as dark as the alien explained. He activated the headlights and gassed forward. "Is this the palace?'

"No, these must be the oppressed peasants here," Linka said. "The Calagitorians, just a portion of them at least."

Klaar clanked and clattered his way to the van, knocked on the window on Leven's side. He pointed at them to drive right up to the settlement. "I'll follow you."

Leven nodded and drove forward just thirty feet before the settlement had started, and set the van to park. The headlights could make out the beings of dark skin moving about, hiding and peeking over the weird eight-feet triangle homes. Linka and Carly conjoined each other in between Leven and Caroline, all four stunned in amazement to see more alien beings there. "They're actually real..."

"Real-" Linka had a joke but decided not to go through with it. "Bahaha, I'm sorry."

"We'd better get out." Leven and Caroline went out first. Carly feigned calmness when she felt undoubtedly nervous and scared. The settlers could be hostile and they'd never know it. Linka joined the pair but stayed behind her clone brother, keeping a careful position. "Scared, A?"

"Why don't you call me Linka instead?"

"Do not enter," Klaar advised, "stay beyond the settlement. They do not take strangers well."

"That's relieving..." Leven held Linka at bay like a child. "Stay put."

"Buzzkill."

Before Klaar went ahead to announce his business in being here, three of these dark-skinned aliens popped up and surrounded Caroline. They studied her, observing and touching her like some object of interest. They spoke in a foreign language, their own language, telling each other what they thought about her, most likely. Then, they insisted to pull her away, leading her forcibly into the maze of triangular tent houses.

Leven and Linka only watched- but then followed Klaar when he gave chase. "What are they doing with her?! Why isn't your translator thing working?"

"Hey, stop pulling me!" Caroline thought to meta her arms. "What if-?"

"Do not provoke them in any way!" Klaar wasn't close to the group of them to make a move. He wasn't aiming to try. "We cannot attack now if we wish to turn them into possible allies. We must see what they want."

"THEY MIGHT KILL HER!" Leven yelped. "WE CAN'T JUST-"

Linka ran ahead of them and made a leap onto one of the Calagitorian beings, wrestling them defiantly. "LEAVE MY WAIFU ALONE!"

"A!" Leven moved behind and caught her when she was given a brutal headbutt. "IDIOT!"

"Girl's gotta protect her harem."

"After them!"

Up ahead, a perimeter of six feet occupied a series of walls and narrow poles of what looked and felt like canyon rock. By the time Caroline was led here, they were away from the lights, and she lost their faces instantly but was forced on her knees. In front of her, she could make out the faint breathing of one of them. "What is this?"

Klaar, Leven and Linka stumbled briefly in the dark before the alien activated light beams at the palm of his gauntlets. "This should help."

"How convenient," Linka sassed.

"They were heading this way-" Klaar eventually came to the perimeter- a temple- and stopped when they saw the settlers here pinning Caroline down in front of one of the walls.

"Guys, they've done something to my body! I- I can't move any part of my body!"

"Alien knight, stop this!"

"I am not within my jurisdiction-"

"FUCK YOUR JURISDICTION AND SAVE-" Linka lost her words when Caroline was let go, and the pack of aliens dispersed and disappeared from the gang. "Yeah, you'd better run!"

"You're all terrible people!" Caroline crawled back to them, slapping her hands on Leven to hoist herself up. "Yeah, give me a hand too late."

"He told us not to-"

Klaar moved past the Terrethian gang, taking notice of the rocky wall ahead. No, taking notice on the illustrations drawn upon it. From left to right, a drawing of white figures were bunched together like a mob. Lucky, Linka and Caroline took their eyes onto the wall. Going further, right where Caroline had been, a single illustration of a figure with a yellow- blonde- set of hair, and where her body was, a stick figure painted pink. Klaar noticed the solo figure slowly and then faced the trio again. "Do you know what this is?"

"Shitty caveman art?" Linka joked.

"Long ago, a prophet Calagitorian had a vision," the metal knight began to explain. "The vision, believed to be a true prophecy, tells of a Terrethian being that comes into contact with Sauhlerstraam."

"Sauce store?"

"Sauhlerstraam, the godly essence lingering in the blood of the Silver Legion beings. It is not meant for those of mortal states, that is why I do not believe a mere Terrethian can wield immeasurable power."

"What else was in that vision?" Leven moved right, following the drawings to come right to the third one; a figure in red with a faint brown-gray patch right on the head. He knew this was the stick figure's hair color- or they whom the figure represented. "Who is this?"

"The foresight also tells of a younger Terrethian who acquires an object forged out of the Sauhlerstraam, made to resemble a contraption you call a watch."

"A watch?" Leven continued on, looking closely. There was no fourth illustration, however. "So, some girl- What, does she get this power too?"

"Yes, but to a limited degree. Both of these Terrethians are fated to engage in a battle that decides the fate of the entire universe."

"Fated..." Leven rubbed his chin. "A battle for the-"

Linka lifted a hand, fingers pressing against the simple drawing of the woman in pink.

"What do you make of this, sis?"

Linka's eyelids split widely apart, followed by her lips pulled apart from each other.

"A?"

_Linka stood still in the middle of a crowd, of familiar and strange faces running towards another crowd- mob?- of shining, chrome-like beings. And then, there was one that stood out. One that dared to defy laws of physics by being suspended in the air, floating away like this one was a god- no, a goddess above them all. This one goddess was pink and of blonde hair like the painting, but it was no unrecognizable face. This was-_

_Next that followed; a surge of multiple scenes- memories or visions, she didn't know- of some future. Or... Maybe it wasn't a future. Maybe it was of another Linka. _

Linka stumbled over herself and fell back while a voice had entered her mind to give her an order. _Pause yourself, you will be chased by another for the SCX chip. Pause yourself... Pause yourself, Linka. _

"A!" Leven panicked in a motherly fashion and helped his clone sister up. "What was that?"

Klaar pieced it together fast enough. "You, you have seen something here, what is it?"

"What- What do you mean she saw something?" Leven eyed the wall with skepticism. "It's just art."

Caroline merely scoffed, rebuking this ridiculous claim. "There is no way-" She touched it. And saw something for herself. "No... Why me?" she so carefully whispered in dread.

"H-hey..." Leven began to tremble. "You can cut the shit now...!"

"Do not touch it," Klaar advised.

Leven raised a hand, but hesitated briefly. What had they seen if they had seen something? The future? A dark, twisted fate? Maybe... Maybe their fall? "What does that do? What did it do to them?"

"Do not, young Terrethian."

He plucked up courage and slammed his hand onto the pink figure.

_Leven found himself in a world of darkness. Him and Linka standing behind him, who had called onto him. "Huh?"_

_"I'll be okay, Leven." _

_"Huh?" But he was solely confused, and it all went away when Linka's skin became a cold-blue tone, as if she was being exposed to a rigid hypothermia rapidly. Her breath was visible, but her movements had begun to slow on her. "A!"_

_"Just for a bit..."_

_"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" He thought to reach her, but Linka had started moving backwards- but she was not actually moving. The ground between them spread apart, and Linka was taking off- __"LINKA!"_

Leven blinked. And he turn to see Linka again; she was there. And he saw something just as her, but did they share the same vision? Wait, what was this? What horror...? "You're okay..."

Caroline, having turned away from them, had been weeping. "No, don't let it happen, don't let it happen to me-" She went off of her marbles, frantic and quaking about. "Don't let them get to me."

"Carol?" Leven held onto Linka, leading duo to the blonde. "Hey... What did you see?"

"I wanna go home, I wanna go home..."

"Caroline?"

"Guys?" Here came Carly, being late to the party. "Sorry, but I got scared being alone."

Linka disregarded Leven and sought comfort in Carly. "HONEY BUNCH! OH, MY GOD, YOU DIDN'T SEE-" Immediately, Linka forced Carly into the wall, making her see her own vision. "TOUCH! SEE! SUFFER AND DON'T MAKE ME FEEL CRAZY THAN I ALREADY AM!"

"Okay...?" Carly touched the rock wall- and never reacted. Never seemed to have seen something. She waited for something to happen. "What am I doing here?"

Leven and Klaar looked on in curious wonder.

"You... Don't see anything?"

"I see you, and these... Hieroglyphics."

Linka took a deep breath. "Are you joking?"

"You're being crazy again. Hey, N-"

"You don't see anything?" Leven asked this time.

"Uh... No, I guess not..." Carly shrugged her shoulders. "Weirdos."

Caroline wiped her face, noticed by Carly. "Don't pay any mind to me."

"What's with her?"

"Nothing..." Leven looked at Linka, trying his hardest to form a smile. "Are we done here?"

And just as Klaar was about to lead them away, to take their battle into the Royal Palace, he saw it; Carly's own eyes sparkled the bright silver that only belonged to that of a member of the Silver Legion. "Hey, your eyes-"

"My eyes?"

"HOLY SHIT, WHITE EYES!"

"Delay this, I made a serious mistake bringing Terrethians here-"

"Wait, what?" Leven didn't understand. "But we are here-"

In the distance, faint explosions and flashes of light gained their attention, and Klaar grew fearfully concerned now. He had known what this was, and he had a theory on what he had just seen but it could not have been right. It might or might not have, but it was enough for him to turn it back around. Wash his alien hands free from it. "Forgive me and my attempt to end this war here-"

"What is that over there?" Linka focused on the dots that suddenly appeared in the sky. "Are those stars?"

"Quickly! Back to the ship!"

"What is that?!"

"NOW!"

Leven seized Linka's and Carly's hands, running off from the settlement after Klaar. "Caroline, come on!"

The one single sentence from that voice still played in her head, saying, _you will give your life to the cause and you will die, but this is not the worst for you._

"HEY!"

_This is not the worst for you... _Caroline scratched at her temple, never taking her hand off. "I don't want it..."

"A, Carly, await me at the van!" Leven rushed back for the blonde girl. "WE HAVE TO GO!"

"Can you tell me what's going on?!" Linka pointed to the dots high in the sky, and the dots then became lines, as if the sky had been dripping white paint droplets on a dark canvas. "LOOKIELOOKIELOOKIE!"

"A, we get the picture!" Carly jumped into the back of the van, falling over right beside the large turret. "Close! Close!"

Linka jumped in behind her and swung the back shut. "He knows what they are! He's scared!"

Leven led Caroline to the passenger seat roughly. "Get in and buckle up! We're leaving!"

"Okay... Okay... Okay..." Caroline mindlessly looped. _You will die... You will die..._

"WHAT ABOUT THE MISSION?!" Linka inquired, spitting her words.

Leven started the ignition and reversed to the oval spaceship. The craft rose into the air already, and Leven drove right under the ship. He put his head out and yelled, "BRING US IN! BRING US INSIDE!"

The van had never taken off from the ground. What happened instead was the ship had been struck by a white beam, and in the next second, it was gone. The knight as well, along with it. Leven stared up and gasped- a Silverhead had been looking down at him from fifteen feet high before it landed. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"

Caroline merely opened the door and let herself fall on purpose; her head was not right. Carly jumped out and hid for cover. The tall silver being touched down, its position facing straight at the back. Here, Linka manned the turret and giggled girlishly, opening fire on the sliver alien. And all the bullets that ripped out like a buzzsaw did nothing to the thing. And Linka had soon run out of ammo. "Bruh."

"A, get out of there!"

"I don't ask to be put into these type of fics..." Linka moaned. "How about a little more lemon? Eh? Eh?" Needless to say she got out just before the van took a beam, exploding to become wreckage. Carly had sprinted into a run with Leven behind her, and Caroline had only crawled lifelessly away from the explosion. "So... How big is that T-1000's dick?"

Linka met the alien and stared at its crotch area. "My man has no balls!"

"A!"

"Pleasure to meet you, alien!"

The Silverhead merely knocked Linka away, having no interest in her. It moved slowly and swiftly to Caroline, picking her up and placing its own hands on her head. She was still lifeless, eyes dreary, sleepy even. For one faint second- But Caroline's eyes went open again and she emitted a fearful scream. The being let her go.

"What did it do to her?" Carly cowered behind Leven, scared.

Linka picked herself up and circled the Silverhead. "I'll pretend that didn't happen, mmmmkay? We're gonna try this again-"

_"Terrethians, you are forbidden to enter this Quadrant," _it finally talked, but telepathically. _"You will be returned to your home planet post haste, but this will only be your only warning. Heed this warning."_

"We're... We're being let go?" Linka dragged Caroline away from the alien just as the Silverhead lifted and spread its arms apart before it clapped. And with the clap, a great bright light filled the entire world and maybe even beyond.

**Earth**

Linka, Leven and Caroline came out of the metal pods, coming into contact with two teenage girls- Lyra and Lynnette Laude- walking toward them in the middle of some field, and not the same one they'd left either. "Hey, it's the clones! Lyra, look, these are the clones I've told you about! And that girl with the freaky arms!" Lynnette looked to be utterly happy that she had proven to Lyra that her X-Elites claim was no fabrication, it had credibility here.

Immediately, Linka Loud recognized Nnyl Duol when she saw her. And she feigned ignorance yet. "Sorry, who are you?"

"Who are-? What, don't you remember me? We ran with the X-Elites? The general guy? Uhhh, these two were with us, and that one guy- Lemuel and another one-"

"What the devil is this mental patient prattling about?" Caroline turned away from them, moving away. "I'm not going to have this from any of you today, I'm leaving."

"Wait, honey bunches of totes!" Linka used Caroline as an excuse to not see Nnyl's mugger; the blonde zoomer was still due for her part in... That. "I'll do your bidding for a nip slip!"

"Why do you look like Lynn Loud?" Leven looked at Lynnette from top to bottom. "She didn't have a daughter, did she?"

Lyra panicked and pulled her sister away. "Sorry, this woman is delusional!"

Linka stopped before she reached Caroline, a nasty fire bubbling inside of her. Fists forming, and with a degree of the Hive Bond having been granted for her the moment she had touched the wall with the prophecy, it ignited with full force. "Hey!" she called to Lynnette. "I do know you!"

"See?" Lynnette grinned stupidly, breaking away from Lyra. "I told you they knew-"

No one expected Linka to strike a heavy punch to Lynnette's face. And no one expected the other one, either. "YOU'RE UNBEARABLE, NNYL!"

"Hey, what is the meaning of-?!" Lyra tried to step in, but a word that came out of Linka after made her stop.

"DON'T GET INVOLVED, LYRA!"

_H-HOW DID SHE-? _Lyra grew nervous.

"Lyra...?" Leven cocked an eyebrow. "And... Nel?"

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Lynnette rubbed both cheeks. "I thought we were on good terms!"

"THEN YOU'D BE WRONG!" Linka snapped. "NOT AFTER GRIMMTOWN!"

Lynnette cracked her knuckles and prepared to fight. "Don't know what that is, but if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

"BRING IT, CARBON COPY!"

Lyra and Leven stepped foot in between both girls and said in unison, "Not today, dang it," and acknowledged each other with a firm smile. A faint hint of Lincoln Loud in these four, but of both sides of the coin.

Linka violently moved about in Leven's arms. "DON'T LET HER GO! SHE'S A VILLAINOUS SCUMBAG! QUICKLY, WE MUST KILL HER! SHE IS A TRAITOR!"

"Stop this nonsense, A!"

Caroline centered her eyes in the sky. "How come that Carly chick hasn't come back yet?"

"Huh- Oh-" Leven and Linka gave it some notice, Linka stopping her fidgeting. "Where _is_ she?"

"That's my wife that's missing!" Linka cried. "Did that thing do something to her?!"

"I'm sure she's fine-"

Pod Number Four tore from the sky, penetrating through cloud, crashing into the earth just behind the clones. The minute it opened, Carly limped out of it, taking three steps before losing balance. "Hey, help me! My leg- I hurt my leg!"

"Here," Leven offered her aid and bent down, "I'll carry you."

Carly allowed herself, blushing not so covertly. "Hnnnng..."

_Oh, I see how it is- _Linka rolled her eyes.

"Where do we go from here?"

"We... Have to regroup with the sisters," Linka announced. "We add to their group, we're bigger in numbers."

"Considering we're the ones who put them in the position they are now, you think they'll welcome us?" Caroline had doubts for the clones.

"If we don't try, we won't be, right?"

"Bigger in numbers..." Leven nodded. "Bigger in force. Can you track them?"

Linka made a funny frown. "Oh... Yeah, hang on..." He looked back to the teenage girls only to find them gone, which only brought some sense of curiosity and wonder. Them and how Linka had seemed to know them- Or she just went crazy. No, wait, this was Linka he considered. Could only be the latter. "They're northeast and we're in the west right now."

"Eastward we go, then."

"Double-K car coming soon."

The quad started walking off along the road, for the journey ahead was longer than the relationship Lincoln and Ronnie Anne had.

* * *

**AN: Going on a brief break here, the world is falling apart, internally and externally. Goodbye for now.**


	76. Chapter 76

**August 5th, 2030**

"Hang on..." Leia had submitted herself and dropped on her knees to the pale ghost of a young man. "I've already told you all I know. Peter McMahon was there at the Tetherby estate hours before the assassination of Lord Tetherby himself!"

Dylan Blood, clad in a dark-green coat and denim pants, with a metal skull mask strapped right up over his face for bonus intimidation points, currently had one arm around Gwendolyn Harris' neck, and in the other, a knife to Marsha Gladwell's throat. "Do you solemnly swear that all you say is truth? The news paints you three as the suspects behind this, but even I am skeptical to believe that. So, the real shooter has blackmail dirt on you, do they?"

Leia, sobbing, clamped her hands together. "Please, please, I am begging you, we did no wrong! We've been framed, we're innocent!"

Marsha struggled to stay still, but her body worked against her to tremble. Any damn second, the man by the name of Blood could simply slit her throat open and that was the end of her journey as a young thief. She whimpered before him.

"You're not exactly innocent, Leia," Dylan rebuked with a cold but joyful grin. "A chain of reported robberies. Credit cards, wallets, and houses even- You three are mastered at pickpocketing and all of that. Shady business, but you're young yet."

"I'll promise- I'll promise not to steal-"

"None of that," he cut off, taking the knife from Marsha's neck. "You've given me something useful here. You've gathered a piece for me that proves McMahon didn't acquire Kapacity Korp through legal means all the way, so I guess that's worth sparing this one. What can you offer here that spares this one?"

Gwen's eyes shifted around. "You're a psycho if you consider taking my life," the brave inside her echoed out. "You'll burn in hell!"

"Maybe so, but my death is not today!"

"This dirt isn't secretive if I found out about it," Dylan addressed. "I've looked into you, and I made the connection that you're trying to hide, Leia. And from what I've been able to see, it seems that those who know are trying to be discreet about you. You've pissed off a mayor of some cheap town and that mayor is chasing you, but-" Here was where he cracked his knuckles. "Serve me and be spared of his fate."

"You... You could never-"

"I've come this far, haven't I?" Dylan undid his arm around Gwen. "You need that certain itch to be scratched, I can relieve it nice and good if you-" He waved the buck knife at her. "-swear your loyalty and serve my needs."

"What... What would someone like you want a young girl like me to do? What are you trying to accomplish here?"

Gwen crawled across to Leia, wrapping her arms on the blonde's legs.

"The three of you have unrivaled skills when it comes to surveillance and recon, I don't doubt that. It just so happens that I'm in the market for such types. And would you look at that? Here you all are!"

Leia gulped, holding Gwen tightly.

"What's it going to be?" Dylan held their ultimatum. "Servitude or death?"

"Leia... I don't feel good about this-"

Leia made her decision, albeit scared; she let go of Gwen and went on her knees. "I'll serve you... I'll become- No, _we'll_ become your slave girls."

"Leia-" Marsha had a voice to say otherwise.

"I'm not dying here, not tonight..." Leia urged her sisterhood besties to fall and bend down. "If you claim to help us, we will be of great service."

"That's what I like to hear..." Putting the knife away, Dylan ran a hand down to Leia's face, lifting it up by her chin. "Welcome to the new world order."

* * *

**Act VI: Renaissance, Chapter X: Bloodbath**

* * *

**Black Network Base **

Lindsey Sweetwater attempted again, and bled again. Her nails went and broke, blisters formed on her fingers to the point they had been sliced up against the steel, ripped open. The skin loosely dangled, blood running down to her palms. She wasn't too squeamish at the sight of blood but the pain, like sharp needless in all her fingers, made her cry and hiss. And still, however much she'd shed her blood and endure the agony, she'd never get out. "HELLO?! I'M HERE! I'M HERE! SOMEBODY! L-LYLE! LYLE, I'M HERE!"

But her knight in shining armor was not there, would not be there this time.

"Please..." Lindsey's hope depleted already, but her will still held out. "Someone..."

Leia, Gwen and Marsha passed through the long concrete corridor, stopping only when their new master had stopped. Lindsey was let out of her cell, falling out, hands twitching disturbingly. Leia flinched upon seeing the redhead with bloody hands, and Gwen made a clear gag sound, mouth covered by her hand. "Who-?"

"Have you been keeping up with the news?" Dylan introduced the wee redhead girl to them. "This is Lindsey, she's a pheno under the gun here." He picked Lindsey up and revealed the anti-pheno dampener attached to the side of her neck. "She knows not to take it off or she dies."

"Pheno-? One of those-?"

"Yes." Dylan dragged young Lindsey away from her cell. "Earn your keep, princess."

"What about us?" Leia asked.

"Guard this place until I get back, I have business that must be tended to."

Leia and her girls went ahead and explored the base of empty corridors and rooms, unsure what to do around. Meanwhile, Dylan Blood, having been delayed by the failure of the twins' appearance at the bank job, sought to make due with the pheno at hand. So far, the plan was to get to the Louds, starting with Lana and Lola in their own home turf- and that never happened. The worldwide message hadn't been broadcasted, his declaration of war against the phenos was due yet. And here was Lindsey to help him deliver. "Make no escape, you're about to prove yourself all the worthwhile."

"Where is my Lyle...?" Lindsey tragically squeaked out, powerless. "I want my lover."

_Lover...? _To her, the other one must have been a love interest, not just a guardian. He kept going, but the fact had entered him so easily. "Hush now, you'll be resting soon."

"I just want to see my-" Lindsey gave out, fainting right out of Dylan's grasp.

"Shit!" He resorted to carrying the unresponsive pheno, only slightly relieved that she would be no headache at this state. "Fine."

Above the base, parked right near the hatch, a stolen DLH van awaited for a driver to take it on the road. Dylan had set Lindsey over his shoulder as he climbed up the ladder, and had to throw her on ground before he made it out. Hard work to get here and it wasn't finished just yet. "Mind your head."

**May, 2020 - Oakland, California**

_You knew the story, you might have lived it through shared ears, told stories. Some where there. Blacks, Mexicans and white people. They gathered into the city, the place where it was usually dangerous on a late night, the homeland to gangsters and criminals. It was as if King Kong stepped right on Detroit and scrapped it off in this part of the state. Same could have been said for Compton, Los Angeles- Too many places around that was a slum of poverty and crime._

_Dylan Blood drove off the freeway and parked one block away from a Chevrolet gas station, where the road was just one way. He wore a skull bandanna over his mouth, a blue sweater to keep him warm, and some black jeans that just so happened to be of the uniform for McDonald's. Oh yeah, he kept the five pants pieces because they still fit well, but they still sucked._

_He was here because he wanted to see it for himself. He wanted to see what the death of George Floyd brought on. It would be his first night ever of seeing the massive work of angry protesters, rioters and of course, your common looters. Tonight, they moved in multiple groups and broke into Mercedes-Benz and took cars. They went into a 7-11. They looted stores and, when Dylan had gone closer to see the blockade of police, and the sound of flashers and tear gas canisters going off in the distance, some fool had actually tried to break into a comic book shop but gave up too quickly and left. _

_Yes, he was there and he did not film it. But he moved closer._

_Closer. _

_Closer until he was there, in the heart of the city and the biggest crowd he had ever seen. And he found his words as he came in between the screaming protesters and the silent police that formed a line, to avoid the rioters from reaching the bigger scores. "Hey! Hey, all of you!"_

_He didn't expect anyone to listen to them due to everyone screaming at the police, heaving rocks and water bottles, what have you? But he tried it again. "The police here are not your enemies! It isn't them, it's the mere factor of racism and the stereotypical spotlight you're all stuck in!" _

_He was not a person of color, he had no footing here. No voice. Some big, black guy could have knocked him down, Dylan was that scrawny and short but the brain was there. Brain and will. _

_"Fuck he sayin'?"_

_"Fuck you, white trash!"_

_"Beat him!"_

_Nowhere was ever gonna be safe, but to redirect the danger- "THE ELITES! THE ELITES ARE THE ONES ABLE TO CHANGE ALL THAT! THEY CAN BALANCE IT, THEY CAN HELP YOU, BUT THEY WON'T! YOU'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE OF THEM! THE RACISM CAN STOP WHEN POVERTY STOPS! WHEN YOU ALL GET THE EQUALITY! IT STARTS THERE, IT STARTS WHEN YOU GO TO THE RICH NEIGHBORHOODS AND YOU DEMAND IT FROM THEM!"_

_And he brought them to listen._

_"WHY WOULD YOU BURN DOWN YOUR OWN CITY? LOOT YOUR OWN STORES?! IS THIS NOT WHERE YOU LIVE?! ARE YOU PREPARED TO BECOME HOMELESS AND INCARCERATED FOR THIS?! I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT THE ELITES MOCK YOU ALL!"_

_And they begun to film him. _

_"THEY SIT IN THEIR HOMES IN PEACE AND TRANQUILITY WHILE YOU DISCREDIT YOURSELVES! YOU PROVE EVERY LITTLE THING THEY WHISPER TO BE TRUE!" He picked up a used canister and raised it up- it burned his whole hand, but he pushed past the discomfort. "TAKE YOUR FIGHT NOT TO THE POLICE, BUT TO THE VERY PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO MAKE A CHANGE!"_

_And they had begun to cheer. And everyone had known of him, and the police in the riot shields tossed the gas canisters their way and gave chase. This was then followed by more looting, but Dylan said nothing to those thieves. In his mind, he viewed the rich as just chess pieces that needed to be knocked down. Balance._

**Now**

Dylan Blood brought a tied-up Lindsey to Dietrich Manor, a lovely estate with two thousand acres of land that spanned around. He kicked at the birch doors of mystical, unique carvings, uncaring for the price put into it.

Okay, so a pack of wealthy elites had hired him do to their own dirty work. They wanted the phenos out of the way out of fear of a new revolution, where the millionaires and billionaires could amount to nothing when there were beings who could come and take everything they had. That was their plan, but Dylan Blood had his own reasons- and not just for the phenos. "Mister Dietrich!"

The butler of the manor had come to let him in and escort him to the private quarters, Dietrich's quiet study. The place was a small library, peaceful and tranquil to Dylan's liking. Lindsey was placed lying on the right side of the study, bringing about confusion to Cornelius Dietrich. "What the devil are you doing bringing that abomination here?!"

"I request an audience-"

"Audience?! What the hell for?!" Dietrich dropped the Jules Verne novel in hand and stood up, face going red. "No, this isn't what we've paid you for! Take this elsewhere, far away from my damn doorstep at once! Damn that butler, not telling me you came with one of them!"

"Hang on!" Dylan didn't hesitate to pull the buck knife out. "I have a special interest in a mayor. You see..." He thought of Leia, Gwen and Marsha. "I've come across three young girls who tried to get the jump on me. Of course, that didn't happen, but I've seen them somewhere-"

Dietrich never changed his expression.

"-then it hit me, I've heard about them in the news. They were the suspects believed to be involved in the Tetherby case-"

And Dietrich winced. "Tetherby was an old chum, what does this have to do with your-?"

"Cut the bullshit. I know up to here that this little club of wrinklebags had a connection to the pheno world through Tetherby's purchase of Kapacity Korp. Of course, the senator McMahon pulled a fast one on you, right? Sworn enemies now, yes?"

"Okay, you've done quite the extra credit-"

"The three girls didn't do this," Dylan brought to light. "Sure, they're handsy, but they're not deadly."

"You've mentioned a mayor?" Dietrich recalled. "What is this pertaining to?"

"If you knew Tetherby, then you must know the mayor that the trio have pissed off, that's what I think."

Dietrich began to sweat. "Maybe I do know something."

"I don't know all the details, but I want it- I want them all." He lifted the knife and began cutting at Lindsey's binds. "I know you'll talk."

"Hey, wait just a doggone second!"

"She'll be waking up soon."

"Okay, okay, wait!" Dietrich held his arms out, pleading. "Years ago, Mayor Dillon of some Pennsylvania town had the Reed family murdered. Or so he thought. He had crooks rig the family van, they blew up, burned in it. Run and done, right? Wrong. The shy girl, Leah Reed, survived it but she received multiple burn scars on her body. The last we heard of her until some blonde girl goes after Dillon herself with the help of two other girls."

"Leah Reed?" Dylan had stopped cutting at the rope. "I need a description."

"She was a true shy girl, they'd say. I don't know much about any of them but in one of the photos printed on the papers, she had bangs covering one side of her face, and she had black hair."

"Black?" Dylan pondered away. Leia was a blonde girl, nothing like the description. "Okay, I've heard enough."

"Well, I've never met Dillon before so I can't vouch for you at all-"

"Pennsylvania town... Alright." He finished cutting Lindsey loose and yanked off her dampener, then reached into his trench coat and revealed a syringe. "I was never here snooping for this."

"What- What are you doing?! What is that?!"

Dylan injected the Medi-Sin concoction into the redhead. "The perfect display of a pheno at work." He immediately backed out of the study just as Lindsey woke up, her face turning a dark black, veins becoming visible around her eyes- and those eyes had become milky-white spheres. No pupils. No irises. Lindsey, taking on the full properties of Medi-Sin, became disconnected from her humanity, growling and drooling down Dietrich's way. "I bid you farewell."

Lindsey lunged at Dietrich, leaping over the desktop. She attacked the elder and he screamed for dear life, and in the next moments, he was ripped apart by the pheno, but it didn't end there and Dylan knew it.

* * *

Luna, Sam and the twins were on one side of the street, heading westbound, while Linka, Leven, Carly and Caroline walked on the opposite side, keeping up with the main Loud crew. The divide of both groups was clearer now, but still, they needed each other to remain alive, as long as they would be able to last. Lincoln had saved Carly last minute and done away with the big bad McMahon, killing him in one of the Kapacity Korp facilities. And it wasn't to anyone's approval, apart from the blood-happy Linka.

"So, are we gonna talk about the elephant in the room?" Linka addressed.

"What elephant?" Caroline feigned. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Shut up, clone," Carly hissed.

"We walked into a trap and daddy dearest saved you!" Linka recollected. "But how did he know?! How did he know we were there?!"

"You're under the impression he was there for us, Linka," Leven snuck in. "That girl, who was that? Has anyone-?"

"That is McMahon's niece," Carly unloaded. "Allison Taggart, she only came a few times down to the Black Network but she ran operations for overlord Lisa on public ground. I think I should be telling you something you guys might find interesting..."

"Wha- Interesting?" The other three stopped and looked down at Carly- and from the other side, Luna had her ears on eavesdropping mode.

"Okay..." Carly exhaled sharply. "Allison was working this other kid, some boy I don't know about but the boy's been drawn into this. He's some lone gunman, positioned in the role of a vigilante, that's what I know."

"McMahon created a-?"

"No, not created," Carly shook, "more like Allison used her charms and talk to remold this guy. He's just a tool used against enemies of Vial's connections so that they could keep the buyers. What's Vial Corporation if they had no one to sell weapons to? If they had no source to fund their illegal projects?"

"Alright, so this kid, what else do you know?"

"I don't know the name, but I would consider turning him into an ally of ours. He has just as much right throwing in with us, you know?"

"A brainwashed dorkwad?" Linka blew her lips. "What is the point?"

"Yeah, what is it we're doing now?" Caroline had come to question their agenda again. "It made more sense to have the senator captured, but the man's dead and it'll discredit the phenos- or anyone with the same claims, the stories without any credibility. We're pretty much fucked, he was the bridge to all of that."

"What about this Allison girl?"

"I don't know how to find her," Carly sighed.

"I don't think we can do anything as it stands," Leven believed. "It's become too big at this point. I'm sorry, but the leaks... Linka and I have done the whole world a great disservice by dropping the blueprints, the secrets, and everything that jeopardizes the lives of many. Because of us, they all know the existence of me, the Ultimate Human that Lisa wanted to replicate from everyone alive. To clone them and to genocide them like they were trash-"

Caroline and Carly knew fear again when he spoke those words.

"I feel like some curse..." Leven opened up. "It's like, even when I eluded them, I somehow- Through what happened at the Patriot base, I made it hard on everyone, and it hasn't shown yet, but it will and I'm going to be-"

Linka held and locked her hand to his. "Who's this 'I' stuff? We're both equally responsible for the leaks, but the world was already shifting before we acted on it. And you were... You were justified, big brother. You did it because you thought of me..."

"Don't forget, we're a group able to fix the chain of messes left in the world's wake," Caroline slapped onto Leven. "All eight of us, and we might have more joining us down the line."

"We need to get the remainder of the scattered Vial Corp guys hiding within Kapacity, that's where we can go from there. Carly, any ideas?"

"Hmmm, McMahon kept Allison a secret away from the Black Network, and I'm certain he had other things we can't find in those leaked files. Like, say... The identities of the Vial Corp and Black Network members?"

"So we go to his estate?" Caroline had a braying laugh. "Damn it, the man's dead, so that means the cops might have it locked down. Who knows if his stuff's been raided?"

"Where would we have to go?"

"I'm not sure, he covered his tracks pretty well up to here. Lisa Loud and James Shepherd were there doing most of the work."

"Well, we can forget about visiting Shepherd in prison, we have no clearance, nor will we risk breaking in just to get words. Linka, ideas?'

"Uh..." Linka grinned widely, showing her teeth. "Sex?"

"Never mind."

"Sorry, I don't know where the man lives-"

"Wait, Linka! Couldn't you-?"

"There are so many computers and laptops, I can try to trace it down to his unless it's offline- Disconnected offline."

"Sure, but first, can't you call us some vehicles?!" Carly roared. "WHY ARE WE USUALLY WALKING WHEN WE CAN BE RESTING INSIDE-?"

"Hey, dudes," Luna platonically waved, coming over from the other side. "Got a plan already?"

"Ah, right..." Leven had forgotten of Luna's heightened hearing. "You can eavesdrop on us."

"I like this plan of yours, mainly because we'd still be fighting the evil that put us all im this situation. Me, Sam, the twins-"

"We get it," Linka silenced. "We're here because everyone played a role. Now, I need to concentrate-" Her nose leaked blood in a matter of seconds.

"I feel like that is not supposed to happen," Luna pointed out. "That's not right."

"Using it puts a strain on her brain," Leven believed. "The chip is powered by the electricity her brainwaves create, but it could be dangerous-"

"You mean it's never off, dude?" Luna nervously tapped her hand. "But what if it overloads or... Worse?"

"If it could overload, it would have already. It's a tiny device, there's no way-" But he wondered, he had known how it worked, but not of the unforeseen consequences it upheld. "There is nothing apart from some bleeding that-"

"Hey, clone," Caroline cut in. "The punk raver is right, internal head bleeding isn't good. I've seen you two being able to regenerate, so I know she can walk away from brain damage, but can she walk away from poisoning? A piece of metal in her brain, it would infect the blood and there is no regenerating from that."

Leven opened his mouth to speak, but it never formed and came out of him.

"We don't know the consequences of her, and neither does she, I'm sure."

Leven's head dropped forward and downward. "You're right, we don't actually know."

Luna and Caroline caught themselves and felt rather awkward, looking away. "Uh, sorry-"

"She won't die."

"You guys are of real help," Carly jokingly scoffed.

Linka opened her eyes, tightening her grip on Leven's hand. "Don't you worry a thing, buster. I'll be fine. Aren't I alive now?"

"I guess you are," Leven carefully smiled. "You are, aren't you?"

"Make that a side mission!' Linka cheered. "We'll find someone who waa close around Project Link! They might know more than those files let in on!"

"Isn't it funny that the Project Link files never went too into depth about the five?"

"Maybe it wasn't intentional," Leven thought. "Maybe Lisa herself missed something in Linka here. Remember, she grew the five of us and we were never allowed. She could not have been able to make discoveries about us because she never got to see us out and about."

"Might be right," Luna agreed.

"Then it's up to us to find out more about myself! Onward to the next-" And Linka scrolled down on the screen like the 4th wall breaker she was.

* * *

Lincoln knocked five times before entering, arriving to the old cabin just north of Kremmling, Colorado. This cabin, old, creaky but otherwise still strong to hold for another a hundred years perhaps, was a property that was owned in the name of Jerry Cruise as of yet, but it wasn't Lincoln who had been living here. "Hey, I've got some food and... Well, clothes that I'm sure will fit you-"

The tenant who occupied the cabin currently let him in wordlessly; she was a zombie of a human, half-full of life as it stood. She was like some grandmother who needed help walking from one place to another, but could still otherwise walk. Fuck a wheelchair. She was still young yet, but deadened and of weak nutrition. Lincoln had told her she could walk out when she needed to, as long as she had never went far. Not far, not back into society, where she has no place in this state. And worse-

Leni was dead to the world.

"Lincy..." The sunglasses weren't above her eyes, it felt too weird for him to see this scrawny, bony Leni like this. Pale, ghost white- Could he have truly called this living? "You're back-" She gave out and fainted on him, making him drop the two bags in both hands.

"LENI!" He broke her fall and took her inside, placing her on her bed. Here, he saw that she wasn't- hadn't been eating the food he had supplied since last week. No, not much consumed, only mere rations of the food there. Leni was opting to starve herself to death rather than keep on living this way. "Leni, you can't torture yourself like this..."

She twitched in sight, as if her body was experiencing electric shocks. She concerned him, but what more could he do? Just how long could Lincoln keep this up? "Leni... Why?"

He applied a hand over her forehead. Not warm, so no fever. Yet. _I just want to save you this time..._

He took his hand off and brought it over his eyes, them being closed. "What am I supposed to do?"

"L-Lincy...?"

"Leni- Hey, hey- You need to eat-"

"Thirsty..." Leni softly let out.

Lincoln went back out and put the two bags beside the bed, digging away for a water bottle in the grocery back. He played mother, giving sips to the older sister as if she were a baby. "Slowly..."

Leni wound up spilling on herself, choked and coughed, but otherwise drank half the bottle. "Th-thank you..."

"Leni, you should also eat," Lincoln implored. "We need you full of energy."

"Let me die..."

He was taken aback; this wasn't how he hoped it would be this time. Not since-

_Leni stared and smiled at Lincoln and his dangerous shooty-shoot, as she called guns. She knew it was him, somehow. White hair, but older and definitely muscular, but it was him nonetheless. Him, the servant of death, she thought, ready to take him away. "Little brother, have you come to take me to the angels?"_

_Lincoln did not process this as Leni at first, but everything else resembled that cinnamon roll, the ditzy blonde prone to accidents and miscommunication. The first-ever words since they've last seen each other for years, and they suggested that she wanted to die. No, no, it wasn't the ideal life he could have envisioned, wanted for her. Not this. Not left with anything or anyone to be with her, for her. This wasn't fair-_

_This wasn't fair, and he felt that perhaps God was pulling a joke, and Leni was the punchline of His joke. Leni was grinning weakly, looking at Lincoln the same way a suicidal girl would look at knives or pills. Death. "Please... I just want to be-"_

_And she was crying._

"Leni!" Lincoln sat down next to her. "Our siblings want to see you! Isn't... Isn't that enough reason-?"

"Lori left us, just like you-" Leni lazily tossed her hand closest to him up in the air. "You all left and forgot me-"

"No..." Lincoln grabbed and held her flopping hand. "I'm here- I'm here and I'm sorry I had to leave! I'm here now because I realize that you were alone and you were hurting- I see you now, I see that... That you've suffered-"

"So- so just... Throw me away, for good-" she begged. "Trash... Trash can..."

Lincoln shut his eyes; this state of Leni, he could not bear to experience. Again.

"Trash can is meant for me-"

"I love you-"

"What is love, Lincy?"

"Lori loves you-"

"Lori isn't here-"

"But I am-"

"Guilt."

"Love."

"Then kill me..." Leni decided. "I don't want to be here-"

"NONSENSE!" Lincoln had blown a gasket. "I'VE GONE OUT OF MY WAY TO GIVE YOU THIS, ALL OF THIS!"

"Why do you hate me?"

"I-! No, I don't-"

"You're keeping me trapped here-" Leni wept slowly. "I've suffered by myself, and now you wanna come save me? Y-y-you're years too late... You all are."

"...Yeah, you're right... I'm- I am sorry I ran."

"I... I know..." Leni still wept. "I'm sorry, too..."

"Why?" Lincoln's breath destabilized.

"I'm too hurt by all of this..."

"Who isn't?" Lincoln tried to stop his voice from breaking. "I had to try for you, Leni. In the end, I do care."

"Lincy..." She touched his face and smiled again amidst the tears. "You aren't so bad... You aren't so bad, Lincy. You never were."

His mouth briefly went open before he lost the uphill battle and unloaded a single tear upon Leni. _I didn't try harder this time... I'm so sorry. _

"Don't bother, I just-" Leni brushed away his arm. "Don't come back this week, just let me-"

"Is that what you want?"

"I've wanted to fall-" Leni admitted. "Not to be picked up again."

"Leni-"

"Please..."

"I wish I saved you long ago..." Lincoln swore. "I didn't know, Leni. I wish I had known. I wish I had come to you before."

"In another lifetime, you'll come save me, Lincy..." Leni soothed. "I just know it."

"I'll be back next week..." Lincoln promised. "Whatever you choose... Whatever you choose."

"Lincy-"

"I'll be back, I can promise you that..."

"Okay... You'll see me again for the last time."

"L-last time..." he repeated. _Last time. Last... Time..._

* * *

Lyle sniffed around the street, trying to pick up Lindsey's scent, and no such luck. Gloom did less, the basic minimal effort, not really helping Lyle in his search for the young redhead. "Where, oh where could she be?" Gloom sang. "Sweet little Lind-seeeeeeey."

"She was around here, right here in this alley-" Lyle pointed to the alley where he and Lindsey first spotted a downed Dylan Blood aiming to strike. "This college-aged dude was trying to kill us, but Lindsey and I ran- I made the mistake of running ahead to clear our path, many people around. Turned around and I lost her, and that was it..."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"We don't know that, but-" Lyle fell on all fours and slammed his fists down on the ground. "Damn it, I lost her! I should have been more attentive of her than an escape route! Why did I drop the ball on this?!"

"Try not to beat yourself up," Gloom tried to soothe. "Do you need a massage?"

"I need to find her, and only then will I rest."

Gloom slowly nodded, noticing a gathering of people being formed right in front of a TV store. The people watched a special news broadcast- of a rampant Lindsey attacking Dietrich Manor and taking it to the streets. Gloom faced the screens, witnessing footage of the redhead pheno currently running through the streets, scratching and shoving away at the cars and bystanders trying to keep at bay while watching. All this from a chopper angle. "Uh..." Gloom made this girl out to be Lindsey, and when Lyle joined her and let out a gasp, she only wished she was wrong. "I think we found her."

* * *

In another part of the world, Lynnette Laude lied down in her birthday suit, being pounded away by Lemy Porter. She hit orgasms, moaning loudly, cumming uncontrollably. Lemy kept up, making the meaty slooshy sounds against her clit flaps, enjoying how tight Lynnette made herself for his penis. "Oh, God- Yes!"

Lemy buried his face into the zoomer's chest, kissing and licking upon her juicy breasts like a horndog. She didn't mind, she was greatly enjoying it, biting her bottom lip constantly. But of course, Lemy was secretly trying to envision Allie in Lynnette's place. Sure, this tall blonde was hot and full of some attitude, but Lemy had become too fond and interested in Allie. He might have been in love with her and as it stood, Lynnette was just a distraction.

Too bad for Lynnette; her own heart had begun to beat for the scruffy-haired boy. "If you cum inside me, I'll tear you a new one," she threatened to balance it out.

"Then how-?"

"Take it out, and I'll put it in my mouth." Lynnette brought out her sharp nail-claws and ran them down his back lightly. "Keep fucking me, I love your dick."

"That's not a thing I usually hear."

"G-get- get used to it." She winked at him, and ran a hand through the back of his head. "You're a handsome devil."

**Minutes Later**

She adjusted herself on his chest, snuggling up to him in comfort. "Bet you've never been with a woman, huh?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"Not too old," Lynnette laughed. "You're still inexperienced, but that's okay, I haven't gotten in bed with many boys. It rarely happens."

"What, I didn't take your-?"

"Well..." Lynnette thought about it. While it happened to her only once before, it hadn't happened yet. "Oh, yes and no, Lemy. Won't tell you what I mean, but you should feel proud."

"That's cryptic."

"Feel proud, big boy." She kissed him on the cheek and held his hand like they were an item.

"If you say so..." Lemy wondered of Allie's whereabouts at the second. "Shit, I can't believe he got us. He got us and he took Allie."

"Oh..." Lynnette gave a reluctant nod. "Yeah, that wasn't how I thought it would go. We had him and he beat us all. Fuck, I'm a zoomer, too. I had the best advantage to taking Loud down."

"We'll get him next time," Lemy said, believing it. "We'll find him, but we've gotta find Allie first. She hasn't been answering her calls yet. Where did I-?" Lemy dug into his clothes lying on the left side of the bed, taking his phone out of the pants. "I swear if he hurt her..."

"Keep hope alive, buddy."

"Thanks."

But Lynnette had little doubt that Lincoln would have kept Allie alive, considering the fight where he granted no mercy upon them. And hell, Lincoln tried to strangle her. Yup, the girl had to have been dead now. "So... You care for her?"

"Well, of course, we've been in this together long enough, fighting a bunch of scum before we turned our attention to him, that bastard."

"Right..." Lynnette had been told of the story; Lincoln stripped Lemy of his family, made him an orphan in those Freight days. "Sorry about that."

"I have to thank you, Nyla, you're a great help to us."

"Glad to be of service." She got up, her bare body exposed for a magnificent view. "It looks like it's way past the morning."

"We slept half the day, I got that."

"We should be moving soon," the zoomer suggested. "I'm hitting the showers, you oughtta join me."

"Oh, you bet I will, cutie pie," Lemy flirted, mesmerized by Lynnette's stunning body. He got up and have chase to that perfect piece of ass.

* * *

Dylan Blood met with Marzon Dillon, current mayor of Greenwood, Pennsylvania, a dead-end town that had no business in existing anymore. Town Hall, not as big as your average library, but it fared well. Dylan placed his feet up on the table, feeling free to do as he pleased. "I'm sure you know that Leah Reed is missing, and you want her, but I can't figure out why a mayor is trying to keep tabs on a trio of girls running further away from here. Not unless-"

"If you know something, I will pay a great reward as compensation," Dillon promised. "I need the girl."

"Do you need the girl... Or something that she has?" Dylan waddled a finger around. "I heard from the outside sources that this seemed to be revenge-motivated. Is it just that? Do you wanna kill the entire Reed clan?"

"There... Is something that Leah Reed has, something that can compromise my status as town mayor."

"So you're not trying to kill her?"

"I just need a very special flash drive-" Dillon stated. "She has it, and if you know something-"

"You're in luck," Dylan grinned. "They've tried to steal from me but I put up a fight. They're locked up in a secure bunker south from here. Would you like me to take you to them?"

"H-how do I know what you speak is no lie?" Dillon narrowed his beady eyes at the young man. "Why, I don't believe I got a name?"

"I'm Clay Callahan," he lied. "I'm related to Cornelius Dietrich."

"You see, that's where I know you're lying-" Dillon revealed a Colt 1911 from his side of the desk and aimed against Dylan. "Dietrich? I've met him just once, but that's all it took for me to know his whole family tree. Poor geezer probably forgot it, too, but I've met his grandkids-"

"I'm not a grandkid-"

"Yeah, you keep lying, boy. Make my day."

"Hold on..." Dylan raised his hands up in the air. "Yes, I am lying. My name... Is..."

And Dylan told Marzon Dillon his _real_ name, not the current alias he was using right now. Not Dylan Blood. And it brought Dillon's blood to grow chilly-cold at the sight of the name. Five letters for the first one, and six for the last one. "I-impossible, you're-?"

"In the living flesh."

Dillon lost grip of the gun, letting it fall over onto the desk. "Y-y-you're the T-Tacitus Man. What do- do you want with-?"

"The girls are now under my protection, my jurisdiction-" Dylan groaned. "No one can know the Tacitus Man still lives. You know what that means, don't you?" He reached for the gun and loaded it, knowing that it hadn't been.

"Wait, have mercy! Please! Have mercy!" Dillon pleaded. "I won't tell a soul-"

And Dylan fired once. "Of course you won't, you won't be alive to tell anyone."

He photographed the body, and hurriedly left.

**Later**

Leia, Gwen and Marsha weren't doubting it, but Gwen barfed away, and Marsha was trying to keep it together. It was Leia who was frozen in place, so visibly scarred by this that it gave Dylan a sense of pain. She became a statue. _He- He- He'-_

"I keep my word, now you three know the extend of my capabilities," Dylan spoke for himself. "There will be no man to have leverage against. Which one of you carries this flash drive I've heard about?"

Leia looked down at her neck. "Um-"

"Marzon Dillon is no more, but what do you wish to do with it?"

"This is the thing that kept him far from us in the meantime-" Leia said, pulling out the flash drive from under her shirt. "Now it's-"

"No, it is not useless," Dylan corrected. "This must be uploaded."

Leia shivered, reluctant. "I'm- I'm freaking scared-"

"But you have sanctuary here, you are safe, and I ensure that my own-"

Leia tried to relax herself.

"-are-"

"Just because you took care of our great issue does not mean-" Marsha gagged again. "Y-you actually killed him! You're sick! A sicko! Sicko!"

"Need you three to be onboard-"

"Why would we guard this place anyway?!" Marsha slapped her arms on her hips. "Do whatever you wanted us to do yourself! I'm leaving, and so are my girls! Gwen! Leia! We're leaving!"

Gwen wiped at her mouth, struggling to speak. "Mmmm, mmhmmm."

"Leia!"

But Leia stood stupidly frozen in place. Then, she shook her head to disagree. "I can't go."

"What-? Leia, we're not tools here, we don't have to stay! You, I can barely appreciate this intervention but murder is still murder! Which one of us asked for this jerkwad to become dead? We just wanted him to leave us be!"

Leia held her hands up, turned and pushed Marsha in return. "And not have my parents avenged?!"

Dylan winced. _So she's... Leah Reed?!_

Marsha fell off balance, landing hard on her ass. "Leia-"

"Don't you dare lecture me about right and wrong! Dillon had my parents killed, of course I'm ever so happy that this man here took him from the world!" Leia joined Dylan's side, pledging her allegiance and loyalty to him. "We can stop running, we can stop looting and taking from the poor suckers who cross us. Isn't it time for a better opportunity?"

"I can provide what you need," Dylan promised. "These empty rooms can be yours, this can be your new home. I just need you to help me with-"

"With what?" Marsha inquired strictly. "You're no good for us all. You're not afraid to hurt and that makes you dangerous. Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying... Leia, if you stay, then it's done."

"Gwen-" Leia held a hand out. "Gwen, do you seriously plan on continuing up there? We'd get caught, I-"

"You... Had doubts about us?" Gwen huffed.

"...I- No, I mean..." Leia pressed a hand to her temple. "Were we going to last until we needed to stop? When we could call it quits?"

"If we believed hard enough, Leia..." Gwen made up her mind, receding her steps. "I'd rather work with thieves, not killers. Not him."

"Gwen!" Leia wholeheartedly pleaded for her to stay, but Gwen went away, lost into the maze. "Gwen-"

"They've made up their mind, they are allowed to. So, Leia, I won't hold you back from them. If you wish to go-"

"I'm staying," Leia decided. "I owe you a lifelong debt, you have killed the man who took my family away. So, I guess that means you lied about threatening to kill us-"

"Maybe I might have, but you talked and gave yourselves up long enough to hear what I had to offer."

"I'm sorry," Leia attempted to apologize. "I thought they'd stay."

"Maybe you can go convince them," he figured. "They're your friends, go on, help me out."

"Hold on, why us? Marsha is right, we are just little girls, and you're old enough to be doing your own guarding. What is this place anyway?"

"The remnants left behind by a crooked corporation. Hey, I haven't asked all the questions I needed to, so I hope you don't mind."

"Uh, what about?"

"You three were at the party Tetherby hosted for his granddaughter, right?"

"Yeah, we were all there." Leia reminisced to back then. "Talked to some girl even, if you're doubting me."

"Not at all."

"That girl kissed Gwen, too. I think her name was-"

"Uh."

"-Allison Taggart."

It stunned him. "Wait, what? Allison Taggart... Was there?"

"You know that lesbian?" Leia jerked her head to the side, letting her pigtails sway about. "Hmph, that bitch has some nerve kissing my Gwen."

"That lesbian... Just so happens to be McMahon's niece."

Leia's body reacted in a jumpy manner. "What? What?!"

_Oh, believe me, I suspected her involvement but there was no evidence she was present at the party... Not until Leia here just said it. And to think I gave Allison my own weapon full of pheno-killer rounds. _Dylan ran a finger down his temple. "Now we know who framed you and who carried it out."

"You mean..." Leia had been wrong; she made the assumption it was Dillon's ploy, but the truth was coming to light. "Them- They-?"

"McMahon knew about you somehow. Him and the niece alike."

"H-how do you-?"

"Know?" Dylan motioned his head forward. "Come, let's take a little walk. You need the full tour."

"No, it couldn't have been them-"

"You three stumbled into a big piece of this large puzzle by accident. So you've been spying on Tetherby and found McMahon lurking around, and whether or not he spotted you and the drone doesn't matter. You've been made at the party before you were approached by the Taggart girl."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Your name won't be cleared anytime soon, no point trying to win a case, get an appeal."

"What if... Well, if you know enough, could it be possible-?"

"Neither of those two will be able to make a confession."

"What? Why not?" Leia grew angry but bothered.

"Well, because they're both dead..."

Leia lost her anger, feeling hopeless now. "D-dead... What the hell, why isn't this easy? Was- was it you-?"

Dylan crossed his arms and pictured himself back at the trailer. He gave Allie the revolver; whether or not she killed herself was not known to him, but no news article of some girl gunning down six phenos had appeared just yet, and neither on television. Allie might just have committed suicide after all. "No, I didn't kill them."

Leia still bobbed her head down. "How is this possible? I... I was framed and you're telling me it wasn't the work of Dillon. It made more sense but... These strangers? Why them? Why does everyone want to-?"

"Want to what?"

"I'm just some little girl they can push around, and... And I can't even act on my own accord. Mayor Dillon, gone because of you. And these folks who framed us to cover their tracks, they're dead too. Not by me-"

"What, did you want to kill them?" Dylan scoffed. "You're only... What, thirteen? Fourteen?"

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" Leia bellowed.

"Really? From where I'm standing, you're still due to grow up yet."

"I'll show you-" She charged at him, but he picked her up off the ground easily. "Let me go! Rape! Rape!"

"This is almost cute, Leia-"

"I'll show you cute!" Leia squeaked. "I'm not powerless! I can take action!"

"Yes, but not today," Dylan agreed. "I understand, you're feeling powerless, at the bottom of the barrel. But you'll climb and you'll be able to act."

"I'll kick your ass."

"I'll be awaiting that day," he laughed, putting her back on solid ground. "Come, this way."

* * *

Gwen and Marsha wandered about in multiple directions, getting lost in the empty, echoing halls of the Black Network labyrinth. "I wish there was a map."

"My black magic instincts are kicking in," Marsha giggled.

"Your what?"

"Sorry, it's a full-blood thing only, no half-sistah can tap into-"

Gwen pushed Marsha, laughing away. "You meanie."

"Uh-uh, that's full-blood meanie to you, missy."

"Show-off."

"Come, my inner black tells me to... Open this door?" Marsha pointed to a door on their left, but Gwen felt off about it. "Ready?"

"Um, no! That does not look like a stairwell."

"Oh well, I'm gonna trust my inner-" Marsha unlocked the door, pulling on the bar lock. "Open sesame!"

"Marsha, your dumb voodoo bullshit doesn't-" But they were met with a figure tied to a chair in the center of the room, their face concealed by a burlap sack. "Whoa."

"Why is there a... Another prisoner here?"

"Hello?" The young girl behind the sack lifted her head and shook about in the chair. "Hey, you have to get me out of here! Please, he's holding me against my will!"

"Who- Who are you?" While Gwen began asking away the basic of questions, Marsha raced forward and removed the sack. "Marsha!"

"Don't just stand there gaping at me! Come help!"

Lily Loud smiled upon her apparent saviors widely. "Thank you! Thank you-"

Dylan Blood and Leia Prescott appeared at the doorway. "I wouldn't."

"Hey-!" Gwen was pulled out of the room by him. "Asshole!"

"Watch her, Leia."

Marsha was digging her nails through the rope, trying to free fourteen-year-old Lily. "Hang on."

"Stop what you're doing," Gwen blared, disgusted by this cruelty. "What's with the fetish for female minors?"

"Obviously the creep is some unnatural pedophile!" Marsha tore through a rope before being forcibly stopped, yanked away from the frightened Lily. "Hey, let go of me!"

"You have no business snooping around, I'll gladly show you to your exit myself."

"Not until we get answers!" Marsha demanded. "Who is that?! And why is she tied up like that, huh?!"

"Silence, this is not your concern."

"Leia, red flags!" Marsha shook Leia with both arms. "Wake up! We have no-"

"I- I'm sure...-" Leia stared down, deeply looking into Lily's blue eyes and the gleam of fear that sparkled. She noticed it briefly, and grew rather jumpy and alert. "Hey, uh, what's with the girl?"

"Stick around long enough and you'll know."

"Um... I don't like the sound of that."

"Please..." Lily rotated her upper body to try freeing herself again. "Help me-"

Leia entered in, pulled by the faint state of the helpless girl.

"For God's sakes, Leia!" Marsha pleaded again. "He kidnaps and murders!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Gwen howled. "Don't forget he had that other girl, too! You know, the one he left with for an hour or so! And the same one who didn't come back!"

Leia stood facing Lily.

"I have given Lindsey her freedom back, just as I will Lily here-"

"H-HE'S LYING!" Lily bellowed in fear. "HE SAID HE'S PLANNING TO USE ME AS BAIT FOR-"

"SILENCE!" Dylan went over to take Leia away from the room. "You can forget about your next meal today if you're going to be crying, you helpless damsel."

Lily whimpered, lips pouting.

"I don't understand-" Leia started, but let it dissipate from mind and mouth, finding a more passive way to get answers. "Why isn't she allowed to roam free? And don't be so... Creepy with your responses."

"You'll get them, I'll keep my word on that, but you have to stick around."

"Stick around? Stick around for what?"

"This world is in need of a new revolution, Leia," he shared calmly and positively, gently taking Leia away from Lily's cell. "This has been long due."

"B-but what about...?" Leia rolled her eyes at the room, even when Dylan closed the cell back shut. "She'll...?"

"I have no intention of harming her."

"Liar," Gwen challenged.

"I'll lead you two out of the compound."

Leia stood in place, spectating Dylan escort her friends out of the base, and neither girl said anything this time, they seemed to believe that Leia could not be talked out of it. Gwen had been hurting already, but she dare not make it known. _Thought they'd stay... Why won't they? Marsha? Gwen? Gwen... Why?_

**Later**

Leia was tasked to film him in what he called a "declaration of war," which was lost on her. War... On who? Why for? Just what was this revolution he referred to? Regardless, Leia complied and fulfilled his task, keeping the video camera held steadily, so gently exhaling from her nose and did not speak.

Rather than inside, Dylan made sure to capture it outside, in the heart of a clearing. Behind him, a treeline stood in the distance, branches swaying lightly from the breeze that picked up. "In the last few years, there has been a surge of chaos and social unrest within the nation. Oh, who could ever forget what we all have lived through? Who could forget the names of the dead who've lost their lives during the endless commotion? For the past few months, we've had a new development here on domestic soil. We've got those beings that escaped Vial Corp facilities, the ones we brand phenos. If you aren't with the program yet, these phenos have the ability to destroy what they can, what they feel they can when they want. They are super-powered freaks that have no business being part of our community. I've seen it from a distance, I've noticed that some of you have taken matters into your own hands. Phenos have been killed, but the process in itself- you do this in hit-and-run maneuvers when you should be rallying together! You should be unifying as one to combat this inevitable menace! They are bound to become our latest threat here within the states!"

Leia kept up.

"As you know already, Alexander Elmont, the lead director in charge of this Patriot Division nonsense has employed a group of phenos- The members of the Loud family just to remind you- to work with him. That being said, what can you ask yourself but to wonder what it is that they know? A friendly reminder that among that group, you have Lincoln Loud, an old Freight, and the zoomer twins Velocity and Momentum, both of whom operate in the eastern coast. The Superbeast of Dadetown is another one, too, but where are they? Why haven't they made contact with any authority yet? We all know that they've gone into hiding... Because they are criminals. They are criminals of a new class, and they must be stopped."

Leia felt the determination from his voice; he meant it and he was calling for action among the citizens. Cries for manhunts. Order and peace through blood if needed to be shed. Had Leia made the right call?

**Elsewhere**

Linka touched the side of her head again, faintly distraught but she didn't plan to make it known. She tried not to, for Leven's sake. Right now, fuck Carly, she kept up, expressing hate and hostility and hurt by having lived through Caely Betrayal No. 1 if this would be the first of many. Pretty sure there might have been if Carly didn't fuck off here and now. And so far, she hadn't yet.

The reason Linka was concerned and off-put was due to the chip... And the creation of the A.I. presence that had been subconsciously made thanks to the SCX. That thing, that virtual being that dared to call itself LinKAPACITY had been following and monitoring the group of two parties.

**Your cerebral state is rapidly deteriorating. You must tend to the removal of the SCX chip immediately, or it will kill you. **

Linka had seen that message enough times by then. She grew scared and silent, and it wasn't until the lengthy car ride that Leven had begun to pick up on it. He tapped her shoulder and she sprung forward with a bounce, nearly having herself a good old-fashioned heart attack. "Hey!"

"You look-"

"Like a pile of shit," Caroline cut in, trying to revive the quiet atmosphere. "I don't know what's worse, your sex-filled babbling or your silence."

"What did you want?" Linka asked, adjusting herself back down.

"Why are you tense, little sister?" Leven poked her cheek. "Where are your childish antics?"

"Uh, well... I'm not feeling it."

"What?"

"She's trying to pull a fast one on us," Caroline thought. "I know this girl enough."

"What's on your mind, Linka?"

The clone girl blinked- and she saw another message;

**Tell them now before it becomes too late. You do not have long.**

"I... Don't have long..." she voiced slowly.

"Don't have long?" Leven scratched his head. "Don't have long for what?"

"F-f-fuck..." Linka looked around. "Hey, if you can hear me, man the vehicles."

Three seconds passed, and the radio had come to life briefly before it went silent. Then, a voice that sounded equivalent to Linka's, albeit with a static touch upon it, spoke through the speakers. _"Hello, do not be alarmed. I am a virtual construct created by the SCX chip implanted within Project Link clone model A as you have been made aware of."_

"L-Linka, what are you doing?" Leven shifted his head between the radio and Linka. "Wait, how are you-?"

"That's not me," Linka explained. "That's it."

_"I have been created through rem sleep while Linka was unaware that her brain and the chip were still on. I have entered the digital realm by accident, I was not meant to be created-"_

"What the fuck is happening?" Caroline leaned back and shut her eyes. "Props on the insanity, clone."

_"I am to be the bearer of bad news, but Linka's chip has already begun to attack her brain. The elemental radiation of the metal is taking its toll on her and soon-"_

Carly and Leven gave the second Linka voice more attention, but Linka had cut to the chase with reluctance. "G-guys, I'm... The thing- It's g-gonna kill me."

"Kill you-?" Leven lost control of the SUV he manned, and let his hands go when the wheel moved right, leading into the curb. Up ahead, the other SUV followed protocol, taking both groups to an unplanned break. "Linka!"

Linka unbuckled from her seat and dove out of the vehicle. "No, don't even-"

"Drama queens," Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Wait, Linka!" Leven beeped the horn. "What- Come back!"

_"It is critically essential that the chip be removed from her brain, but it is a dangerous operation. We must get to a hospital."_

"WHO'S THIS WE?!" Leven clamored. "AND WHO- WHAT ARE YOU?!"

Carly bounced out, checking on Linka. "Hey, she had no nosebleed," she pointed out to Leven. "It... It must be true... It- It's gotta be... Why would she lie?"

"Linka..." Leven ejected out of the driver's seat and hurried to Linka, the poor soul who had then started tearing up.

Luna and Sam exited the car, visibly annoyed and confused about the sudden delay. "What's going on, dudes? Why did we stop?"

"It's Linka, she-"

"I need-" Linka started. "I need to-"

Leven applied his hands to her shoulders. "We need to extract it out of you."

"It- It's in my center, Leven," Linka sobbed. "It's not gonna be easy, and-"

"We... We have to try..." Leven stated. "I don't get you, Linka. We're- We're supposed to tell each other everything. This is... Damn it, Linka! This is serious! How couldn't you tell me this was happening?!"

She didn't face him, she only looked beyond up ahead.

"You couldn't even say you made... An A.I.?!"

Linka bobbed her head down, simply saying, "I'm sorry."

"Look at me..."

She didn't.

"I SAID, LOOK AT ME!"

"Hey, let's keep it cool," Luna tried to smooth out the fury she picked up, sensing Lincoln's presence trying to take over the clone. "I don't know what this is about, but we can solve this, can't we?"

"Leven, she's right," Carly agreed. "We need to try and remove it before it gets too-"

"It can't be removed..." Linka believed. "It can't, not without it hurting and damaging me."

"No, don't you dare-"

"But I think..." Linka took a shaky breath. _Pause myself... I will be chased by another for the SCX chip. Pause... Myself... _"I think I know what to do."

"What- Okay, what do we do?"

"Not you, just me..." Here, she faced him with a seriously grim face. "Please tell me that you trust me. In fact, all of you, I need all of you to have faith in me, I know what I'm going to do."

"...Linka?" The way she said it worried Leven. "What... Are you planning?"

"I... I need to do it myself..."

"Hey, don't hide stuff from me, I have a right to know what you're-" Hos heart skipped a beat when he made the connection. "No... D-don't tell me this is relating t-to what we all saw and heard-"

Linka verified his suspicions by breaking away her eye contact. "It is."

Caroline exited and joined them, pulling the weakened Leven away. "Which means... It must be inevitable."

"No... W-we can fix all of this-"

"You're right, we can," Linka agreed. "I will get this solved, but on my terms."

"Wait-" Leven budged his shoulders from Caroline's medium grip. "That's why we're here! We can do it together! We can-"

"Leven!" Linka faced him again and showed him she meant what she said, that she was determined persistently to achieve her goal- whatever and however bad it sounded. "I'll be fine, Leven. I'll be fine and I know I'll be safe."

"No..." Leven lost his breath. "D-don't-"

Carly came up to Linka. "I take it you're gonna take long in this... What, some journey solo?"

"You can call it that, but yeah. Listen, I'm- I'm going to leave it to you all to find a way to get this out. Until then, I have to stay gone."

"This isn't what I imagined would happen," Carly honestly admitted, "but... Okay, just be careful and stay safe."

"I made it here, haven't I?"

Carly leaned forward and hugged the clone. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry-"

"It- It's... I'll get over it," Linka promised, returning the hug. "You take care of Leven for me, okay?"

"Yeah, me and Carol will keep him in line." Pulling back, Linka spotted the glimmer of red in Carly's eyes. "Crazy clone, you hurt me."

Linka laughed it off. "I'm truly the best, aren't I?"

"So you are, clone girl. So you are."

Linka went over to Luna, slapping a hand on her. "Did you get all that?"

"A little context would be nice..." Luna crossed her arms. "What's this about leaving?"

"Not leaving, I'm just... Gonna take a pause."

"Pause?"

Linka pointed at her head. "This chip is killing me as we speak, but I know what to do to stop the process. It's not gonna solve it, that'll be their job, but I can halt it as long as need be."

"You're...?" Luna still seemed puzzled, but the first half had gotten her. "Oh, dude..."

"Stick together, Lunes, that's all I can ask for."

"Are you sure you're going through with this?" Luna looked back to Linka's crew. "You'll have no back-up-"

"Oh, I'm positive."

"Can... Can I ask why you're going at it alone?"

"No one needs to see how I'll slow it down," Linka opened up. "Leven would try to stop me and Carly might have... Well, she might-" Linka gave out. "It'll be too..."

"I understand, dude." Luna gave Linka a final nod. "I won't stop you, but you'd better be careful. We're all still being hunted here, but you being by your own makes you-"

"I know, I know," Linka assured. "I'm the one who brought us here, and again, I'm sorry I did this to us all."

"Yeah, well... At least you two are free from their control. You three, actually, if we're counting Carla."

"Carly."

"She's your friend, not mine."

"She'll be yours soon, if you will it." Linka looked down the road behind them. "Go on, Lunes."

"S-sure-" Luna took a deep breath. "Stay safe, little dude."

"Same to you..." Linka tucked hands into her pockets and walked down the road, silently leaving- and without a formal, essential goodbye. Perhaps- No, Linka had known it would not be the end, any end. She was just going to "take her pause" as she called it, and then come back to them. Well, they'd come to her, led by LinKAPACITY, the monitor around. Yeah, of course the A.I. would keep them safe. It would replace Linka for a brief amount of time. Had to. _This is it... This is where I-_

The SUVs took off slowly, driving away from her. And no Leven was attempting to stop her, when she knew he would have been. _Big brother, d-do you understand me?_

And then, they were gone without a fight, an argument. They let Linka go. They let Linka go? _Is this you all trusting me? Do you all-?_

_Did I stop being a little girl clone? _Linka stopped in place. _What changed? N-no, I can't- I must go. I must... Go._

* * *

She faced the thick layer of glass, testing the density with her knuckles. Solid thick, good enough to keep her there. There, in the sub-levels of another Kapacity Korp facility, ready to be placed in cryogenic stasis. A team consisting of labcoats and guards associated with the Black Network circle had allowed her to follow through without the use of excess force; she had told them they had cast her out due to her dangerous state, carrying the chip, telling the right ones what she had known. "Okay..."

She entered the other side of the transparent wall, greeting an empty space big enough to hold a car. Parking space sized. No one had said anything anymore, but the guns on the guards were kept high, aimed at her nonetheless. _This will keep me safe long enough... I made the right choice. I've made the right-_

"LINKA!" Lana and Lola broke in and ran circles around the staff, punching and dropping them with ease as Leven, Carly and Caroline rushed in, the group being a frenzy. "LITTLE SISTER!"

"L-Leven?" Linka kept still behind the glass. "Guys?! What-?"

"DON'T YOU THINK FOR A SECOND WE WOULDN'T SAY GOODBYE IF THIS WAS WHAT YOU WERE PLANNING TO DO!"

"How- Who told-?" But she figured it out rather quickly. "It talked?"

"He asked and it did not lie," Carly confirmed. "Putting yourself on ice, isn't that... Too cold for you not to tell us?"

Linka exited the chamber. "It would have been easier-"

"You're wrong!" Leven came and slapped Linka hard before hugging her tightly. "I knew I'd be worried about you! Don't tell me you wouldn't have-"

"Okay! Okay, yes! I admit it, but you would have been whichever direction I went about it! ...I have to make tough calls now, too..." She eyed the chamber. "You should have left..."

"We were, but this..." Leven shook his head begrudgingly. "You'll be... Gone. I don't know for how long, nor do any of us. Linka..." He caressed her head, stroking her hair downwards. "I love and care for you."

"That's not very Lincoln of you!" But Linka's breath faltered emotionally. "That's not very-"

Carly turned the hug into a group hug. "You're both nuts, one sappy and one crazy... But you're alright when you get down to it."

"Is this you being soft?"

"You're hurting me, clone," Carly murmured. "So yeah, I guess it is."

"I love us, this little trio- I mean, quad now since Carol here has been retconned into our group in this new timeline. Well, technically it's not a retcon, we're in A2-" Carly shut Linka up by kissing her lips, and Linka blushed an unbelievable bright red before returning it. "Mmm..."

"There's more when you return," Carly guaranteed. "Just to give you incentive."

"I'll be dreaming of it!" Linka joyfully exclaimed. "Count on it."

"This better work, Linka," Leven prayed. "It better."

"Hey, virtual-me!" Linka called out around the room. "Start it up already!"

The two vents inside the chamber let the oxygenated nitrogen flow in, and Linka let go of Leven and Carly to catch the train southbound. Leven tried to retain his hold on her, but Linka had slipped perfectly away, closing herself away from the outer room.

"Linka..." Leven met the transparent glass, his eyes never leaving her. "I- I'll be waiting for you! I'll be waiting- We'll find a way and we'll be back! We'll be-!"

The entire glass fogged up, going dense in a slow manner. Linka began to disappear, but her right hand stuck against the glass. Ice soon formed behind her, and soon would be suspending her. There hadn't been anything else she thought to say, nothing that he didn't already know. But-

"I love you, little sister," Leven uttered through heartbreaking sentiments. "Remember that." His hand connected to hers among the glass. "I love you."

Lana led her hand to lock with Lola's when the scene between the clones had touched her- and Lola reinforced the former's embrace.

"Thank you for saving me, big brother..." Linka told him just as the entire chamber had become a block of white, to remove Linka from sight, and her hand had disappeared.

"Linka?"

* * *

**AN: And so it was written that the first clone takes her exit here, taking the SCX chip out of commission altogether. Can't say where I'm going with this, but the ride's a fun one. Oh wait, no it's not. **

**Now is the time for revolution I've held off as long as I could, but now is the right time to begin. Next act; the main (reiterated) Sin Kids will finally meet... Before the time skip happen.**

* * *

_The light of the sun, strong to carry me through the day_

_The dark of the moon, blinds me from seeing far away_

_To know one is to know them both_

_Such words and significance that will add to one's growth_

_Ask and you shall never know the line_

_If you do not know, you shall ask in due time_

_Whom is the responder?_

_I do dare wonder_


	77. Chapter 77

**Act VI Special: The New World**

* * *

A KRON News van pulled up at the other side of the mob-filled street. By then, the rioting had already begun, forming around the Kapacity Korp facility that had otherwise did nothing to offend or instigate a reason to be attacked the way it was right now. The people clamored, yelled, threw water bottles and rocks at the building, shattering the glass and striking metal. Meanwhile, the guards inside had stayed far back from the windows; the place had gone on lockdown yet but soon, the agitated citizens would burst in and attack everyone. That was to be expected when it had been happening rather slowly the past few weeks, but not like this. Not with the fight being taken to these facilities.

The news team of two, Katherine Mulligan and her cameraman Roger Willis, set up shop where they were. Katherine, the smoking hot woman of tan skin, a long ponytail that ran down to her back, and a common choice attire of a yellow sweater with a yellow skirt, held the microphone at hand, giving her assigned partner the nod to start. The headpiece emitted a voice with a countdown starting. _"You're on in five. Four. Three. Two..."_

Roger Willis centered high and firmly on Katherine and the angle to overlook the angry mob.

Katherine brushed her face last second before the voice stopped the countdown, and then she began to speak into the camera. "Hello, I'm Katherine Mulligan, reporting live from Atlanta, Georgia! What you're seeing behind me is an aggressive mob assembled at Kapacity Korp southbound on 28th! This, following in the aftermath of a controversial video that had been uploaded on YouTube by user _Tacitus Kid. _The lack of police present only leads me to conclude that it has only happened literal moments ago, when-"

The crowd broke in, and Katherine moved out of the way to get that better angle. "Oh! As you can see, it looks like these angry protesters have managed to break into the facility! Oh, dear, this isn't going to go well! Um, this group here seem to be pro-phenos from what I'm able to distinguish- Here, let's take a better angle from the side! Maybe we can get an inside scoop-"

Shots rang out.

"Oh- Oh, I just heard gunshots. Hey, can we get an aerial view, Megan?"

* * *

**Declaration of War! - 4:52 **

**Uploaded by Tacitus Kid**

**34K views**

**169 likes - 72 dislikes**

**7K comments**

**Initiating playback;**

_In the last few years, there has been a surge of chaos and social unrest within the nation. Oh, who could ever forget what we all have lived through? Who could forget the names of the dead who've lost their lives during the endless commotion? For the past few months, we've had a new development here on domestic soil. We've got those beings that escaped Vial Corp facilities, the ones we brand phenos. If you aren't with the program yet, these phenos have the ability to destroy what they can, what they feel they can when they want. They are super-powered freaks that have no business being part of our community. I've seen it from a distance, I've noticed that some of you have taken matters into your own hands. Phenos have been killed, but the process in itself- you do this in hit-and-run maneuvers when you should be rallying together! You should be unifying as one to combat this inevitable menace! They are bound to become our latest threat here within the states!_

_As you know already, Alexander Elmont, the lead director in charge of this Patriot Division nonsense has employed a group of phenos- The members of the Loud family just to remind you- to work with him. That being said, what can you ask yourself but to wonder what it is that they know? A friendly reminder that among that group, you have Lincoln Loud, an old Freight, and the zoomer twins Velocity and Momentum, both of whom operate in the eastern coast. The Superbeast of Dadetown is another one, too, but where are they? Why haven't they made contact with any authority yet? We all know that they've gone into hiding... Because they are criminals. They are criminals of a new class, and they must be stopped._

_The way I see it, the enemies of America right now are not just these nefarious powerful phenos, but the very persons responsible behind them. Project Ultimate's files is out there already, and you should not remain ignorant to the situation. This dream, this diabolical agenda founded on the idea to mold a human to perfection, calls for a sort of global genocide. Vial Corporation has wished to clone all humans that are not involved with them so that things could change! The end of poverty! The end of war! The end to all the problems as minor as anger! But what kind of world would that be? A world where everything is generic and dull? A world born through global carnage? Is this what you want? Or will you take it into your hands and tear down Kapacity Korp facilities?! Let the records show that these fall under the recently deceased Peter McMahon's jurisdiction, but no longer! Go down, go to all of them! Strike them now so that no one will get that idea again! Make them resign their posts, put them in jail! Make them pay for this horrid crime against humanity! All must pay! Today is the day for an uprising! Today is the day we must speak out against the injustice that has been building up! You, all of you! Take up arms! Lock and load! Take the fight to them! The conspirators and the super freaks coming out of the woodwork! This is far from over! Today, we will personally see the end of the Loud family of freaks and the allies they make and all others! _

_Strike them all! Strike them now! Keep your world as was! Keep them from being the devastation of the United States! Don't stop! Never stop! Wipe these monsters from the face of the earth!_

* * *

A group therapy session went on tonight. The type where multiple victims of loss, trauma and darkness had come around to seat themselves in a circle. This particular set of people just so happened to be phenos, meeting after their last gathering, which had just taken place a week ago. Sixteen of them, ranged from eighteen to forty in a mix-and-match variety. They were all silent save for the one person, twenty-one-year-old Mandy Carson, whom had the floor. She talked to them of her own experience behind the glass. Of how she was a teenager working a Starbucks in her hometown when she'd been nabbed through a false construction detour. They stopped her and took her out of her Subaru, and things got hazy from there.

They comforted her when she cried, when she told them of how she returned to her parents, only for them to disown her for her status as a pheno today. In their eyes, Mandy was an abomination with freakish abilities, to render her rights as a born human invalid. And it wasn't fair, it wasn't just. It just was not right in the eyes of the other fifteen phenos that were, unnaturally, the object of the public's controversy today.

"It was so much easier when I would put my checks into my account and split half of it into my savings," Mandy shared to the group amidst her sobs. "That was supposed to go to my college, and I planned to major into social sciences. I- I had it all panned out and everything. I had a life and a future, and... And these..." She hated how things were, and at no doubt did she feel and know it was mutual for them all. "Why me? I didn't d-do anything to anyone ever! It- It doesn't feel random... I have to confess that I'm- I'm a virgin still, I'm a Christian and- How could God f-forsake me like this? It doesn't make any-"

Robert Burton was on her left, and Sheila Martin was on her right, and both older folk consoled her greatly, to relieve and destress the state of Mandy's confused, lost mind. The poor brunette girl had then bawled into her hands, her heart aching greatly. At one fine moment, she could have even passed away from how devastated it had become. A damn vase that could be so fractured just from one fall. It was all it took today.

"Would anyone else care to speak? It seems that our friend Mandy here-"

Darceline Holmandollar leaned against the doorway, looking upon the group. For a second, she thought she wanted to enter and contribute; the young woman had stuff tp contribute, and that wasn't accounting the strange phenomena she had experienced awhile back, where her hands and legs fizzled out like she had _been disappearing from the timeline, _but she thought nothing of it yet. Perhaps the woman had been tired. But even still-

"Ah, I see we have another guest!" The organizer had caught sight of Darcy and signaled her over. "Come here, don't be shy! Everyone, let's give this wonderful woman your utmost attention. Barney, if you can find us a chair-"

One bearded fellow from the group got up to fetch another of the foldable chairs they were using, beckoning Darcy over nonverbally.

"I- I'm just looking-" Darcy attempted to excuse herself, but she found herself unable to budge from place. "Wait, I-"

"Please... You're among friends if you are one of us..."

Darcy saw someone raise their hand and emit fire right out of their palm, scaring her silently. She obliged and nodded, moving closer. She had no thought anymore, but she didn't feel like she had reason to run- yet stay. Whatever, she left it to chance. Who knows? She probably needed to talk. And she had some words inside. "Um, hello... I'm, uh, Darceline, but I go by Darcy, a simpler name-"

"Hello, Darcy," the groupers simultaneously said altogether.

She sat down and waved weakly, studying everyone's faces. "I don't know what to say, I've never been in one of these."

"That's okay, you can just share what you feel the need to share. You know, things you need to get off your chest."

Darcy lifted her hand to her face. "Well... I'm a pheno, that's obvious on your part, right? I... I'm stronger than I was in the before time." Her eyes rolled away, dropping to the ground. "Um... I have my own... I don't know how but, I have my own grave all of a sudden. It's like... I'm actually dead. I searched my own name up on Google and I'm suddenly dead-"

"That seems to be natural," one said. "They've made us look like we're dead so that they could get away with experimenting on us."

Darcy knew it wasn't true on her part; she was alive and she had been living in hiding. With Nicky Cromwell, with Eric Langston. Victoria Thompson. Terry Smythe. Her own peeps that weren't so fortunate, but together, the sinking boat they were in kept afloat. At least, it had been keeping afloat, until very recently. Recently, when things had begun to change out of goddamn nowhere for her, and young Darcy could not explain it. But she could not actually share her findings simply because she didn't know why it was happening. "My own friends I share a crappy apartment with just disregarded me out of nowhere. I might have said something but they seemed accepting of me! I don't get it, I don't get why they're- They're pretending they don't know me. It's all bullshit."

_It's all bullshit._

**Later**

Darcy called for Lincoln multiple times using their secret Freight signal again, but she got no reply from him, and she had begun to feel something was terribly wrong here. He'd never ignore her calls when she requested it; they had a pact, a form of understanding that she was still a friend. She needed him to see her as that so that she'd be spared. _Damn it, Lincoln. Not you too._

Still, she persisted, continuing to call out for him.

Say something had gone wrong, what then? Where would she go? How would she strive to survive these next few years? Or maybe... Maybe she needed to do some investigating. Find him herself- Him and the answers as to why Darceline Holmandollar had stopped existing all of a sudden. Perhaps Lacey St. Clair had said something prior to her death. Oh yes, an order dispatched to her punk friends, the three assholes who met her to push their agenda. Then- _Have you all fucked me over? Is that how the wealthy operate? _

She never bothered to look at the news, to catch up on domestic and global events. She feared seeing footage of herself attacking the anti-pheno protesters, which did the phenos no such favors. Oh, how she was helping about their downfall. She disgraced them- and she didn't know a damn thing about them. The only one pheno she knew possibly didn't see himself as one, but her- Oh yes, Darcy upgraded herself from a base human, she had considered herself special. But that special had spread like a wildfire, and that special...

It was becoming the new commonplace.

She went and smoked her third cigarette off the Marlboro pack, lighting it up at the peak of a five-level parking garage, graciously looking over the dark city of New York. Not much people in sight at these hours, in the hotspot of muggings, rapes and random robberies around. She'd see shadows, singles or in pairs, move east and west, north and south- but the thing was, she was looking down at them. Down from this height, and it was funny and significant in a sense; she was a pheno with brute force to be displayed and used when she willed it. That made her some goddess before. Four years ago, when it wasn't a thing launched out to the entire nation.

A goddess that...

Darcy exhaled the tobacco smoke.

A goddess that could not accept her role. She had to remain in hiding for four years and she had missed some chance to be... Different.

She sucked in another whiff and blew it out of her lungs again.

Wait, was Darcy ever going to do such a thing? Suppose she could. She could have. She could have risen, been alongside those zoomer twins around here. And yet-

_Why am I cowardly? Why didn't I put myself to good use? Why am I still...?_

Things were just too complex as they were. Darcy had never lost sight of the one thing that mattered, that came before anything else; survival. She took her eyes straight down, over the barriers and onto the streets below. If she fell from this distance, would she survive that impact? Or would she break her entire body? _I can't do this anymore... It must be punishment for being... Locked away by my own accord. _

Darcy flicked the cigarette out of her mouth, letting it fall before she crushed it beneath her feet, and then climbed over the barrier, now firmly standing over the edge. Here, she knew fear again. Her heartbeat rose up and pounded rapidly, legs and arms shaking. One step forward, it was all it took. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to stabilize her body. _I can't do this anymore... I can't do this anymore. I have been neglecting my abilities just to live in-_

She stepped off.

_Fear._

And fell.

* * *

Three bodies were hung on trees in Central Park. These were lynchings yet again, to be marked the fifty-fourth one nationwide. These bodies of young pheno minors who've only dreamed of freedom, to return back to normal society. Their names and faces unknown to those who cut them down and covered them, but they were younglings, poor buckos who got the short end of the rope. May God have mercy upon their souls, is what one middle-aged fellow had said that early morning.

However long they were there...

"Jeez..." The man had called the cops and waited around after laying them down. He sat and he mourned the strange kids, wondering why it was the way it was. Animals, monsters of all shapes and sizes, and to no end of the spiking tragedies. The atrocities. The turmoil that hadn't just ended, would probably not for awhile. "You poor kiddos."

* * *

Lynn Loud Jr walked with the line, chained up in her arms and legs, dressed up in the average orange prison uniform, just like the rest of the phenos were. How funny it was for her, a member of the Bureau, to be here like this, when she did no wrong but run alongside the group of her siblings investigating the crooked corporation Lisa had made possible. As of now, Lynn had lost count of the days she was here, but it had still been fresh in her mind. Her capture, and the untimely shootout that occurred on her way to Site Prime, a secret prison to hold the phenos such as her. At no doubt it was their enemies at work, but Lynn had no way to prove it. Nor did she have any means to escape. Zoomer power suppressed, and with multiple guards and sentries keeping this place at max security details, escape surely seemed impossible.

And there would be no time to remotely depend on her sisters to rescue her. Not them. Certainly not Lincoln, and surely not the clone he shot down at point-blank range. Still, Lynn had a lot of work ahead of her, and her vow to avenge her own girl crew had yet to be accomplished. For them. She made it certain that it would have its end. She'd find a way back to the future and stop it. Stop it and rewrite both present and future. And simply because she was now a designated zoomer, things could very well be different.

Lynn stopped just when she, her fellow phenos and the guard in charge, came to the steel thick entryway, exiting cellblock B. Afternoon lunch was next on the daily schedule, the food of which was just a bunch of bad meat and gloop. Meatball and mashed potato fused, maybe. The taste had been wired into Lynn's tongue memory already, quite the nasty stuff she could never erase.

The only good thing about the cafeteria period was that they were unchained, allowed to walk around. Lynn carried her tray, careful not to move it about unnecessarily, taking herself to one of the rectangular tables at the far end of the cafeteria. She could overlook the entire floor this way, and it paid to be safe. Most of these phenos were guys, too few girls that had some grievance with the captors. Oh, Lynn had already figured out these were the ones that were fighting the good fight and gotten themselves captured.

Robbie Ackerman, sole survivor of the incident at Camp Flagg in Southern California just two years ago, finally racked up the courage to come talking to the lastest female catch in Site Prime. She dropped her tray hard on the table before sitting down. She slapped a hand on Lynn and addressed her like they had already made each other's acquaintance. "I had to see if you'd affiliate yourself into that group the chicks had formed. Turns out you just don't give a shit about all that, which is good for me."

"Sorry, do I know you?" Lynn focused on her unbearable food.

"I do now!" Robbie held up two fingers, making the peace salute. "Robbie Ackerman in the flesh."

"Lynn, just Lynn for now."

"Hey, what's new on the outside world?" Robbie made it an effort to keep up with updated events. "The last few weeks I've seen plenty of people come in. This place might need to be expanded to accommodate everyone."

"Wait, what do you mean? How long were you-?"

"Guards told me we're halfway through the first year of the new decade, but I've been brought here two years ago."

"Two?"

"They've tucked me away," Robbie explained. "Of course I know why, and it sucks... So please, tell me what goes on in the world of today."

"Uh-" Lynn nodded in firm agreement. "Yeah, sure... Just ask me specific questions, I don't wanna give a speech or something. Not like we have long here."

"That's true... Alright then, let's start it with... Uh, are we at war now? Has a civil war between the regulars and the supers started?"

"Well... In bits and pieces, it seems to be going that way. There are some phenos who've been getting killed around. Gen pop has been divided into pros and antis, but it's painfully obvious that there are more antis than pros. It's complex right now, everyone either hates the idea of freaks more than they pity them. It's a shame because they're the victims in all this, yet they're all..." She hoped this Robbie character knew what she meant to say.

"I'm not surprised..." Robbie never touched her food; she was hungry but this was more important right now. "Everyone seems to have all possible ideas in existence, wouldn't you agree?"

"Now that I think about it..." Lynn thought of her siblings. She thought of Lincoln, the brother with zero morality, but of a misguided conscious. There was Luna, the Luna who was the opposite; save all life when she was able to. It was Luna who had come to accept the clones were human, with human traits and rights, even when Linka's elevator didn't reach the penthouse. Lana and Lola, the vigilante twins with same hero ideology and nothing else from what Lynn could tell. An endless crusade for those two until death. Luan was a prime example of a dead person with a list of murders to her name. She ran away from help, from all of them, for a reason not yet clear to her, and it probably still had everyone worried for her- and for the misfortunate souls that would cross the unhinged Luan.

And then there was her, the young woman who landed herself into the life of danger plain and simple- and then some. Just a test, she'd tell herself. No, more like a series of them. She'd throw herself into the life-and-death scenarios simply to get better, to overcome failure. Adrenaline. Fear. Achieving superiority over the Grim Reaper. Right until-

Oh, Lynn. If you only knew this was your demise- in one way or another. In one way...

Or another.

"I guess you're right," Lynn agreed. "Multiple groups, multiple ideals and goals. It's kinda scary."

"That's not a world I wanna come back to..." Robbie frowned with discontent. "The last time I was free, it was in a camp. It was me, my step-sister and others. We..."

"Did you all...?" Lynn meant to ask if the whole camp got caught up with these guys.

"No, just me... Just me." Robbie let out a disheartening sigh. "Everyone else is dead, because _it_ killed them all."

"It?" Lynn's attention was seized even greater. "What it? You don't mean a pheno, do you?"

"They didn't seriously think to call them that, did they? Mutant is still a word, isn't it?"

"I don't make the rules, Robbie."

"And... Well, I don't know..." Robbie shook her head slowly. "It looked like human, yeah. It was a baby, had to be. A baby that... That had these weird, green tentacles- Skin! Greenish skin and it- It was eating the others-" She stopped and gagged.

Lynn stuttered about, knowing what hideous creature Robbie was referring to. "Oh, God..."

"What?"

"You, you've s-seen-" Lynn's mouth withdrew into rattles of mumbles.

"Wait, you- You believe me? You do!" Robbie stood up. "Tell me I'm not-"

Lynn dragged her back down to seat. "I need to know! D-did you see the body of a-?"

"A blonde woman?! An FBI agent?!" Robbie noticed the reaction in Lynn's eyes; this brunette had been familiar with the case, or more... "You know!"

"Tell me, was she alive when you-?!"

"No...!" Robbie answered, putting to rest a long-running mystery that plagued Lynn. "She was dead, eaten by that thing... Her insides were hollowed out."

Lynn let go of Robbie, taking in the breathtaking revelation. _P-P-Paula... Paula is... Dead? Paula is dead-_

"You know what that thing was, don't you?" Now it was Robbie's turn to shake Lynn. "Don't you hold out on me! Please, I need to know what it was! And why... Why it..." Robbie grew desperate. "That... That creature put me here and I need to know why!"

"Keep it down, keep it down," Lynn advised. "I don't know if I can give you everything, but that thing... It's an alien, an actual visitor from beyond. I..." Lynn contemplated in telling Robbie the reality of the truth; it had been Lynn and her company that freed the entity Lulu from her cryogenic stasis from that Prime Federation museum.

_All my fault... This girl ended up locked in here because... Because I freed something. What sort of balance-?_

"It was let out of its confinement by accident, that is what happened," Lynn vaguely said. "That woman, the FBI agent, was a friend of mines... I didn't know- I didn't know she-"

"Wait a minute..." Robbie recalled a detail. "We've tried to contact those guys but they told us that this woman- Uh, Paulie Ward, was alive. I don't-"

"Them covering it up," Lynn lied. "They need to make it nothing to avoid a panic. Yeah, she is dead and... I don't know about the others the thing killed, but I'm sorry... I'm sorry that this happened to you."

"I can't believe it..." Robbie was distraught. "I told them I would never say a thing but they wanna put me in a box to keep me from ever talking. This... This isn't right."

"No, no it isn't," Lynn agreed. "It isn't... They just want to cover it up because they must be scared... Like-"

"So, how did you end up here, Fed Girl? I thought you were a pheno too, but you've proven otherwise."

"Actually, I'm both..." Lynn dropped easily. "They wanted me out of the picture, I was getting closer to the truth behind the phenos."

"You're-? Alright, you're the best of both worlds- and the worst. I'm not gonna ask what you can do, but it must be cool."

"Well, I'm still trying to get the hang of it..." Lynn patted on Robbie's shoulder. "Hey... Maybe you can help me out with something."

"What's that?"

"You've been here long enough- Maybe you know how things operate around here, and-" She then proceeded to whisper. "-I don't plan on staying... So maybe we should stage a little... Prison break."

The virtual entity took control of the cameras in the cafeteria, making out Lynn's words through the shapes her mouth made. LinKAPACITY, accepting its nickname LK, had come through the backdoor of Site Prime's network firewall, quickly inserting tiny worms made up of itself, taking over the entire mainframe by means of infection. And surely but slowly, the A.I. LK had hacked and become the database, going through everything and monitoring the phenos and staff.

_"That won't be necessary, Lynn Loud," _the blaring intercom echoed through the cafeteria. _"The time has come to liberate the phenos of Site Prime!"_

And as fast as things had kicked off, the blackout happened.

* * *

Lacey St. Claire escorted Dylan Blood inside the theatre auditorium, reserved to the elder elites associated in the anti-pheno movement. Meeting was urgent, assembled at half-ass capacity following the Dietrich incident real recently. He was the last one there, seeing that more than half of the seats were full. The spotlight shone down at the center of the stage, right above an aging man nearing his sixties. Dylan identified the man as Ezekiel Barter, the head honcho of this group, the brain behind this all. He narrowed his eyes at the elder, wondering away if Barter had some ulterior motive or motives behind the curtain.

"Ah, and here he is now! Gentlemen, here is Mister Blood in the flesh!"

Of course, he didn't need that welcoming- not even the spotlight to shine right on him. He covered his eyes, squinting away like some vampire exposed to sunlight.

"Give this young man a round of applause for that little message he's sent out across the airwaves!" Barter rattled and waved the microphone at hand, smiling widely and pointing away at the boy among them. "What would have we accomplished without him? Why, I would have employed Nathan Niles and his young crew... But as you know, none of this can lead back to us! It is a grave shame that in today's world, internet users have become intolerant of... Well, they've all become whistleblowers to some degree. They hang each other, post videos of someone being racist, or being... Cruel- But these children are lost, deluded and hypocritical in their own sense. They won't survive, but we will. Lacey St. Claire over there will. Nathan and his buddies will. Maybe even Dylan here will, too. As you know his story, Dylan does not come from wealth, but he has proven his lower place by serving our needs, and he has done a well job. Now, if he would just mosey on over here so that he can share some words. Lacey?"

"Come on, honey," Lacey encouraged, taking Dylan's hand and leading him down the aisle. "If you overcome this stage fright phase, I'll be more than inclined to give you a show." She gave him a seductive wink to go along with her promise- however empty it might have been.

He ignored her, pretending he heard her. "A thank you is in order, sir," he platonically, if not passive-aggressively, told him. "I duly appreciate this open welcome."

"Unfortunately," Barter continued to address his fellow man, "Cornelius Dietrich has met a bizarre, unfortunate end. It seems that he and his staff were murdered by a pheno, which is rather poetically ironic, wouldn't you say?"

Dylan expected some cries of mourning, but instead, he received only laughter from the crowd. Laughter... For a dead man; his first victim from this lot, and they didn't know it. Yet.

"Dietrich was just a fool, one out of a great many, but we will not let his death be in vain! No, in fact... This proves the phenos are indeed cutting the wealthy down to size!' Ezekiel Barter practically knew how to preach, what tunes to play for his songs. "It's already happening! They're smarter than we anticipated, and this proves that we must devise a plan faster! Actually, why I bring you here is just about this very topic indeed! They're closing in, but we have the money, so we have the power and influence, which still amounts to something in the end. I've got several politicians in my pockets, and through them, fine police from multiple precincts! Utilizing Dylan Blood here, I do believe we can intercept the incoming reports of phenos so that he can clean up the streets!"

Dylan faced the audience, light still on him. _Am I know an anti-pheno unit? Granted, that's what I've been up to, but-_

"You can do this, can't you?" Ezekiel stepped back from Dylan and took out a gun hidden inside his gray business suit- and immediately the rest of the audience had brought out their shooting irons- namely pistols, revolvers, and in one case, a P08 Luger- out in the open, aiming right at the Tacitus Kid. "Well, we would have wanted you to, but then we-"

"So, you've all grown wise, have you?" Dylan raised his hands up. "Didn't think I'd outlive my usefulness today if I'm to be honest."

"You wouldn't have had to..." Barter brought Dylan right down to his knees. "We've had Dietrich bugged, but none of us were counting on you showing up there. To us, he was a leech, a loose end we were looking to cut out, so I hereby express my gratitude-" He cocked his gun, finger on trigger. "-by making it painless, Tacitus Man."

"I didn't choose the Man part," Dylan grunted out. "I prefer Kid."

"We're too foolish to not have seen it sooner, but maybe next time we'll pick someone who _doesn't _hate us rich farts the way you do. So, any last words?"

* * *

"Repeat after me..." Dylan Blood smoked another cigarette from his end of the desk, not looking at Lissandra Autumn Mercer or Bethany Kira Chang. "August 7th, 2030. You're there to observe, this is who I am. This is-"

"P-Prime Supreme-" Lissandra, commonly known as Lizy around here, was visibly scared. "I beg of you-"

"BEG NOTHING!" He angrily bellowed. "YOU HAVE ALL FAILED ME! FAILED MISERABLY! THIS IS NOT A WIN FOR THE PRIME FEDERATION! NOT A WIN FOR ME OR YOU! YOU..."

"Sir-"

"You are a disgrace tonight..." He inhaled and exhaled the tobacco smoke. "Go now, both of you."

Bethany silently took her leave and waited out the door for Lizy. _We... Lost._

"I said now!"

"Y-yes, sir," Lizy nodded shamefully, hopping from the chair and rushing out, right into Bethany's loving, comforting arms.

* * *

"Is this what he wanted to show us?" Bethany watched from the balcony in silence. Right now, half of the auditorium was gone thanks to a bomb that had gone off in the center. It reduced Dylan's enemies by half, but the few that remained were quickly shot, gunned down by him. He only had a knife and the detonator to do the trick- and no one had checked him. Funny how that worked out for him.

Lizy only heard the commotion, but had not been looking over. She was crying softly, taking in the loss too personally. "Did we really mess up? D-does he think little of us now?"

"No, he can't- He's put too much time into us to discard us!" Bethany reasoned. "But we know better. We've learned much about our new enemies now. You and I did. The Commander did. Alex, Liberty... And Rose."

"A-are you sure? Or are you just-?"

Bethany ducked down to Lizy's level. "Of course I'm saying that! But it doesn't mean I'm deliberately bullshitting you, Lizy. The six of us are going to be better prepared next time we face them."

"We- We will?"

"We've got a woman who helms a super suit that can go invisible, who can top that?"

"Well-'

"Hell, she and Rose are both phenos, too, same power as... Well, I don't need to say it, do I?"

"I know... Prime Supreme's got a full team of phenos now-"

"Ahem," Bethany fake-coughed.

"...Except you."

"Oh, I take it back now, I don't wanna be the odd one here."

"Hey-" Lizy wiped her tears. "He still wants to make that zoomer's second daughter a Primer. I don't know how to feel about that, they're the ones we're trying to kill-"

"Smart on his part," Bethany shared. "I'm sure he thinks if he can get to her he could make her talk, turn her... Corrupt her. Ha, making her the next Primer. And what of the eighth one? Will he clone Letenko? Or... Someone new?"

"We'll know soon..." Bethany kissed Lizy's cheek and then returned back to check over the balcony. Dylan had taken his leave, but the bodies of the dead laid scattered about- and when Lizy smelled blood, it was game on. "Hey, hold on-" The beast in Lizy activated and took control, but Bethany lept on her and tried to contain her. "That's so yummy!"

"No, we have to go!"

"Lickety-lick."

"Babe!"

* * *

"I know why you had me look at that, sir..." Bethany had returned to master, whom still had been on the same cigarette. "I think I get it."

"Then please enlighten me on your findings, Bethany."

She sat down where Lizy had first and promptly set her hands on the table. "You've sacrificed a ton while you climbed to this position, put yourself, your own life at risk. This was you telling us that you didn't do that just so we'd fail here, right? That we should have tried harder?"

"See? You do understand after all..." He stood up, puffing out another cloud of smoke. "You're an excellent young girl, you'll go far I'm sure."

"Sir?"

"Go ahead, speak what's on your mind."

She bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Thank you for incorporating me into the Primers, sir! For giving me a chance to prove my self to you!"

"Well of course..." Dylan simply waved at her- but she wasn't looking. "As you were, Bethany. It brings me joy to see that you comprehend the stakes of my dream. You'll do well to learn from this atrocious failure, I hope."

"I will, sir!" Bethany promised, going back up. "Thank you."

"Dismissed, be on your way."

"Thank you, sir," Bethany repeated, bowing again.

* * *

**_Hello, I write inside you again to inform you, or rather, for me to remember when I look back, that something odd happened. My sister Lynnette and I somehow ended up back in the past when it had already happened. Lynnette tells me of this military group she got mixed up with and told me of a friend she met whom our interests aligned with. She went to him to acquire aid when... Well, when my morality got the better of me again. I didn't think a due-over was possible, but I'm gonna ask my mom and aunt Lynn about that. _**

**_Still, I couldn't bring myself the second time to help Lynnette on this mission. I mean... It was my father. It was a life. There had to be another way, right? Like, keeping him locked away from the world, maybe that could save the lives of millions. Just one... It's just one, so why do I always feel bad about this? Why do_**

* * *

Lupa aligned her stretched hand to the row of cans twenty-five feet away from her, just at the border of Grimmtown. The sun was vastly setting, but she would not miss the coming of the night. Lacy and Liby closely watched as Lupa snapped her fingers- and the first can on the left got knocked right out of place; Lupa had discovered a worthy upgrade to her telekinesis. And she smiled with a dark expression of pure satisfaction.

* * *

Loanne Wardell had started her day like a regular Tuesday, but underneath her regular clothes, that gray hoodie that concealed her face, along with khakis and pink sandals (oh yes, no socks!), the wonderful Loanne had a voice in her head, courtesy from the being in black that was hiding somewhere within her. Him- or it- didn't exactly explain the specifics just yet, but it was a leech that fed into the anger it verbally influenced upon Loanne, driving, compelling her to sin for their benefits. No, it said it was for the two of them, but Loanne understood its English; reasons for revenge.

And that's where it warped her from inside.

No one had noticed her yet, but of course they'd be talking about her. The actress who wound up in some tragedy, to be the object of pity. Oh, she hated that- She hated just about everything that one thing brought upon. The delay of her movie, possibly a cancellation. She didn't want to go back to the studio, not even back home, the very same one she shared with Jen. She could see the paparazzi forming there, camping out to await her return. She wouldn't give it to them. Let Loanne Wardell's career die, nothing seemed to have value anymore.

And her parents. Mother and father surely left her a series of phone calls and messages, but why stop there? Who else had been trying to reach Loanne?

She walked towards a parking garage, where Darcy came crashing down right into a red pick-up, caving the roof in. "Whoa!"

* * *

"Where do you think he's hiding?" Lemy placed his bandana over his mouth and nose before scoping the landscape with binoculars. "One Lincoln Loud in a city of millions. Where the hell do we start?"

"He won't be long for this world," Lynnette opinionated, "this'll be over soon."

"And then-" He lowered the binoculars and faced her.

"Well... I'm not sure," she shared. "But I'll be there with you, I know that much."

"I'd love it if you were," Lemy let out, getting sappy for her. "You're pretty cool. A zoomer, by my side-"

"Is this you sucking my dick?" Lynnette joked, shoving him. "I don't need you groveling at my feet."

"I- I mean, maybe-" Lemy coughed and tried to brush it off. Nothing subtle or suave about it, either. Pure middle school level cringe.

"No, please continue to shower me in adoration and compliments," Lynnette winked. "Guess I'm just that sexy, huh?"

"Errr..."

"Let's make things clear, you're _my_ slut!"

"How dare!"

"I'm gonna fuck you."

"P-please-" Lemy gagged midway. "I- I like it-"

"Okay, that's enough of the sex talk..." Lynnette pointed down to the streets. "Hey, look down there."

A group of protesters had assembled, coming right into the streets about two blocks wide. Lemy only saw the riot forming, but Lynnette was able to both see and hear from this distance. She heard their cries, their rage and demands for equality and justice for those of her own kind. "What's all that about?"

"I don't know..." Lynnette blinked-

* * *

_"LYRA!" Lynnette was off, sprinting away from the building that used to be the mint. Only, Lyra had not been right behind her, and when she realized it, she became scared and concerned for the brunette zoomer. "LYRA, IT'S THAT CHANG GIRL AGAIN-"_

_Lynnette had goofed again and left the inexperienced Lyra to fight the elite force of the Prime Federation. These damned Primers were adamantly set on capturing or killing the Domicile's resistance forces at whatever cost. The Primers were still a number of three yet, but even so... Laika Letenko, Bethany Chang and Lissandra Mercer were deployed specifically for them, which meant they weren't needed anywhere else at the moment. Supposedly it was good for the resistance, no soul had the pain to deal with this headache. _

_Lynnette did a 180, ascending back to the mint, where then Lyra had come out doing barrel rolls hard, bleeding away on the marble steps. "SIS!"_

_"You'd all do better to stand down," came Bethany's voice, followed by the ominous appearance of an Asian girl in a black uniform, wielding one katana in both hands. "He doesn't want to kill you just yet, but you make this harder by resisting us."_

_Lynnette moved and picked Lyra up. "We won't give ourselves up to you-"_

_"I've given you a choice, but she won't." Right behind Bethany, Lizy came galloping towards her prey on all fours, showing off her morphed reptilian form. "TIME TO EAT!"_

_Lynnette heaved Lyra from her arms, tossing her back to spare her from this ravenous fate. Lynnette closed her eyes and accepted, in that slow moment where she was truly scared, that death was at the door, coming to collect. All she had to show for it was... Nothing. Nothing in the end, after all that they've come to, gone through, with and without the others they've known. _

_But the true factor that decided today was not Lynnette Laude's last day on earth was none other than-_

_Lissandra withdrew back to Bethany after the round burst of a 50. Cal machine gun struck against her skin, snarling lowly. "Not her again..."_

_"Is it-?" Bethany placed her katana back into her scabbard, eyeing the technical with the mounted weapon. No one had manned it, meaning- _

_"Yeah, she's here..." Lizy sniffed the air around, detecting a familiar scent. "Grimm Girl is watching." _

* * *

Lupa wiped the row of cans.

* * *

Lynnette bent down to let Lemy ride piggyback. "Hold on tight."

* * *

Lyra sat alone, gazing into the lively, but otherwise quiet skyline view of the city.

* * *

Lyle and Gloom were both determined to find Lindsey Sweetwater.

* * *

Lynn Loud and the phenos were in the midst of breaking out, fighting their captors once the dampening technology was down. Game on.

* * *

Leia lightly knocked her head back into the steel door that separated her from Lily. She endured the self-torture, condemning herself to listen to the teenager's weak cries. "I'm sorry, girl..."

* * *

Loanne helped Darcy Holmandollar on her feet, curiously drawn to her, wondering how the tan-skinned girl hadn't died from the impact. "Hey, what happened to you? Are you-?"

"My back!" Darcy whined. "Agh!"

* * *

Liby and Lacy clapped, applauding Lupa's skills. "Amazing!"

* * *

Gwen and Marsha wandered the roads on their own. "She'll come around, I just know it."

"She'd better."

* * *

Lindsey Sweetwater, still driven by the Medi-Sin concoction, rampaged through a park, mindlessly wandering about with no clear goal, drooling and growling like the primitive being the serum had reduced her to.

* * *

Dylan Blood stared at the monitors, all of them filled with different live broadcasts of news outlets. So far, the fires of the impending chaos had gone burning steadily. His message to the world had been meant to cause the stir, but it was also made to wake the sleeping. All that he had acquired and achieved up to here, a high-stakes gamble he could not afford to lose. In the stir, they'd see the Tacitus Kid as some righteous figure, the person of reason and action. They'd all go on, gunning for the supers, chasing them with stones and sticks, while he alone made his first move onto the Loud clan.

Six Louds from what was implied, including the zoomers, the Superbeast of Dadetown and that main one, that Lincoln Loud. The one that bridged the personal beef back to Dylan. 'Oh, you're all going down..."

The monitors automatically switched from the outlets to various footage of other phenos in real time. Accessed footage of the breakout when Lemy and Lynnette had tried to assassinate the only male Loud. Footage of Lindsey Sweetwater from civilians' phone cameras. A surveillance camera capturing Darcy's fall from the other side of the street. _Phenos... Children-_

He cocked an eyebrow. What if...?

He looked back outside to the empty hall. Leia Prescott was just the first one he persuaded into the crusade; was it possible he could bring in more? And... Was he about to consider taking phenos in? Could he...

_Form my own Patriots?_

He smiled.

_Yes, I can... And instead of six, why not seven? Seven... Deadly... Medi-Sin Kids? _

* * *

**AN: These specials will now be more connected to the main fic, DBD chapters are no more. On another note, civil wars, here we come. Lastly, PMs temporarily off for now. **


	78. Chapter 78

**Lyrics to More Than Worthless by Drowning Pool**

* * *

_I'm down to one last cigarette_

_And perhaps two steps left_

_Please God, don't make me feel anymore_

_What did you save for me?_

_What did you pay for?_

_I can't understand this mess_

_I am more than this_

_I am more than worthless_

_I want more_

_I need more_

_I'm worth more_

_More than worthless_

_Well, I want you to know_

_Well, I need you to know_

_That I'll be right here, right here_

_Well, I want you to feel everything is real_

_What I feel is still real_

_I'm down to one last cigarette_

_And perhaps no time left_

* * *

**August 7th, 2030**

"Did- Did this dude just declare war on us? Us?!" Luna had LK replay the radio broadcast again, displaying Dylan Blood's aggressive declaration. "Who the hell is that?!"

"Not someone we know, is it?" Sam looked to the twins and then Leven's group. "Is that voice familiar?"

"Nope," Carly replied as Caroline and Leven simply shook their heads. "Sounds like someone has a hate-boner for all of you."

"I'd very much like to know what it is we did to this guy," Luna shared, cracking her neck from side to side. "Unless this is just a guy who doesn't agree with us having our powers."

"Sure, it might be a cover," Leven reasoned. "But he knows what to say and how to rattle the cages. This guy here isn't an amateur by the sound of it." He looked at the side mirror on his end, seeing no passing cars or armed folks crouching their way. Just the way he wanted it, peaceful. "He's totally wanting some war."

"Bad news, he's already got it," Caroline bluntly stated. "Hey, artificial thing, what's the number for dead phenos today?"

_"Fourteen reported across the nation yet, but more dead regulars than that."_

"See that? We're able to kill more of them than they can us!"

"Them?" Luna crossed her arms and spat at the concept Caroline was getting at. "What, did we turn into aliens? Dude, I'm still me... I'm still..." She sighed. "It was bad enough when some of my friends disowned me for my sexuality, but this?"

"Luna-" Sam was there to support, but Luna's pain spiked over her capability today.

"I'm not a monster! I never was, why can't they understand that we're the victims?! We're all victims, too! They can't-"

"Luna, it's okay," Sam reached out, wrapping her arms around Luna and the seat. "We know you're not like that, Lunes. We know."

"When I get my hands on those anti-nuts..." Caroline shared Luna's thoughts and feelings on the matter, heavily despising the idea of their kind being murdered in cold blood. "They're all insane and paranoid."

"Word!"

"Best to remember we can't get involved in public affairs yet," Leven reminded them woefully. "Good to have LK watching over us, disabling surveillance cameras and disrupting signals around."

"Yeah because we _sooooo_ needed LK to help us now," Caroline sarcastically shared. "Funny how we've only encountered anti-pheno forces just once so far. No FBI, no SWAT, just them that one time."

"It had to be a test," Leven reasoned. "I mean, we're going only by theories right now but that feels to make the most sense right now. We know they're established, we know they're only interested in everyone involved with that Patriot agency, that means you guys more than me-"

Luna rolled her eyes.

"-but they were there to test our strength, I'm sure of it. Of course, they weren't expecting Link-D to make an entrance with a garbage truck. Heck, I think nobody at all was."

"Can we... Not talk about that?" Carly requested, still expressing guilt on the side she had taken, even as brief as that was. "I wish that didn't happen."

"I'm sure we all wish we didn't face any of these hardships." Leven let his hand move on its own, which locked right into Carly's. They gave each other blushing faces for a moment before they retracted their intertwined hands in silent. Caroline giggled and nudged Leven with her shoulder, giving him a suggestive wink. "As I was saying, we're still being assessed. My idea is that we are still being watched- or, not anymore thanks to LK, because they want to know more about us and our powers. Sure, the government or whoever had us under their jurisdiction might have been reading on all leaked files, but seeing us in action tells them more about us. Of course they would have been monitoring us-" He slammed his hands on the steering wheel when he made a disadvantaged realization. "And now they're gonna make closer moves now that LK is around."

_"Not unless I keep them on you, but this would not benefit you strategically. I can find out which parties are chasing after you. Please assume that Link-N here has a very special APB on him for his status as the Ultimate Human."_

"Yeah, yeah, the first perfection constructed in a chamber by a child prodigy who didn't even reach the double digits. Still doesn't make me feel right. Sure, good qualities but what's that mean when-?" He idly blinked. "Hundreds of people died just for the pheno applications to be set onto me, the last clone of the batch."

"Oh, please, don't be so dramatic," Caroline groaned. "And here I am thinking high school theatre plays went overboard."

Luna, Leven and Carly coughed or looked away.

"Oh, right..." Caroline smirked out of humor. "Sam and I were the ones out of this bunch who finished through high school."

"I never liked theatre class," Sam shared.

"Um, hey, I did..." Luna corrected. "I mean, I attended-"

"Sorry, we're the veterans."

"That's gotta count for something!" Luna protested.

"It does to me," Sam assuredly told her, kissing her upon her head.

"So, clone, are you wallowing in your own pity?" Caroline slapped Leven lightly on the face. "All of them didn't die for you to be a little bitch, they died because a sociopath with a big brain had enough of the fatsos and the terminally sick. And she couldn't be bothered with computer simulations instead, which I'm sure was an option, so why was there need to kill-?"

Leven snapped his fingers. "Unless that was her idea until someone said otherwise. Someone being a little concerned with overpopulation-"

Caroline let out a snicker. "Those guys truly are evil after all. They've got their wish, reduced the gen pop for those four years as much as they could underneath everyone's noses. We haven't even considered the investigators whom might've gotten too close to the truth."

"Don't even do that to us," Luna chimed in. "I hate all of this."

"Of course you do, we all do, right?" Caroline stuck her head out the window.

"Let me guess, your assumptions here are based on knowledge from your parents?"

"Told you before," Caroline lectured again. "Politicians for parents that means hearing cold, hard facts and tactics on how stuff like that works. They think of all issues and solutions that are... Morally questionable."

"At no doubt."

"Isn't so far-fetched to say that maybe folks were paid off to turn a blind eye. Considering now, I think that might just be obvious. Anyways, damage has already been done, but it isn't too late to set things right."

_"The message by this Tacitus Kid makes it clear he desires a civil war right up Kapacity Korp's posterior. I've been monitoring all four-hundred facilities across the nation. As of yet, fifty have come under siege by angered protesters who now know of the hidden link they share with Vial Corp."_

"Looks like this guy wants to end this little secret war himself." Caroline returned her head inside the SUV. "Calling the locals to take matters into their own hands, that's interesting."

"You mean in the sense you wonder why this person chose to come out with it instead of making sneaky moves?" Leven rubbed his chin, thinking carefully. "This Tacitus Kid perhaps wanted trust to be established. Hey, LK, you can access those videos, but can you run print of his face into the general databases? We've gotta learn about this guy and what we might be up against." He shook his head, sulking a bit. "I don't like this, how we're getting new enemies by the second. Lincoln wiped McMahon off the board, now we've got someone entirely new, and he isn't afraid of being vocal."

_"Were it possible to send an image through radio transmission, I'd have shown you the face. This man calls himself Dylan Blood, and I've just ran his face across all police precinct departments and all general hospitals. There are no qualifying matches at all."_

"None?"

"Maybe he's just using an alias..." Leven concluded. "So, Dylan Blood, was it?"

_"That is the name of the Google Plus account linked to the YouTube channel where the video was uploaded from."_

"There an IP address you can find? Maybe the places where these accounts were made?"

_"I can, but the time and place stamps might not be so useful. Accessing... Standby."_

"So now we're seriously going to have another enemy?" Luna clenched a fist. "We've been going around trying to avoid all threats! Why-?"

"This guy isn't some spook based on his actions," Leven pointed out. "Just some guy we can stop before the anti-pheno group see him as a Messiah."

"Are we suddenly interested in people who are trying to bring antis together? That's not what we do, dudes! There'd be too many-"

"There is just one right now, Luna. One with some undeniably brass balls and clear goal to speed up the casualties on our side."

"What about the others?!" Luna jerked herself to her left, infuriated enough to let the Lincoln clone have it. "Sure, let's pay this fucker all the attention and ignore the other antis that are killing our own kind! Yeah, let's do that because he posted a video while those other guys have gone out, shooting, stabbing and running over those phenos who can't help themselves. Why you-" Her eyes went cold yellow, her mouth going wide to show her pair of sharp jaws, roaring right into Leven's face in rage.

"Lunes!" Sam worked on containing Luna's anger. "Please calm down, we understand your concern, and I agree with you."

"Why' Why is this even h-happening?!"

"Hey-"

"Oh, my God- I didn't even g-get that ruh-ruh-ruh-" Distraught came over her like a shadow, and almost instantly, Luna threw up over herself, spamming the barf all over her lap, the seat and floor, some few chunks slapping on the glove compartment.

"Good Lord!"

Carly let herself out of the vehicle, cupping her nose eagerly. "Yuck!"

"Fuck this, you're all unbearable," Caroline decided, following Carly. "Good think we're only parked."

"Luna..." Sam stroked her fair lover's shoulders tenderly. "Are you-?"

"Fuck you, clone, you f-fucking p-piece of-"

"Luna, we're on the same boat," Leven argued. "We want the same thing, but to focus on this Blood person is to prevent another fiasco. Hey, LK, we need that video gone yesterday. That one and any copy uploads done by other accounts."

_"I've got two pings made with the email used, apart from the email itself, but Dylan Blood- or whatever his name is- either had some serious cash for plane tickets, or he made friends in other countries."_

"What?"

_"YouTube channel, created in the heart of Mexico, and a Facebook in-"_

"Wait, what?"

_"However, the email account was set up in New York. All three, five years ago. That's when he created his Dylan Blood persona."_

"New York, is that right?"

"Any specific pinpoints?" Sam asked.

_"Actually, the email account's creation leads back to a neighborhood in New Rochelle, but for the other two locations, I don't think our friend was ever there. Ran the clear photo through all surveillance cameras of all airports, he's never been in any around that year."_

"So, Blood had help, huh?"

"Finding out more about him will be critically essential... Add that to the list of issues we've got so far..." Leven crossed his arms. _We're supposed to also be trying to find a way to extract the SCX chip from her... We didn't need this shit. _

"Wait, what was the name of the channel again?"

_"Tacitus Kid, but with a name like that-"_

"That'll tell us more. Might wanna search those keywords."

_"Scanning for cross-references."_

"We're seriously going on a hunt for him, aren't we?"

"The message mentions the Louds that were involved with Elmont, in quite the antagonistic way. Luna, you and the rest of the six- with the exception being Luan- are phenos, that's more than qualifying to meet the eligibility on his list."

_"The video has now been wiped from the channel, but I've done a rummaging through the others. This person... Is surely interesting to say the least. He expresses a deep resentment for the rich and powerful. Anti-elitist propaganda, and not too fond of the average police force, either."_

"What, lower class? Hey, this guy is white, correct?"

_"Appears to be."_

"An American but lower class... With nothing to lose if he's taking big shots..."

"Don't scare me," Sam begged. "The way you make it sound, Lev."

_"Tacitus Kid frequents online boards for massive rants and tirades, speaking out against many forms of injustice and controversial issues. He's been fixated on most things but now he's set his sights on everything that's been happening. You, Vial Corp and Kapacity Korp, and the Black Network, possibly."_

"Possibly?" Leven looked over at Carly and Caroline from his view. "More likely than possibly."

"Tacitus Kid... That name..." Right on the tip of her tongue, Sam felt she was familiar with it. "Tacitus- Hey, Tacitus Man-" She snapped her fingers and then called Caroline over with a wave.

"Tacitus Man?" Leven repeated.

"I'm not going back in there until you clean up!" Caroline raved.

"Hey, does Tacitus Man sound familiar to you?"

"Ta-" Caroline poked and scratched her cheek. "Oh yeah, the nut with a bone to pick against the millionaires. Heard of them but I always thought they weren't actually real. Just a group of trolls or disgruntled ex-millionaire."

"He's real," Leven confirmed. "This is the guy we're up against."

"Wait, what conversation did I miss?"

"Dylan Blood is your Tacitus Man or Kid or whatever it is."

"Is this confirmed or mere speculation?" Caroline leaned her head through Luna's window and sniffed. "Can we please clean that up?"

"Luna, let's step out and get you cleaned up, love," Sam implored, exiting.

"I believe this to be legitimate, although I'm unsure how one goes from one thing to another. There is no correlation between a rich man and a pheno. Unless... He didn't. Hey, LK, when was the last rant about the wealthy Blood has written?"

_"February seventh of this year."_

"Caroline, you've heard talk of him, is there more to it than what you're aware of?"

"Well, right off the bat, I'm able to remember my folks' mentioning of that name with close friends and affiliates. The way they did so implied they didn't like him or... Well, them. No one knew who this guy was. They tried to snoop only after... After he began to send demands. Very aggressive ones, too."

_"I've dug up articles of a massacre at Johannes Theatre. All of the victims the same; elder elitists, reports of one female witness, young Lacey St. Claire, who made it out unscathed but in shock. All this on the same day the video was uploaded, but hours later."_

"Sounds like our guy..."

"A massacre..." Sam cupped a hand over her mouth, staying close to the vehicle to hear Leven and LK's ongoing convo. "He actually massacred a bunch of-"

"He's a mass murderer, now we know... Now we know that we have to catch and stop him ourselves."

"Wait, the police are aware about him," Caroline deduced. "This isn't our headache."

"They don't know what we know, but for all we do know, all cops might be antis. Can we really rely on the police to stop a madman interested in taking out every pheno? It's a wonderful gift for the forces on the anti side, I do believe that."

"Nothing is ever easy, is it?" Caroline kicked at the rear wheel in anger. "It's too much, why are we bothering?"

"Why, indeed?" Leven also expressed disdain all around. "You're right, it has become too much, but we can make it out. I think I have a counter-solution to this issue. Actually, we've held this off for the longest amount of time, but we could make a public move the way he did. You know, reach out to every pheno the way he's trying to plant his ideology."

"Finally catching up and taking course of action," Caroline laughed, mocking Leven. "Where was this clone a few days ago?"

"Listening to your crap. But you're right, we've been focused on staying out of the shadows and avoiding the chasers. I did suggest this awhile back, but-"

"Yeah, you suggested we use the zoomer twins, they have that status that can't be wasted. When they come back-"

"We'll have to get them to some podium, better hope they still have fans and supporters."

* * *

**Act VII: Revolution, Chapter I: Pheno Wars**

* * *

**Central Park, New York**

Leia happened upon the massive crowd formed around The Great Lawn area, keeping her distance from them, circling them and taking nothing but photographs around. As she had been instructed and told, Leia was assured that this was for the history, one point in time where the world shed its skin for the new form. It wasn't just an average protest the way it happened, the way she saw it. The size, had to be over half a thousand through her eyes. School wasn't this cramped, last she recalled.

History... But not just yet.

"I've taken over thirty now, is this enough for an album?" Her right ear housed an earpiece that connected her with her new master Dylan Blood at long distance. She didn't know where he was but she didn't question his current goal right now, all she knew was that he had been close by. Hopefully not kidnapping other teenage girls- whatever that thing with Lily was about, Leia didn't stop wondering about the beneath-the-surface story that laid buried. He told her she'd find out, but through what means? When was now? Who was she and what did she possibly do-?

Then, Leia remembered that Dylan Blood had a fixation with the beings phenos, wondering if Lily might have been one. But for one thing, it didn't seem that Lily had been through torture scenarios. At least, not yet if she were one. It surely have Leia the chills. _Oh, dear God, help me never to cross him..._

Her mind raced back to Gwen and Marsha, the duo reduced from a trio, both wandering around without her now. Surely they were still in the game of taking their pickings as they had been since they left Greenwood. But Leia, who had considered herself the most sexually appealing (sorry, Gwen), deemed them less than successful the rest of the path from here on out. She had a nervous bray of a laugh, sounding a little crazy when she considered that they'd get nowhere without her. Then again, it was them who had all their belongings, and Leia had none of her scores.

_"What is so funny, Leia?"_

"Oh nothing," Leia kept to herself. "So, when is it gonna get fun? You said you'd have tasks for me, but I didn't sign up for photography. This... This is real boring."

_"Did you prefer to come help me over here at my end?"_

"Well, you haven't told me what you're up to."

_"It would be best if I didn't. Trust me, you'll be getting better tasks down the line. Premium rewards."_

"You said trust, that's quite the joke you tell."

_"We'll establish a bond should you continue to aid-"_

"Aid? I'm certain you used the word 'serve' back then. You know, when you were more threatening, putting a knife on us. Promise me that's not the person I'll happily work for."

_"We're way past that now, Leia. You've willingly complied and this gives me no reason to forcibly coerce you now. And while I'm humbled that I have gained your loyalty-"_

"I'm not your slave here, this is... A weird partnership. That's how it has been with my girls, we all trusted, relied and supported each other-" It struck her heart; Leia dare not follow them in the end, after all that they had gone through. "I'm sorry, I thought they'd stay... I mean, you did solve our biggest issue in a matter of hours. That heartless mayor is now dead, and I feel... I don't know, a lot safer I guess? But even still... It won't bring back-"

_"Your parents?"_

Leia didn't respond.

_"Are you really Leah Reed?"_

She didn't reply to that either.

_"It all points to that, girl. Your name, you've told me it was Leia Amanda Prescott, and I believed it until I realized something. It's the name, it belonged to the child actress of some Nickelodeon sitcoms. Yes, the very same actress dressed and looked the way you do now. At no doubt do I believe that you're merely imitating her from her breakout show."_

"Actually...-" Leia smirked and laughed. "Not a bad theory, but why should you get all the answers? Let's keep it a mystery."

_"That can go both ways, Leia."_

"Oh, it can, but that wouldn't be the best thing. Anyways... What's next after this? Can I leave? Afraid people will think I'm talking to myself."

_"Did you circle the entire-?"_

Leia squealed away when a flying water bottle flung at her. "Crap!" She dodged it at the last second. "This mob is getting angry now."

_"Alright, fall back to the rendezvous point-" _

Leia turned around one second too late. Had she been quicker, she surely would have missed Lola and Lana Loud come running right into the rampaging crowd. "Wait- Fancy company has just shown up."

_"Company?"_

"Moment and uhhh... Velo-something-"

_"The zoomer girls...!" _

"Did you want me to-?"

_"Relay my order, get closer to the action if possible!"_

"More photographs? Alright then..." Leia sighed.

Approximately five blocks away from Leia's location, Dylan dragged back the cop's head back from the toilet. "Would you care to be smart or will you take another underwater lesson, piggie?"

"Fuck you-" the tough-cookie officer let Dylan have it.

"Not the oink I want to hear, Stewart!" Again, Dylan dunked the veteran officer's head back into the toilet. "You're weak and you're fading from your life essence, Stewart. Is this where you wanna die? How you wanna be remembered? You're a literal shit..."

"Mmmmmfff- bbbbbuuhhhhhhh-"

_Damn it! The twins finally showed up on radar but now?! Where the fuck were they when I counted on them to show up at the bank job?! _If anything, it angered him, gave him something- Someone, a pair of twins- To channel his fuel tank of anger at. The twins were close, and he could finally subdue them. "You know what? You are extremely lucky-"

Dylan grabbed the officer's handgun and fired at the back of his head, letting him die in this filth dump before searching for his keys. He didn't have the time anymore to obtain the files on the suspects still connected to Kapacity Korp.

_Okay, zoomers. Here I come, here I come._

Leia moved into the protest as it began to die down, with her believing had to do with the twins' surprise appearance. If it was really them, it would truly be history for her. She'd seen the twins on the news from time to time, but up close and personal would be a whole other story. You see, Leia, Gwen and Marsha were too young of girls that they gradually became frightened of the duo. Naturally, they avoided those areas they knew the Loud twins kept watch over. Leia, the one most spooked of a super who had probably never heard of her. Even now, she hadn't known it. So when Leia grew closer and spotted them both surrounded by the silent protesters formed around them in a circle, she knew a fair amount of peace and tranquility and shot one single photograph of the two women.

For the first time, she had seen what they looked like, no blurry photos that looked like a bad edit either. No footage taken of them that you'd have to zoom in to see their faces- which even then, could usually not be made out. But here... Leia had seen that these two were just normal. They looked normal and they... They looked scared themselves, nervous around this particular crowd. Leia lowered the camera and let it hang around her neck. _Are you possibly like me? Are you pretenders? Are you... Running from your pasts? Who are... We?_

"E-everyone-" Lola began, voice trembling to betray her. "H-hello-"

"It's them-"

"Holy shit, the heroines of-!"

"They've come! They've heard us, they've answered our cries!"

Lana put her hand up, saluting the civilians. "You all know us, I'm sure of that, but we're not here for a meet-and-greet. We, uh- We haven't been appearing around these past few weeks-"

"V, M, what are you two doing about the spike in violent crimes?! You're aware of the crimes against the victims of the evil Vial Corp, but you haven't been-"

"Hey," another protester addressed that one, "Don't be stupid, you ought to know that this isn't easy for them! Put two and two together!"

"Yeah, it should already be known as fact that these two were experimented by them! They've helped us long enough! It's time that we returned the favor! Who's been helping us?! Not this Tacitus Kid, that's for sure!"

"The Tacitus Kid has all the reason, man! Do you hear yourself?!" A burly man with scruffy facial hair brought out a handgun and took aim at the twins. "These are just girls who can run fast! Nothing amazing! I'll tell you who you can rely on! The cops, the soldiers who give their lives up for this nation! Not these inexperienced freaks! Can these two... College girls even fight?! I know you can dodge these rounds, but you won't dare take a bullet, because you're cowards!"

Leia flinched, taking a step back.

"Cops and soldiers are still aplenty mortal, but not these guys!" a woman yelled. "Our precious government was wrong to pull the plug on the Patriot Agency! A first task force that can afford to jump into the fatally dangerous of situations!"

"Yeah because our bomb squads surely don't do that on a mission to stop FIVE or Scythe terrorists! You're a dumbfuck!"

"I thought this was an anti gathering! Why are those idiotic pro faggots here?! Get them outta here!"

"PUT DOWN THAT GUN, ASSHOLE!"

_"Leia, what's happening?! I'm hearing some serious commotion!"_

"S-some meathead pulled out a gun-" Leia pressed herself back into the dispersing crowd. "He- He's aiming at the twins!"

"THESE WHORES ARE NOTHING BUT USELESS IN COMPARISON TO THE REAL PROFESSIONALS! GIVE UP THE HERO MANTLES OR TURN YOURSELVES IN!"

"But they are not outlaws!"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! THESE YOUNG PHENOS HAVE BEEN PROVIDING A PUBLIC SERVICE!"

"ONLY THESE TWO! WHO'S TO SAY THE REST OF THEM ARE GOING TO FALL IN BEHIND THEM?! I MEAN-"

"He's right, there's been no other freak stepping into the vigilante occupation."

"So suddenly because they have powers they're supposed to be superheroes?! You're not entitled to have a public bodyguard with that mindset, so stop watching those dumb comic book movies! You're basing this on Marvel and fucking DC bullshit! Get real, all of these phenos were involuntarily turned into who they are today! Of course they'd be afraid of scum who go around killing them!"

"PREACH IT!"

"See? This guy has reason!"

"And look at this man pulling out his gun at the very people who stopped bank robbers every often! Is this how we're repaying them?!"

"THIS IS HOW THEY PLAN IT! THEY'LL WIN YOUR FAVOR AND CRY VICTIM AND THEY'LL TAKE OVER THE COUNTRY IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! FUCK THIS, I'M PUTTING THESE WHORES DOWN!"

"HE'S GONNA SHOOT!"

"GET DOWN!"

_"LEIA, GET BACK!"_

Leia hit the ground for cover, hearing two shots ring out as she landed on her side. The photograph camera swung about once before it fell with her. The sudden fluttering of pigeons followed thereafter, the birds that flew out of the trees. The two sides of the intertwined mob had been rendered silent, the multiple protesters ducking and covering their ears while focused on the aggressor and the twins. Leia expected to see and hear the thud of two bodies falling down, but the way it happened wasn't how she anticipated.

Lola caught the pair of bullets she figured was meant for each of them, tossing them in the air and taking the gun out of the aggressor's hands before the third shot dispensed. "Ohmygod."

_"Leia?! What's happening, Leia!? I'm heading over there!"_

"Did you seriously try to... Hurt us?" Lola disassembled the piece, tossing the gun parts down on the grass. "How dare you?"

"G-give me back-"

"GET THAT MAN BEHIND BARS, HEROES!"

Lola shook her head, disgruntled and angered, face going from her regular orange to a brighter red. "HOW DARE-"

The third zoomer no one anticipated made his entrance from behind Lola, sprinting on her side and performing a roundhouse punch, knocking her out cold. Her unconscious body was spared from the drop, Benny Harrington made sure of it, carrying her with both arms. Lana advanced but then stopped moving after a simple step; her legs were entrapped in a cocoon of ice. The pheno who stopped Lana dead in her tracks made himself known, taking his place next to Benny. "We've got the rushers," Leland Callaghan informed an unknown party into his earpiece. "Move in."

"Uh- A new zoomer and a pheno with ice powers j-just stopped V and M," Leia cautiously whispered into her comms. She thought to take record of it, snapping photos of the two new phenos- but Meil Ramos yanked the strap off and took the camera from Leia's hands. "HEY!"

Dylan was only one block away from Leia's location when sirens broke out. He kept in place, sticking right in the closest intersection, observing a convoy of four armored trucks speed to Central Park, stopping right into the curb. "Hey, get out of there, you've got armed company."

_"What are cops doing here?!"_

"These aren't cops..."

_"S-so the camera just came out of my hands- It's, uh, just floating up-" _

"Floating-?" Dylan, along with the civilians around him, watched armed forces drop out from the back of the tough-steel vehicles, tactically moving into the park. Looking closely, he noticed that the uniforms on the enforcement units. "These aren't SWAT guys, but their vehicles-" Didn't take him long to realize the uniforms were really the anti-pheno forces at work. "They're here for the twins!"

The earpiece came displaced from Leia, floating off to her right, where she was met by Meli Ramos for the first time. Meli, a young girl right around her teens but older than Leia, sporting a pink jacket, black shorts and a moody gray cap that concealed her face when she bobbed her head down. Leia didn't need to see her face to know the teen was of Mexican descent based on her voice. "Who were you talking to? What are you doing here, Goldilocks?"

"I- I'm d-doing a blog-" Leia made a grab for the comms. "Give it back!"

"You see, this isn't standard school-budget tech," Meli carefully observed. "No, this is high-grade, but..."

"I'm- I'm not-" Leia zipped up when Meli took out her own earpiece, replacing it with this confiscated one. Into it, directly establishing contact with the unknown party, she spoke, "I've got your little friend being shady here. She says she's doing a scoop for school, but that can't be right-"

_"I'll tell you what's right and not right, you little bitch."_

Meli winced. _It's the Tacitus guy!_

_"Let her go, or I'll come bothering you."_

Meli flicked off the earpiece and stepped on it, destroying it. Leia cried out with a hard gasp. "Hey!"

"Be on guard, the so-called Tacitus Kid is around, I've just got an ally of his," Meli notified through her earpiece. "Benny, fan out and do a perimeter sweep. The anti-pheno team's got the twins."

_"Roger that, it'll be a great achievement to stop this calculated war before it begins."_

"As for you," Meli had plans forming for Leia. "We'd all be interested in what you can tell us about him. You will, won't ya?"

Leia broke into a run, scurrying like a mouse trying to elude the maze- or a skunk trying to move out of the range of my headlights. Slippery bastards. She was frantic and eager to outrun- _OH, GOD, THAT'S A PHENO! C-CAN I ESCAPE HER?! _For one thing, she gave it her all and never looked back. Suppose Meli was hot on her trail, but Leia didn't want to get that heart attack when she'd look back and see that telekinetic fly after her like a leaf attached to a string she didn't know she was holding onto. She ran further down, heading south, the opposite of where Dylan currently was.

But Meli had laughed to herself and wrapped the camera strap around her hands. "How cute."

It was at that second when the anti-pheno armored forces all boxed Meli and her ice friend and the captured twins. They took their weapons high and proud and gladly took aim, also telling the protesters to disperse back. In seconds, the two phenos had seemingly given themselves up, allowing two of the special authorities to lay their cuffs onto them so that they were escorted off back to the armored trucks. A third carried an unconscious Lola, and Lana, knowing what a loss looked like, had no choice but to accept it as well. They had even placed a dampener on her to ensure that she would not try anything funny- and she went out cold with a nasty strike of a rifle, as if her brain could take that kind of damage.

"South, there was a girl we can link to the Tacitus Kid," she lowly whispered to her handler. "She ran southside of the park. I hope you have kids, cause that girl looks identical like that sitcom actress who dropped out of Nickelodeon eight years ago."

"Tacitus Kid...?" The arresting personnel had thrown her in the truck for good measure, a convincing act. "Debrief me."

"Benny's doing a five-block sweep all sides," Meli explained. "Girl was talking to a secure network, and his voice answered to me. We... Dropped the ball by being radio silent with the guns up to here."

"Obtaining this wannabe big-shot will get us a promotion with the big boys," Leland grinned, rubbing his hands like a child confident on a planned raid of the cookie jar. "Prime Federation might just give us medals for this."

"Oh, you think you four youngsters are gonna take all the credit for bringing the Kid in?" The anti-pheno personnel jumped into the back, unmasking themselves free of the ski mask. "Phew, that thing gets my face sweaty."

"I'd kill to get myself under that uniform and those badass rifles."

"You can turn people into ice sculptures but you'd rather have guns?"

"Well, yeah! They're cool!"

The anti-pheno agent, revealed to be a tall blonde woman in her early thirties, leaned to the cab and banged five times in a pattern. Then, she gave out the next orders through her radio. "Alpha Team, return to Revamp One. Bravo, Revamp Two, we're leaving with the zoomers. Charlie, Delta, we've got an HVT heading southbound of Central Park, time sensitive. Description of blonde, a minor. JT-2 is currently in pursuit of a greater HVT, please standby."

"If your friends fuck up, it's on all of us," Meli warned. "Those two came out after awhile being in the shadows, there is no way we can afford to give them a way out."

"And we won't, we can be sure of that. The Federation will have all six Louds under a Christmas tree. But..." Phoebe Ward sat down, leaning and resting with ease. "I'll finally have some words with that Lynn Loud."

"Unlike you, I don't see why an FBI agent would kill her own unit and go off-grid. You can rule this as that Loud's doing but there might be more."

"Whatever," Phoebe waved off. "As far as I'm concerned, Lynn Loud killed my older sister Paula."

"We've basically won here, the twins ought to know their locations. And I mean everyone's."

"What's the status on JT-2?"

"His name is Benny."

"Shut up, JV-3."

"I'm not filling the paperwork, by the way."

"Benny, how are we looking?" Meli asked through the comms network. "Benny?"

Dylan scaled a building on the west side of Central Park, scoping the area from the roofside. No sign of Leia, but he knew his eyesight wasn't that of a hawk's, could not see at long distances. Wherever Leia had now been running to, she had been stripped of his help, putting her on her own. On her own, being chased close behind by the interested parties.

And he had put her in that situation. "Fuck..."

And Leia had been running yet, not stopping for any reason. She made her way to the East Drive road, beginning to grow tired. At one point, she nearly fell, and looked over- a fatal mistake when she saw a pair of armored vehicles speed down her way. She screamed and panicked, running off the road back into the green fields, running right into the Ramble Forest, reduced to heavy panting.

Loanne Wardell and Darceline Holmandollar just happened to be in the Ramble Forest in that very moment, walking the multiple paths laid out around. They talked and walked, chattering about personals, and tossing jokes every now and again, proving that they were still human capable of human traits and sincere empathy, when, just days ago, surrounding events in their own lives had suggested otherwise. Oh yes, there was an exit out of the pit, and they felt they were out of it... Out of it for the meantime. They found slight comfort in each other's company.

Loanne had her hood over her head to conceal her identity from fans and the persistent paparazzi always hot on her trail. "You know what? I'm ecstatic to meet someone who doesn't grovel at my feet or kiss my ass like I'm some goddess. Like, cool, I'm popular and all but I'm still a person with some flaws and whatever, you know?"

"I may never know the merits of being a Hollywood star such as yourself but I get it. The life in the spotlight is all there is, I figure."

"Thank you for understanding, now... I'd invite you to a drink but I don't want to be found. My credit cards will ping and send out a location, I'm sure. Plus, it's public."

"Wow, you really don't want to be found, do you?" Darcy completely sympathized with Loanne, for she was a somebody who wished to lay low, and not voluntarily. But Loanne here had one of two options yet. "I can't imagine myself being... In that situation."

"The media board have only postponed that new movie, but I wish they'd cancel it. I don't know, I guess I'm just under the radar to force them to make that decision. They have no respect, they're just greedy and eager to cash in on what they've started. I wish... I do wish they never noticed me."

"Well, in any case, I'm sorry-"

"You said that, and I don't need it," Loanne refunded Darcy's pity. "Perp's dead, so I know he won't ever hurt anyone again."

"True..." Darcy nodded in agreement, mentally choosing her words. "One less bad man in the world, but that's never enough, is it?"

"Huh?"

"Statistically-"

"Sorry, what is it that you're implying here?" Loanne eyed Darcy with a strict curiosity. "That Chester Flanagan's death means nothing because that crap is just going to happen to someone else?!"

"Uh... No, I mean-" Darcy had thrown herself under the bus inadvertently. For a blonde, Loanne sure was bright enough. Too bright for Darcy, it seemed. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say."

Loanne pulled her anger away, taking a deep breath, sighing. "Sorry, didn't mean to raise my voice. It's just been hard these past few days."

"That's mutual, my own friends are playing ghost with me. They're acting like they don't know who I am, and it's not just them. It... It feels like everyone I ever knew just tossed me aside and I still don't know why so... I just... I just left town and came here."

"So, you _did_ try to commit suicide!" Loanne concluded.

"Uh- Well yes, but actually no-" Darcy contemplated on sharing her one big secret.

"Not even I have resorted to that." Loanne coughed. "So, you wanna tell me how you survived that fall with nothing beyond an injured back?"

"I guess an angel is watching over me," Darcy answered with a smug look. "Anyways-"

Leia pushed through the pair, falling over hard on her stomach. Darcy was quick to help her up while the creature concealed out Loanne's reach laughed deviously. Loanne glocked the side of her head to silence the demon briefly. "What, you couldn't see us?"

Leia tried to budge her shoulders free from Darcy, but the strong pheno kept her in place. "LET ME GO! THEY'RE CHASING ME!"

"What, who?"

Loanne looked over her shoulder. "What's going on? Who are those guys?"

The anti-pheno forces came running after Leia and stopped roughly eight feet from Loanne. "You there, stop that girl! Men, fan out and secure!"

"What do they want with Little Miss Sunshine here?" Loanne stepped out of the path, not feeling obligated to jump in.

"LET GO, THEY'RE GOING TO GET ME!"

"Darcy, just hand her off to those feds-"

Darcy would have, if she thought they were feds, but instantly she knew these guys wore the anti-pheno regiment uniforms, for she had seen them before when she had been conducting her involuntary business with Cornelius Dietrich and his friends. "They're not feds!"

Darcy threw Leia from the pathway, suddenly pouncing forward, engaging the uniforms with immeasurable punches and kicks. In her current state, she was greatly overpowered, easily taking down the bunch like nothing, blocking their strikes, dodging their shots- and Loanne, flabbergasted, only stood there standing like a fool, mouth agape stupidly. _Th- There's no way!_

Darcy flipped the final uniform into a tree, proving that she had earned her keep around.

"What- How?! How did-?" Loanne waved a finger all over the place. "You just beat a whole- Who are you?!"

"Just your average American," Darcy replied casually, turning her attention to Leia. "How'd you get involved with the anti-pheno movement?"

"Anti-pheno?" Loanne listened for answers.

Leia picked herself up. "How about next time you don't throw me?"

"Show me some gratitude, I saved you from these guys," Darcy bartered. "Who are you and why are you relevant to these guys?"

"I'll talk if you keep me safe!" Leia countered, trying to acquire protection. "Y-you're a pheno, aren't you? There's no way you could do what you did unless-"

Loanne slapped her hands on Darcy, spinning her around. "Are you really one of them?"

"You say that like we're some evil cult... Why, Loanne, I'm deeply offended."

"If you two are gonna fight, may I remind you that my life is- Oof!" Darcy picked Leia up, carrying the young minor over her left shoulder. "THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND!"

"Loanne, it's been a grand honor to have met a celebrity, but a higher calling beckons me to butt in! I hope you solve your issues!" Darcy ran down the path, taking off with the blonde. "Get better!"

"Wait a minute, you can't just-"

"WAIT, IS THAT LOANNE WARDELL?!" Leia jerked her arms around, astonished and giddy. OHMYGODIAMAHUGEFAN-"

"Fuck it!" Loanne followed them, her mind running a mental simulation of the outcome should she choose to stick around. Give a statement and out her 'friend' like that. Pffft, if trust ever went a long way, it would come from some other path unseen yet. Give a statement and raise attention and awareness right back on her. "I'm not sitting this out!"

* * *

_"There's been an interesting change in development..." _LK's warbled Link-A voice was almost like the real thing, minus the feedback that made it unclean. _"The twins have walked into a trap and they've just gotten captured by the anti-pheno forces. I'm going through the footage, and it seems they weren't the only phenos around. One camera captured the entire ordeal, currently tracking the convoy now."_

Leven was in great disbelief, despising how their plans have gone too south. So said the broken window on his side. "Have they agents in all places?!"

"They have tech that enables them to teleport anyplace anytime," Caroline assessed. "Just... They're closer than we anticipated, which means they could be right on our tail and we won't see them coming!"

"Losing Lola and Lana means losing the room-sweep cheat code, damn it."

"We've been halved again..." Luna tapped her fingers impatiently. "We can't afford to separate now."

"Or... Can we?" Leven pondered the idea. "What if we were to do that?"

"You're kidding, right?" Luna objected to his suggestion. "That's just how they'll get us faster! We'll be making it easy on them all!"

"I'm not saying we run around solo, I'm suggesting we go in hiding, plain and simple. LK can cover our trails until there are no trails to follow."

"I'm not leaving my Sam's side."

"What are the benefits of this?" Sam wasn't quick to deny this suggestion just yet. "It's like Luna says, we'd be vulnerable when split up. Unlesss there's something I can't see, I'm going to say I'm against this. So... Two objections here."

"Carly, Caroline, do I hear a yay or nay?"

"For a clone of a brainiac, this is the stupidest thing you've suggested, and Linka is the dumb one," Carly voiced. "But... I want to know what your thought process is. You've got a reason for that, so tell us."

"We'll make it harder for them if we're not a group, guys."

"No..." Caroline delved deeper. "No, you have an idea... And you're holding out on us. You want us all split up- Might as well tell us."

"No, I'm not obliged to say, but you're right, I do have something in mind."

"That requires us going solo?" Carly crossed her arms. "You? Hey, you're the one they're really-"

Caroline swung a punch at Leven once she put it together. "Oh, you asshole! I see now!"

"You.. You're planning a trap of your own..." Carly faintly uttered. "Leven, you want to lead them away from us-"

"I'm always underestimating your intelligence, I guess I should know better by now."

Luna sensed Lisa's presence, feeling hostile in secret. If she were to be truthful, she harbored a hatred for Leven for who he was modeled after- and not just for being the original albino of the Loud family. Matter of the fact, Leven had a sizeable portion of the brain Lisa Loud kept in that average-sized skull. Could have been half or a fraction, but a part of her was there and Leven had been proving- reminding- them again that he was Lisa. Him, the perfected brainchild she brought out, died for. And that was just burrowing into that particular surface. On the other hand... This was Lincoln. "What, is that fancy talk for calling us incapable? Is that what we are, stupid and inferior to you?"

Leven had wiped at his bloody nose, recovering from Caroline's punch. "That's not what I said, Luna."

"No, no, no, heh..." Luna extended her thumb claw and didn't hesitate to maim Leven's chest. "You know what?"

"Luna!" Leven grabbed and twisted her arm, keeping Luna at distance.

"You're too much like them!" Luna kicked herself up on her seat, giving her all to attack Leven in a hysterical episode, forcing and swinging her clawed hands at him. At the heat of the moment, Sam jumped forward in between the seats, pulling hard at Luna, yelling at her to immediately cease, but Luna had tapped into the zone of some inevitable breaking point. Today, for some reason. Maybe it was the stress. Maybe it was the losses they were taking from all angles. Luan, wandering alone. Lynn, standing against them. And now the twins, captured.

"LUNA, STOP!"

"WE'VE GOTTA KILL HIM, SAM!" Luna screamed, distracting Leven from manning the wheel. He lost control of the SUV, being blindsided by the attacking Luna. "THEY'RE ONLY CHASING US BECAUSE THEY WANT HIM!"

"LUNA!"

Then, Caroline started laughing crazily, starting out lowly and to herself, then graduating to loud laughter, head bobbed back. Now, tears of her uncontrollable laughter came running down. Luna had halted mid-fight, turning her attention to the blonde. Leven gained control of the vehicle, keeping it from swerving about. His own eyes locked onto Caroline's face, alerted for some odd reason.

"Uh, I didn't see how funny this is to you," Carly puffed, breath shaking. "Anyways, if you two are done trying to hurt each other-" Next second, Caroline wiggled out a sedative, applying it to Carly's neck. "Yip!"

"Carol, what- What are you-?" Sam was met with the barrel of a handgun aimed directly. "WHOA!"

"Pheno-killing rounds in the clip, courtesy of my... New allies."

"What the hell, new allies?" Leven decreased acceleration. "What's the meaning of-?"

Caroline shot once at the radio, breaking their contact from LK. "First off, you're gonna pull over and wait for my contact. Second, you'll do so peacefully."

"I don't understand-"

Carly zoned out, head smacking against the window. Caroline laughed with dark pleasure, nodding. "And don't worry, that's a dose of ketamine that isn't fatal in the amount that entered little Carly here."

"Wh-when did you...?" Sam raised her hands up halfway.

* * *

_Caroline Pingrey fled alongside Lyle and Lindsey, all three of them fleeing from the Patriot Division base the day it fell, thanks to the clones Link-A and Link-N, when they had flooded the internet with files from all three parties. The world to know of the classified documents with encrypted coding. Lyle and Lindsey made it out, but not Caroline._

_Not when an unknown party had gotten to her and pulled her aside as everyone evacuated to hide. It was Meli Ramos, Chad McCann, Leland Callaghan, Benny Harrington and a fifth individual with face being concealed, but Caroline spotted the female body features. "What- Who are you?"_

* * *

"At the most inconvenient of times!" Caroline set her finger on the trigger. "They needed someone to keep tabs on the runners here, but they could not afford an outsider to slither into the circle, so of course they wanted me."

"They... Got to you before we all-?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, this isn't a betrayal... I was never with you guys at all."

"Carol... Why?" Sam was struck with disappointment and hurt. All of this coming from a friend she walked to class with. "Why you?"

"Why me?" Caroline tilted her head diagonally. "Good question to ask me, and since you helped me out in Dadetown College, sure!"

Leven pulled over and set the brakes, then raised his hands up slowly. Never mind the wound on him from Luna; the mark had healed itself in seconds.

"I believed in them when they explained it their way."

* * *

_Caroline received the tour of the facility- No, it was more than that, it was a humongous base a hundred times over the size of the Patriot Division. It was a concealed underground fortress in a location where she wasn't trusted to know just yet. She arrived there with a blindfold so not as to let her know the how-to of directions. Her tour guide was none other than Peter McMahon. "How do you think to let me see here? You know Elmont took me in to get to you, and you know that-"_

_"You let me worry about that mess, young lady. As for this decision to bring you here... I've learned about the second batch of recruits, these... Junior Patriots, as he called them. You, the younger pair and... Two of the Project Link clones."_

_"They're you guys' creations, too."_

_"But it's you who is the closest one who could understand what this is all about. You come from a family of politicians, three generations before you. These folks here, they're the hopeless, they're the ones who don't understand that change must come. A grand new step in humanity has started and there is no going back, not while Link-N continues to exist."_

_"Change... Through genocide?" She challenged him, questioning the entire agenda. "You're trying to replace the world with superior copies of everyone using him! And you're saying that we might share the same viewpoints?! Are you seriously saying that?!"_

_"I'm saying that everything can change. Every little issue and big conflict lying in the face of the earth, to ever exist up to now, can be eradicated. And do you know what can be erased? This clear wedge you have between you and your parents."_

_"...What- How do you know-?"_

_"You can say... We're close friends."_

_She blinked. "So I'm supposed to trust you by this fact? Even if you know this much about me..." Caroline shifted her hands into narrow pipe-like limbs. "I think- I think I'm better than who I was before. I can do this with my hands-"_

_"And you can do so much more with us. You see, we're only doing away with the norm population. The phenos of this world- Well, those who share our beliefs, they will have a place among us. We'll be the order now, the new forerunners of America, and then the world. A new world and a new government, Caroline. Where do you want to be? With us... Or against us?"_

_"I-"_

_"A perfect world with no conflict, this is what we're offering. And when it comes to pass-"_

_Caroline reformed her hands back to base form. "I can live... I can live and not know fear of being-" Her first thought was having an accepting place in this world, where her parents would no longer groom her for the life they aimed to put her in. No control, and no worry about them disowning her for her sexuality. Wait, but that meant that they'd be killed and replaced by superior fakes. Would this be the same thing? "I- I do want-"_

_"We can and will supply a dream... Together." He led her away from the hangar when they'd stopped there. She saw a fleet of war vehicles of all shapes and sizes, being in shock and awe. "We have the means."_

_"We-?" Caroline followed his finger when he pointed to her new friends. Meli, Chad, Leland, Benny... And Allison Valeria Taggart. "And these are...?"_

_"New world order calls for a new generation, and you have a spot here. Hell, you're the oldest one, maybe you can ascend to being the leader of this lot."_

_"Leader? Aren't you-?"_

_"With all that I do, I can use aid. These kids are good but even the best need to be supervised. Isn't that right, Allie?"_

_"Shut up, uncle, you placed me on that Porter assignment, Meli here is the one that qualifies where I should be."_

_"Well, Caroline?" McMahon formed a smile, nearly hidden with his mustache. "Would you like a better place in the world?"_

* * *

"They just want the clone," Caroline explained. "I mean, obviously, but they have bigger numbers. They have more tech. They can afford to die, and there'll never be a shortage. You can't say that about you. All of you don't have a choice, but the hard part comes after. Join the Prime Federation to live, or take your chances in life underground, running and evading us. Because let me tell you know, the Prime Federation will shape the future, will be the future."

"Carol, I can't be hearing this from you!" Sam screeched. "These guys turned you! They kidnapped you! You're- You're supposed to-"

"They took years from me, I know that and I haven't forgotten, but what's that mean when they can compensate it with a future? I won't be killed in the fight against them, Sam! Not if I became one with them! All of you, you can't run forever! You can't with the numbers they've got! They'll kill you, but I don't want that! I'm trying to save you!"

"By pointing a gun at us?!"

"I'm sorry, did you want the alternative? If it wasn't me, it would have be them."

"You... You're the reason they never attacked us..." Luna finally realized. "You were gathering the information on us for them."

"Gathering and slipping..." Caroline tapped on her left ear. "Implant on the earlobe, push it to turn it on, which it is right now. Self-charging, meaning everlasting."

"You bitch... I'll eat you myself," Luna vowed.

"Take it easy, I'm not doing this out of malice. Guys, it's the real world! Things are on the verge of changing! It's all a bubble waiting to burst, and the Prime Federation will pop it."

"Prime Federation... That's the network, right?"

"Yeah, the real behemoth ever to exist. Lisa Loud created technological weaponry and sold it through the Black Network, as you know it. All that funding was put toward the construction of the Prime Federation. It's an underground base but I don't know where it is, a failsafe should I have gotten caught or revealed my true status to you all. That is where the many of the missing Vial Corp staff have relocated to, if they weren't transferred to Kapacity Korp. Only the ones who don't break so easily work in the managing systems for those."

"Oh... So that solves it," Leven pleasantly let out.

"So you've got us, what now?" Luna asked.

"Not gonna kill you but under the circumstances, you made it complicated for the big guys. Hell, two overlords are dead right now, leaving the Federation in the hands of-" She paused, hesitating. "Actually I think you'll find out on your own."

"So you're taking us back?"

"Yes, but that's what I want of you. You guys aren't so bad, you can live to see the promised tomorrow."

"Why now? Why are-?"

"Luna, if you're asking why I make my move now, it's because you went berserk and tried a go for the clone. That would compromise my mission here. So... This is on you."

"Don't you dare say she made you do this!" Sam bellowed. "This wasn't her choice, this was yours!"

"I get it now..." Leven connected it further. "They attacked the group once before our two groups became one. After that-"

"Told them to back off," Caroline confirmed. "They planned to take out the main Louds and allow me to keep sticking around you, Link-A and Carly. That was the plan, but you all grew more cautious, paranoid even, but I guess I don't blame you."

"Wait..." Leven offered a compromise of a deal. "Turn it off."

Caroline's trigger finger twitched in place, her other hand taking to her left ear to click on her earlobe. "Off the record? Alright, I'm open to it."

"You can have me, but the girls here are free- Make them free."

"I can't do that..." Caroline rejected. "All or nothing, that's how it works. But you girls, you can choose life over death. McMahon said once that if there's a chance to turn you into valuable assets, pardons would be handed out. A pass, that's what he offered me, and that's what they can offer you!"

"We're not going," Luna decided. "I'm not siding with these mass murderers, these kidnappers!"

"This isn't about that anymore!" Caroline continued to fight. "They're well past that now! A great filter needs to happen! The global cloning process-"

"Global genocide!"

"It's more than genocide!" Caroline barked. "All the clones will be better! They'll come out stripped of all abnormalities and flaws of their original! You two, you love each other, right? Think about homophobia for a second. It exists, but not when the filter occurs! It'll cease to exist! You two will be able to hold hands in public with no controversy! Racism can end! Sexism can end! Diseases and illnesses of the human body can be destroyed! We could even-"

"Who's this 'we' bullshit?" Sam debated. "You'll still be the same, just as the other phenos in the Prime Federation. But as you said it before, you just might wind up dead like the general population! Are phenos really the future of humanity?! No, they're all the failures of a long-running campaign to establish and create the Ultimate Human, the very same one who is sitting right there in the driver's seat!"

Caroline trembled.

"She's right, you know."

"What guarantee do you really have in being a genuine part of them in the end?"

"You're right, I don't..." Caroline actually agreed. "But it certainly proves to be better than this. They'll kill you now, or all of us later if you come willingly."

"Y-you rationalize it this way...?"

"Let's be real, we're all gonna die at some point-"

"I DON'T WANNA DIE TODAY!"

"Then let's all go together to make our future with the Prime Federation."

"Sorry, Luna..." Leven apologized. "Sorry to you all, this shouldn't be happening..."

"Shut the fuck up, you piece of shit," Luna seethed like her name was Vale. "Why did you have to exist?"

"Didn't ask to be created."

"You two had better not try to kill each other again," the gunholder warned. "They want you alive, Leven."

"Tell me... After they're done with me-"

"I hope you're as smart as they suggest you are."

"The odds, they truly are against us, aren't they?"

"Get out of the car, all of you. Sam, carry Carly here out, would you?" Caroline clicked on her comms piece again. "Charade is over, I need that pick-up now."

"All this time, you were..."

"Don't be this much of a drama queen, Sam. I know you'll understand it down the line, so I won't try to persuade you that this is good now."

"It isn't..." Sam made an advance for Caroline's gun, in a blind, quick effort to disarm her. They struggled fast- and the physical tussle had ended when Carol rotated the barrel towards Sam's face, pulling the trigger quickly at the alignment. Luna screamed when Sam jerked backwards, slumping over the curb and sidewalk, the special bullet having entered through the latter's neck, burrowed in pieces inside.

"I SAID NOT TO PULL A FAST ONE!" Sam blared intensively.

"Caroline! Stop this, stop this now!"

Luna jumped and picked her dear lover by her shoulders as Sam clampened her shaking hands on her neck, trying to stop the flowing blood from escaping her body. "S-Sam... Hang on, Sam- Hang-"

"You're crazy, you're all crazy!" Caroline hopelessly shouted. "We need to move forward!"

"Says you, the one who just shot her old college classmate!"

"That wasn't- I didn't... I didn't mean to-"

"THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR! THEY'RE MURDERERS, THEY TIE UP LOOSE ENDS WITH SEVERITY AND BRUTALITY!" Leven walked past Luna and Sam, bringing about a fright-driven reaction from Caroline; she redirected her gun at him. "You don't have the clearance to shoot me, I suspect!"

He came to her, right up close for her to connect the gun to his forehead. "S-stay back, I- I don't want to-"

"You can't-" Leven gripped the gun, slowly extracting it from the double agent's hands. "You won't hurt us willingly, will you?"

"Don't turn this away, Leven! They'll send the worse ones if I come back empty-handed! You can't-" He turned away from her. "No...!"

"Then they can take it up with us all. We'll be ready for them now."

Luna helped Sam back in the SUV, moving her with calculated steadiness as they entered the back. "Leven... Link-N... We have to go."

"Wait, you can't just-" Caroline pleaded, but she lost her position the second she had fired on Sam.

"You're on your own, good luck explaining this to your superiors," Leven hissed, entering back into the driver's seat.

"Sam, stay with me..." Luna begged of her lover. By then, just as they had pulled out, Sam gave up trying to halt the bleeding, locked a red-moist hand with one of Luna's but Luna followed through and gave it both hands. "Sam-"

"L-L-Lunes-" Sam managed to form through gags and sputtering of her bloodied lips.

"You'll be okay, you'll be fine-" Luna blinked rapidly at Sam's gushing wound. The bullet had done its job, the lace coating of the counteractive chemical cancelling out the blonde's specialties. It was killing her as it stood, and Luna didn't need to be certified in rocket science to know this. Luna made sure to be there- here, in these last moments of Samantha Sharp's life. Her, along with the driving Leven and the unconscious Carly. It had gone from five to three in the shortest time possible now. "S-Sam-"

"T-tell me anything-" Sam peeped, struggling with her words. "Ex- experience-"

Leven couldn't help but listen in.

"Experience..." Luna looked through her mind, the past memories, trying to get something- anything to tell Sam while this slow demise went underway. Another look upon Sam and she drew back on a time long ago. "I once asked a question to someone..."

Sam's breathing decreased.

_Luna had been playing with her dolls, in a time that predated the British fangirl, the rock enthusiast, rhe punk rocker who would identify as bisexual, in the quiet living room of the old place on 1216 Franklin Avenue. She was there that evening with her father. Currently, Leni and Lori were babysitting Luan and Lynn, which really meant Lori was in charge of them all, having a tough job at the moment. Eldest girl was sure she didn't need Luna's help. She said so. _

_Luna played on the carpet of the living room, sitting in front of the flatscreen while dearest father, spread on the couch, watched the current news coverage. It was a reaction from him that had snapped Luna's attention away from her dollies. She looked up at him and pursued his face to the television, naturally drawn in with the innocent curiosity. It was there that she saw the breaking news of a tragic mass shooting right in the very mall they'd often go. _

_She saw the word "deaths" for the first time, trying to pronounce it as "day-authis" and giggled. It was a funny-sounding word, and she gave Lynn Loud Sr her attention again. "Daddy, what is day-authis?"_

"I asked him what death was," Luna narrated. "I was too young, I could not have known, and I shouldn't have known until years later, when I was mature enough to-" Luna shook her head. "But he told me, he said what it was and... Even when he tried to sugarcoat it, I-"

Sam loosened her hand grip, not by choice.

"He said it happens, that it's part of life. That sometimes... They do it to each other, and then I asked why it had to be that way. It just is, he said to me. It just happens, sometimes there's reason, sometimes it's random, and that there's never going to be warning-" Her breath shook. "And it terrified me to... Hear those words. To know that it happened, and still happens. That... It really does come with no warning."

A single tear fell from Luna's face, dripping on Sam's forehead. "Did it change me? Did it make me too passionate about all the things that... My own dad liked? Was there a deeper correlation behind me taking much after him? Before that... Before that... I was my own person-"

Leven's lips had tugged from each other.

"Who the hell was I pretending to be?" Luna weeped. "What was I trying to pull by being... Being a fake? I'm- I'm a fake, Sam! That's my biggest confession! I'm a fake and I'm in pain by that profoundly dark realization that we're- We're damned to die since day one and I have nothing to show for my accomplishments!"

Luna let go of one hand, bringing it to her face and in doing so, smearing her face with Sam's blood. "It made me so afraid. It broke me so hard when he and my mom died. When Lucy died. It was coming, it was inevitable, it had been chugging poison for nothing. All I did was scream and drink and... I hurt my own sister that way. Got drunk... I lost it, and I can't fully recover those memories. Lynn had to remind me... I know, I f-fucked up but in the end..."

Sam's arm finally hit the seat, lifelessly limp.

"I am fucked up."

Sam's dead eyes had closed.

"I'm so sorry..." Luna leaned in and kissed the deceased's forehead. "You didn't deserve this, Sam. You should have lived."

"Luna..." Leven had pity for the both of them. "We'll bury her-"

"No..." Luna shot down. "Not another funeral..."

"Firm? You two were real close-"

"I can't," Luna repeated. "We'll leave her here, someone will find her."

"Ditching this?" Leven shot his eyes at the mirror. "Right, Caroline has a description. But... Her body-"

"She's out of it, now and forever."

"I can't tell if you're strong or just..." Leven snapped out of it. "I gotta find a parking garage-"

"IDIOT, EYES ON THE-" Leven braked hard to avoid hitting a motorcyclist who had appeared out of nowhere. He honked twice, receiving the middle finger in return. "DID LINCOLN EVER GET A PERMIT?!"

"This guy cut me off!"

The motorcyclist hopped off the dark red ZX-10R, withdrew a Thumper grenade launcher from the duffel bag strapped around their shoulder. The cyclist took low aim, firing a tear gas grenade right through the windshield, forcing Leven and Luna- carrying Carly- out of the SUV. "AGH, IT STINGS!"

"ON YOUR GUARD!" Leven prompted, running along the side, shooting at the assailant. "NEED YOU-"

A second shooter dropped him with a special round penetrating through his left kneecap, disabling him. He fell, handgun sliding forward out of reach. "LUNA!"

The perched sniper fired another shot, this time at Luna, striking the same region as they did Leven. Luna fell on her stomach, losing Carly hard for the unconscious girl to roll twice on the hard pavement. "No! No, no! Please!"

Leven reached his hand out to the motorcyclist, desperately trying to get them- and his arm, right down to the elbow, split open severely and gruesomely, as if a chainsaw had run right through it, only it wasn't so line-clean. He saw flesh and bone when he looked, shrieking out in great pain, too immense to let out a simple curse word. Blood squirted and flowed to the ground before he grew too lightheaded, body reacting from the shock, then mind. "HYAGHHHHH! LUNA!"

"MY LEG, THEY'VE SHOT MY LEG! I CAN'T TRANSFORM!"

"DON'T MOVE-!" The offending motorcyclist warned Leven and Luna a single time, exchanging their launcher for a compact submachine gun. "HANDS UP, CLONE!"

"Easy!" Leven raised his only good arm. "I'm-"

"Command Prime, I've acquired the package, lock down my coordinates and deploy exfil!" Leven picked up on their voice being that of a man's, linked to this Prime Federation. "That's good, stay down and you'll not be harmed fatally."

"My arm- My arm, p-please-!"

"Hang tight, you're going for a ride." The agent took to the duffel bag, taking out a black sack. "You're gonna travel blind."

Leven rested his head down, going lifeless. "Wait, where- Where is my- Sister- Linka-?"

The assailant fired off his submachine at Luna twice, hitting her in the head to knock her out. His own magazine only carried regular rounds, precautionary as to not jeopardize the safety and well-being of the Ultimate Human. "You know, sometimes you tend to go overboard with that. You can shut it down, she's out cold."

Leven shut his trap and raised his devastated arm, which then aligned itself back into one, no longer split and dangling. "Are you radio silent? We've got a new problem in the form of an A.I. Link-A's consciousness somehow replicated itself using the SCX implant. Fortunately, I know how it works. An A.I. does not exist drifting the internet. Its uploaded itself into an electrical grid, if that makes any sense."

"Meaning?"

"We have to EMP wherever its holed up, but it could be anywhere. The damned thing does not know what it's looking for yet, so we have a window. And uh..." Leven pressed on his left earlobe. "Very well, I underestimated your marksmanship."

_"You're too cocky and arrogant, you know?"_

"Perhaps I am, but I admit to being wrong..."

"What of them?" The agent had pointed to Luna and Carly.

"Leave them, they're not big game. What's the word on Caroline?"

_"She's on her way back, and in disgrace, too. She tried her best, right?"_

"It's all death-wish talk for them, there is no saving them, but we'll do it for them, won't we, agent Lindemann?"

Troy Lindemann flashed his thumbs-up at Leven. "As long as the zoomers are taken out of the equation, we've got better footing."

"An advantage," Leven corrected. "Benny Harrington will be more valuable as long as the twins are locked away. If there are no more zoomers out there..." Leven's mind wandered to Lyra and Lynnette, those two whom he had seen very briefly. _I still need to know... _"Always remember, we'll face new and strange enemies we'll never see coming."

"Yes, sir. Oh, I need-" Leven put on the sack over his head. "Yeah, you know."

"Stage one is complete, Troy. Next course of action is here, I can almost taste it."

_"Closer than you say," _Chad McCann added. _"Welcome aboard the Justice Shits, snowflake." _

_Meli, Chad, Leland and Benny make up the four phenos in the Prime Federation as of yet. Undoubtedly, the number just might double, _Leven assessed, _and then there's Troy Lindemann, the free-thinker, who made this possible ever since he slipped that 'little' message back in Royal Woods during the clone fiasco- and right before Link-D crashed the party... We are six, just like the Louds on the Patriot Division payroll. We are-_

"Primers, on me."

* * *

**AN: Revolution is upon us, and so is the end. Few less mysteries left in the list I built up since the start, but even so. Oh, I haven't forgotten about Lulu yet, but of course I'll reread, some things do manage to elude me, I'm not a machine. **

**Okay, so Sam had to go, that was scripted, but how it went... Errrr... I'll get back to you on that at the end chapter of this act. Speaking of...**

**1\. Pheno Wars (1 of 3)**

**2\. Insatiable**

**3\. The Black Belles**

**4\. Pheno Wars (2 of 3)**

**5\. (Locked for Spoiler)**

**6\. Pheno Wars (3 of 3)**

**7\. Blood Assault **

**8\. (Locked for Spoiler)**

**9\. The Seven Deadly Medi-Sin Kids**

**10\. Fallen**

**11\. Act VII Special: The Race**

**Sam was the first, will not be the last. Note; Phoebe (AKA Loli) and Troy Lindemann are alternate variations of Vale's OCs. Putting them to good use. I think it was an interesting choice to give Paula a sister like this. I mean, did you even see it coming? I've still got it. **


	79. Chapter 79

**August 7th, 2030 **

Gloom was the only one, not her and Lyle. Just her. And she tried to outrun him. No, not Lyle. The other guy. The damned man with a familiar face, a recognizable voice, and then, the memories she had built with him. "Heather..."

"Why are we jogging?" Lyle had no issue in keeping up with Heather Eleanor White, but it was her sudden change in speed that had him raising an eyebrow. She was speedwalking, her breasts bobbing about- which he didn't see because he was behind her- eager to get away from that man, that cynical mirage her mind played on her. Fuck, she would have preferred to go insane over coming across him if it were possible. "Uh, Gloom!"

"I'm... Tired," she lied, not looking back to see the intersection where Ray Robertson had been standing. Nice tuxedo and million-dollar smile and all. Same man with the brother who had a nasty hard-on for black magic. That same black magic used on her, turning her, desecrating her body and deflowering her mind. Sixteen forever was Gloom. Sixteen, pale and immortal, otherwise able to feel the same human things as she did before. That was proven by Jerry Cruise's campaign of bloody death. The sledgehammer and an M60's hail of bullets. "I need to rest."

"But why don't you just sit?" Lyle knew this wasn't the case. "Could you tell me what's wrong? I know something is wrong, I've had a sister for years! You're acting just like her!"

Gloom stopped, nodded but didn't turn to face him- then scattered into the nearest alleyway right in front of them. Lyle peered into the area but didn't feel right. This was one of those places where he saw a helpless person bleeding in the middle of the alley, right over the greasy oil slick, and he and Lindsey had approached to give help. Lyle hesitated because he somehow expected another assailant to attack, even when he and Gloom weren't regular teenagers. "Aren't you coming?"

"Why are we here?"

Gloom ran a hand through her long hair. "We're- Well actually, I'm being followed by an old friend... If he could show himself, that would be great."

"Oh, I'm always around, my dear," Ray Robertson explained, appearing on the bottom of the fire escape, arms set on the railing. "My, it has been far too long."

* * *

**Act VII: Revolution, Chapter II: Insatiable**

* * *

"Is- Is he talking to us?"

Gloom and Ray locked in a showdown of stares. Only, Gloom radiated pure hostility and hatred in her eyes, but Ray was most sincere, telling her he wasn't bad, to be antagonized by his role in her death and afterlife. He had been sorry- "Stop stalking me."

"Decades pass but my responsibility of you will never fade."

"Re- Responsibility?" Gloom laughed, snorting. "What, are we a couple? Did I get to marry you in the end? No, to hell with this responsibility!"

Lyle blankly stared, minutes from a poker face. "Uhhh..."

"Heather-"

"Gloom," the goth cannibal replied. "It's been Gloom for awhile now."

"Okay... Gloom, I'm just trying to say you're going the wrong way."

"We're trying to find Lyle's friend here," Gloom scoffed. "The trail leads here-"

"Yes" I'm aware of this search for Lindsey Sweetwater, but what I mean is that there is a party interested in her, said party wants to exploit her as a weapon. This party has already done so in a test to prove that these remarkable phenos can also be hostile. It has worked, and that puts Lindsey in danger-"

Lyle exhaled.

"He will reclaim her."

"He?" Gloom didn't buy anything he tried to sell. "He or a party?"

"He is known as the Tacitus Kid."

"And I'm suddenly supposed to know who that is?" Gloom nodded. "Yeah, we've gotten ourselves caught up on the news, thanks for telling us what we know."

"I know where Lindsey will be, assuming the bigger party does not get to her first. You don't have long to intercept her now that moves are being made at once."

Gloom forced herself off the ground, levitating right up to Ray, hands slamming on the railing from the other side. "You have nothing to do with this, so what's with this bossing around all of a sudden? What are you trying to prove here? This won't change how I feel about you-"

"Wait... What do you mean by that?" Lyle had his interest peaked. "Sir, h-how do you know all this? Wh-who are you and how do you know... Heather here?"

"We go way back," Ray addressed. "You must be Lyle Jefferson, it is a pleasure."

"What the-?"

"Stop creeping Lyle out," Gloom threatened. "You can disappear now, thanks."

"Heather- Uh, Gloom, we need answers!"

"Lyle, no! Trust me, Ray here just wants an eye for an eye, he's not gonna-"

"There is a base in Maine," Ray casually dropped. "I can lead you to it so you know where it is. This is where Lindsey had been taken to when she was captured."

Lyle's heart skipped a beat. "Mmm..."

"I spare you the trouble, but this is not where she is at this second. Gloom, if you could...?" Ray fixed his tie, turning to the window behind him, opening it and defying reality by showing her a gateway to the Black Network base. "Come inside, both of you."

"What is that?"

"It's a trick, Lyle," Gloom decided, floating back down. "He worked his way into my mind and heart and turned me into this me you see!"

"Heather..." Ray frowned. "That happened over a century ago."

Lyle strained his throat and choked on his tongue. "WAIT, WHAT?! A- DID HE JUST SAY A CEN-CEN-CENTURY?!"

"Can you please not toss that around like candy?"

"Keeping your friend in the dark, are you?" Ray smirked, waving his arm at the window/portal. "If you could so kindly-"

Lyle, having not much to lose right now while trusting his back senses about this handsome man, jumped on the hanging ladder, rapidly climbing up the fire escape. "Can I ask what this is?"

"It has come to be known as the Black Network," the old gentleman guided. "It has had many uses, but the current use for it now..."

Lyle climbed through the window, preceded by Ray. His first action was to smell this environment- and trying to rationalize how a window that led to a room had actually led to a long, dark hallway. Long, dark and cold, actually. Lyle detected a series of smells through his nostrils, and very faintly had he picked up Lindsey's own. "Hey!"

Gloom hoped to hear bad results that did them no favors, so imagine her surprise when Lyle had been alarmed by something. "Lyle?"

"She was here!" Lyle ventured off further down, away from the floating square that defied reality. "Her scent!"

"Wait, are you-?" Gloom returned back to higher ground, coming over the railing and peering in. Lyle had already been going to distance. "Lyle!"

_Finally... Don't worry, Lindsey, I'm coming! I'll find you! I'll- _He didn't know or expect what to find, but when he had turned some corners, led to the very room she had been forced in, confined too. He got there, and found it empty. Nothing but empty, save for a single wooden chair in the middle of the room, and loose rope around the chair legs. Neither of these two things were what drove Lyle mad; it was the blood stains he had found in polka dot drops around that had him on edge. Blood... Blood of Lindsey Sweetwater shed by none other than her psychopathic captor. "Why... Why is there b-blood-?"

Lily Loud's weak echoes filled the hall, ringing into Lyle's ears. "Wait, what's that? Who-?"

Gloom had no choice but to follow the pair into the Black Network base.

Lyle dropped on all fours, sniffing the blood too close for comfort. Undoubtedly it matched Lindsey's odor. He pulled away and sat down on the ground like a loyally obedient canine, mouth propping open. _It really is her..._

"I can only imagine your pain-"

"How- How did you know? And...-" Lyle scratched at the blood stains. "I have so many questions..."

"He won't give them, Lyle," Gloom had entered the room, arms crossed. "It just isn't how he works."

"The only other girl just a few cells away is to be rescued."

Lyle took his time ascending to his feet. "Where is Lindsey?"

"Oh, it's like I said, she'll be brought here, but now... That might not be so certain. Which is why I'll be more than happy to give you the location of an underground facility, but today, time is your enemy."

"Time is our-?" Gloom giggled at the joke. "I've all the time in the world."

"You do..." Ray agreed. "But not the others..."

"What others?"

* * *

"Just admit it, we lost his trail..." If there was any day where Lemuel Porter was bothered, it was today and just underneath an early afternoon. He and "Nyla" Laude walked around Staten Island, hopelessly tired of their no-longer-endless search of Lincoln Loud. "Well, we lost him and Allie... If he hurt her-"

"Sorry..." Lynnette had kicked herself for being a failure in her mission. "Sorry..."

"Silly of us, we didn't bug each other or I would have pinned a location on her."

"Might've been overboard, but..." She tried to keep hope alive. What would Lyra do? Oh, other than scold Lynnette for interfering in another's life. In this case, she had joined Lemy and Allie in trying to kill Lincoln. They had their reasons and Lynnette was fine with that as long as the bloody deed was carried out. Carried out before the end of days. Carried out to prevent a great loss of life. "Mind telling me what we're doing here?"

Lemy found a functioning payphone, to which he picked up. "Hey, I need to make a call... My last resort where I have to break radio silence."

"Radio-?" Lynnette didn't quite comprehend at first, but she then figured that Lemy might've been wanted; she had time-traveled to an era where shooting at people could get you arrested as opposed to her own timeline, where there were no laws anymore. In fact, there was so much that she had to learn and adapt to while she was here- She assumed she didn't need to, it was a one-and-done deal meant to be fast. So, why wasn't this mission fast? Why was it taking her, and only her, this long to kill a man?

"I only have a contact Allie put me in line with, so I gotta call him for help."

"You mean you had a wildcard all this time?"

"No... Yes... It wasn't that simple-"

"I would have spared me the trouble of running around in circles!"

"Be mad!"

"I will!"

"I still need a pair of quarters, babe."

"You fucking asshole..." Lynnette groaned before speeding off in a greenish blur. She came back and threw sixteen quarters at Lemy. "Take it, fucker."

"Thanks!" Lemy snatched two of them as they fell, inserting them into the slot, dialing away. When the ringing started, the person on the other side quickly picked up. "Hey, Crudensky! Hey, listen-"

_"Wait, is this Lemuel Porter?!"_

"It's bad! It's Allie, she's gone off radar! I'm aware of the circumstances about establishing contact with you but Allie has entrusted me with your number if ever anything went sideways, and it has!"

_"Okay, okay... Please stay on the line, I am triangulating your position now, I can help you, I have known Allie long enough."_

"Please..." Lemy begged. "We lost her, we fear the worse when he took her."

_"Who?"_

"L-Lincoln Loud, he took her after beating us up."

There was a pause. Then- _"Hang tight, Lem."_

"Okay, thanks."

And Lynnette managed to hear every single word from the mysterious contact. She picked her own brain, recollecting on the day when she, Lemy and Allie had captured Lincoln, and it was there and then that Lincoln dropped claims that Allie was connected to Peter McMahon and the bigger conspiracy at work. Lemy hadn't shown signs of recalling that, or maybe he just didn't believe it. After all, it was Lincoln Loud, effortlessly trying to find a way out. Maybe Allie hadn't ulterior motives. Still... Lynnette was wondering about Allie- and also as to how Lincoln had known her name before they even met officially.

Lemy finally hung up when he was told his location was acquired. Not like he could tell the contact Crudensky where he was manually. "Our guy's on his way."

"Hey..." Lynnette had a curious reason to address the elephant in the room. "Do you think Allie was part of something bigger than she let in on?"

"No, we both wanted to go after him! Well, I did and she was onboard because she was my-" Lemy shut his mouth. "I mean, she was talented and she agreed with me on this whole thing, this... This need to-"

Lynnette nodded comprehensively. "Right..."

"She had nothing to gain from this, Nyla, it was my personal war... I told you before... I told you that he- He, in his Freight days, k-killed my family."

She picked up on his pain, lurched forward and hugged and kissed him to console him. And he kissed back and found comfort in Lynnette. The greater pro that separated her from Allie was the emotional availability, the level of humanity Lynnette projected, which was of no act. Not to play Lemy's mind and have him do someone else's bidding.

And it went both ways, Lynnette needed it from him as well when it was scarce back home. A boy around her age, nice and not so jumpy or cold. She made sure to lock her silk-smooth hands with this as she continued to kiss him gently. She noted that he wasn't shoving his entire mouth into hers forcibly, another pro factor she liked. He wasn't so brutal deep down, same as her. Just a pair of young human beings still capable of love. "How do you do that?"

"I just don't like seeing you... Like that."

"I should marry someone like you."

"Someone like me? Are you trying to trade me up for a better girl? Do I scare you with my zoomer lifestyle?"

"You know what I mean."

"Riiiiight, get you a girl who can't ever outrun you, huh?"

"Overthinking much? It was supposed to be a compliment."

She pecked his cheek. "Oh, I'm sorry! Please, adore and pamper me with all your affection."

"Nyla, you're such a whore."

"Am I, Lemy? Am I?" Lynnette jokingly pushed Lemy, laughing. She gave herself a pat on the back, seeing Lemy's mood flipped brightly. "So, why not marry me?"

"In a world where gay marriage isn't legal in all fifty states, do phenos have a greater chance of being able to do so? And that's only if they're accepted into society a hundred percent, which I'm not in support of."

"Anything can happen... And last I checked, I'm on the other side of that, so why am I an exception?"

"Are you an exception?" Lemy waddled a finger. "You're siding with us normies, not with the phenos. You've helped me and Allie, and you even knew where Loud was gonna be. You knew when Allie and I didn't. This is how it should be, Nyla. Turn them to this side to make things so much easier, so much simpler."

"I'd like things to be normal, that much I know... For me and my sister."

"Her name, it was Lyra, right?"

"Huh?" Lynnette didn't reveal her name just yet. "Wait, when did I-?"

"You muttered it back there when we all fought him. You didn't think I missed that, did you?"

"Erm- No, no, it's-" Lynnette assembled an alias for Lyra as well. "Sylvia."

"Sylvia?"

Lynnette nodded. "Oh yeah, but she's a brunette, has a fetish for the Bible and its wisdom words. Although she didn't start out that way."

"Religious, that's cool... I guess. I'll never know the merits of being a sibling."

"She's a pain in my ass, I wish..." Lynnette reassessed her words. "She could lay off my back, that's for sure. And it wouldn't help if she saw what I did, you know? Understood me from that distance she-" Lynnette sighed.

"Sounds like drama."

"You have no idea, man."

"So, who's Lyra?"

"...uhhh... I wasn't in my right mind... I don't know what to tell you."

"Fair enough. Say, don't you have a family? A sister, but what are you doing so far from home?"

"You're asking me this now? And when I haven't asked you or Allie the same thing?"

"We have our reasons, but you're a pheno, you were taken by your family, so-"

"Oh..." Lynnette found the dirt to fill in the blank holes. "Yeah, okay so I'm pretty sure I'm dead and that's fine by me. I don't have to come back home. Not to my mom. Not to Sylvia, and not to..." Lynnette mentally pictured young Lynn Loud III, the younger daughter born to their mother and the nefarious Lincoln Loud, an incestuous pairing that came to be under reasons she didn't know, or wish to know. "Oh yeah, I forgot I have a younger sister. She's all nerdy and-" Lynnette was about to say she was born with fangs. "Well, she's not like me, that's for sure."

"So, two sisters?"

"Sylvia and..." Lynnette struggled. "Uh, Erika."

"Why not? And don't tell me because drama... I'd have come back if I were in your shoes."

"You want be to be truthful?" She considered it greatly, and she didn't need to go in depth about her past- this future. His future, wherever he was. "Alright, Lemy, I'll give you the satisfaction in knowing, but there isn't anything clean or light about it. See, before I ended up here in this moment, this point in time- It was too horrible. I hated my life, I hated how things worked. I guess you could say... Poverty struck us. Bad poverty."

"Poverty...?" Lemy shifted his eyes around. "Really?'

"Shithole town, supplies are scarce, and plenty of... Well, plenty of infighting..."

"You just described a smaller version of Detroit if you really mean town. Town like...?"

"You get it," Lynnette played out. "Not city size."

"Oh..." Suddenly, Lemy had a sharp pain filling inside his head. "Agh...!"

"Hey, what- What's-?" And then, Lynnette had it as well. She stumbled down, falling onto a knee, bending over. "What's this?!"

_Lynnette let her unofficial boyfriend jump onto her back, his arms wrapping around her neck. "You said you had a sister, right? Same as you?"_

_"Maybe you can help me convince her to help us! She's got cold feet."_

_"Then let's pay her a visit!"_

"Wait, what am I seeing?!" Lemy howled. "When did we-?!"

"I- I don't remember this!"

_In the sudden flashback, they saw themselves forced onto the ground by an unseen force, all of this followed by a great stroking white flash that filled their eyes. The power of the Silver Element at work again, tested out here by Liberty Loud for the very first time. They fell and cried out moments before they had this scene erased from them, reset back by a few minutes. _

"M-Mandela Effect?!"

"Man-what?!" Her hearing sense faded in and out, an apparent side effect from the sharp pain that soon subsided in long seconds. Lynnette had lost control of her breath rate, and Lemy, untrained in this type of situation, had proven to be weak, slumped over and sprawled on his back. "Lemy-"

"What- What was that sound?! That- That memory?!"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I KNOW?!" She was too focused on herself and Lemy long enough to not have noticed her surroundings, but was on time to hear the clicking of assault rifles behind her. "Wait, Lemy-!"

Then came the shooting. Four perfect suppression rounds aimed and fired upon Lynnette's limbs, disabling her right off the bat. Lemy gasped, taking out his piece he never could afford to leave. "NYLA!"

"GET ME UP!"

Lemy started shooting off his rounds, but the Prime Federation units dispatched to their location were far better in marksmanship, shooting his kneecaps with accurate precision. "NYLA, I'M SORRY!"

"WHO ARE THOSE CLOWNS?!"

"DO I LOOK LIKE I KNOW?!"

"AGH, FUCKING TOUCHE!" Lynnette had lost the feeling in her arms and legs, despite being able to wiggle them, which she didn't actually feel. "S-SON OF A BITCH!"

"THIS MIGHT JUST BE AN UNDERSTANDING! IT HAS TO BE!"

"YOUR CONTACT MIGHT'VE SOLD YOU OUT!"

Lemy poked his fingertips at his kneecaps, no longer concerned in trying to escape through shooting. "OW, OW, OW!"

"FOR GOD'S SAKES, STOP TOUCHING THE WOUNDS!"

_Jeez... I was told they'd be teens but this is ridiculous... _He who entered the scene was none other than James Shepherd, a deep member and affiliate working the Black Network for Lisa Loud, thought to have been incarcerated some time ago. But he wasn't at this second, he was here, acting as commanding officer. _Miss Taggart, if you truly are dead, you didn't die being useless in the end._

* * *

Lyle rubbed his hands just outside of Lily's cell. "I hear her breathing..."

"Who's behind there?" Gloom asked her old flame.

"The girl confined inside this particular cell is Lily Loud, and she has a very special gift that she is oblivious to as of yet."

"Gift?" Lyle pinned mentally. "Another one?"

"No, this girl is not a pheno, but she possess-"

"Can you not sound like some wise old man for one fucking second?"

"Patience is a virtue, my friend."

"UGH, YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE!" Gloom accepted, giving up and pouting away. "You were not like this before."

Lyle opened the metal door, letting himself in. "Lily, was it?" He carefully approached her, her who had a sack over her head. Secondly, he inspected the ground around her, seeing no blood whatsoever at her feet. Supposedly this Tacitus fiend had not harmed her in any which way, not unlike with Lindsey. Lily moved in place, having heard Lyle. "H-hello? If- If it's you... Please- Please, I'm hungry. I'm hungry and I'm... Scared."

"You're okay, I'm gonna get you out," Lyle promised, approaching Lily. "You're safe now."

"Th-thank you..." Lily broke out. "Thank you!"

Lyle snatched the sack from Lily's head and untied her from the chair, picking her up with both arms. "You're not so heavy... Hey, uh, magic man, where do we go from here?"

"She must be hidden from the enemy until the pieces are pulled into the same area."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You said we have to intercept her, you mind telling us where she'll be?"

"Why, New Rochelle, of course! Enter here-" Ray Robertson made another magical gate, turning another cell doorway into the gateway of an empty park. "-and find her before the Tacitus Kid or the Prime Federation soldiers do."

"The... What?"

* * *

Lindsey Sweetwater had never stepped out of her mindless form yet. The Medi-Sin proved to be an infinite but unstable power source, driving her to a non-stop campaign of mayhem and hostility. At this second, she had broke into a basement and took refuge there, resting long enough to regain her energy. But Lady Luck proved to work against her, for the primitive redhead had been spotted lurking suspiciously on the premises, which led to the cops being called- and the reports were flagged by the bigger guns, accounting for the anti-pheno forces serving the mysterious Supervisor and the secretive Prime Federation. It was the latter force that got to the address first, mobilizing four armored vans with well over twenty personnel units taking position on the front, sides and back.

"No kill shots, incapacitate only! We want this one alive!" the leading officer dispatched through the radio. "Use stuns! These freaks can still be dazed by regular devices! On my mark!"

Lindsey opened her eyes, hearing the faint yelling outside of the walls.

"Three!"

She rolled right out of the blue tarp she laid out to sleep on, growling gently.

"Two!"

She sped up the capture operation, bursting right out the door, coming into contact with the opposition. They fired upon her, but she moved too fast, pouncing off the wooden fence, going cannonball on those she saw before leaping over to the backyard over. "GRAUGHH!"

"SHE'S HEADING EASTBOUND, ONE STREET OVER!"

Lindsey knocked a round grill out of her way, aiming to run through the balcony when Gloom made her quick landing from the sky. Lindsey, stop! Here, come! Come with me, Lyle and I will get you out-"

"L-L-Luhhhh... Mmmmggghhhh."

Gloom extended out her hands, welcoming her. "Here, I'll take you away! Hurry, before-"

Lindsey charged at the goth, stampeding like an enraged bull, catching Gloom before she could elude her, ramming her right into the balcony screen. Their combined force shattered the glass, cutting Gloom's skin in multiple places, as opposed to Lindsey who did not appear to have sustained injuries. Furthermore, Lindsey ignored Gloom, galloping out the front window. "WAIT!"

"Lieeeee-uhhhhhl..."

"Y-yes!" Gloom chased Lindsey outside. "Listen, Lyle is here! He's worried-"

"Ferrrr-ehhhnd!" Lindsey ran in a circle, stomping around the front yard, calming herself. "L-Lyle..." She clawed at the grass, creating lined and messy unearthing marks beneath her.

"L-Lindsey, it's okay... We've come for you- He's come back for..." She noticed the transformed Lindsey's demonic features, astonished but sickened by this. _We've been looking for a girl but Lyle never said she was- Or did he not know? Was she... Turned into this against her will?_

Lindsey finally grasped an understanding of Gloom's nature, calming down. "Lyle?"

"He cares... He cares about you, that's why we've come here."

Lindsey ceased her gnawing at the dirt, inhaled and exhaled repeatedly. She studied Gloom with those pure white orbs with no pupils. Her right hand made a jerk-twitch gesture before it rose up, stretching out to Gloom. And the first round that echoed through, breaking the tense silence, penetrated the winds and into Lindsey's palm. A hole was made after chunks of meat and blood spread out, shocking Gloom and painfully providing hurt to Lindsey for the first time since being exposed to the Medi-Sin formula. "Erghhhhhh!"

"What- No, stop!" Gloom pleaded to the trio of armed individuals. "Stop shooting!"

"MOVE THAT GIRL OUT OF HERE, SECURE THE TARGET!"

Gloom sprung herself into the air before they forced her out of the scene, astonishing them for a fraction of a second. And it was just like back then, when some guy with steel balls and no care in the world had aimed his M60 machine gun to her while she was diving for a kamikaze attack. She grew scared to experience that again, especially when it was possible more today than before. She simply fell into a category that she greatly qualified for, even when she didn't belong in that specific class. She knew that, and she had to be more careful about her lifestyle. The meat-eater that could not rely on her kills to be classified as animal attacks anymore this year and after.

They aimed at her, forcing her more higher, right over their heads. Lindsey had not been taken out just yet, but her newfound bullet wound had given her much to be angry about. She turned to face her attackers and charged at them while they were distracted with Gloom. She knocked them all down with ease before they fired, now proceeding to head down the street. Gloom followed her from the air, soaring after her. "LINDSEY, IT'S THIS WAY!"

Lyle continued his journey, with his special passenger Lily Loud mounted on him, holding tightly. "Keep hanging on! Forgive my-"

"You're fine!" Lily assured. "You're not so bumpy!"

He picked up her scent since five streets ago, determined to intercept and rescue her from whatever trouble she was in. "What a gracious compliment I'd never thought I'd receive!"

"If you get tired, I'll get off, I can still walk-" Albeit Lily wasn't at full strength just yet.

Lindsey crossed a closed-off road currently made busy by a pack of construction workers reinforcing the uneven, cracked pavement on both lanes. She ran through the white barrier, breaking it in two at full force, creating a ruckus to capture the attention of the construction unit currently on break. Gloom made a quick swoop for her, raining down on Lindsey and grabbing hold of her. "GOTCHA!"

"NYAUGHHHHH!" Lindsey resisted with all her might.

"No! You're not escaping me again!" Lindsey threw a back-headbutt, causing injury to Gloom's face, particularly her nose, now bleeding. "Crazy girl!"

Lyle grew closer to the girls' location, still adamant to get to Lindsey, the girl he had sworn he'd protect. _I dropped the ball once, but not again!_

_Now where did I leave Lyle? _Gloom gripped the shorter, younger girl, leading back off into the air. The challenges had arrived, beginning with Lindsey's freakishly heavy weight, and then, the faint smell of the blood dripping out of her palm. Gloom locked right onto the smell, her primal nature getting drunk on the flesh and blood. _Oh... That's good stuff... _

And she gave in without hosting an internal battle over it, sinking her sharp teeth into Lindsey's shoulder gently and trying to do it innocently. "Just a little..."

Lindsey glocked her face with her elbow swung back hard, severing Gloom's hold on her. "OW! LINDSEY!"

Lyle had reached the street the girls were over, looked up to see Lindsey freefalling to earth at fast velocity. "NO!"

Lily didn't recognize Lindsey at first, but the closer the latter had gotten to the ground, she widened her eyes. "One of the other girls..."

"O-other-?" Lyle pointed up. "S-s-s-"

"I can't look!" Lily shielded her eyes, leaving Lyle to handle whatever outcome would be chosen. But he didn't stay on the sidelines to be an observer; Lyle sprinted and tried to align himself to where he thought Lindsey would land, calculating it in a high-stakes gamble to catch her, and he was terrified like no other. He would catch her, or he would not, no due-over. Meanwhile, Gloom realized her slip-up and followed after the falling redhead frantically. The immortal had felt foolishly guilty and like an amateur in front of Lyle, after all the time they had spent in the search for this girl.

Sorry to say that Lyle was distracted with Lindsey while moving into the perfect spot that he tripped on himself, falling right on his back- and Lindsey had kissed the face of the earth just six feet to his left. The search had met its end with a heartbreaking result, when it appeared to have been perfect for a faint second. He had found her, fulfilling his word that he'd keep her safe. But not like this, there was no saving her from this grisly fate.

He stared in disbelief, face flushing of its color. He was mortified, disheartened and left breathless at the gruesome sight of the dead Lindsey, her head cracked open. It was a tragic blow that ensured his staying on the ground. Gloom landed right over the body of the fallen girl, her nose wiggling out of place. The yummy aroma of fresh meat outweighed her sense of humanity, and so it was, written in stone that she'd go and devour the corpse, feasting on Lindsey's shot arm first.

Lyle lifted his arm, but his body worked against him, the sensation that crawled in his arm weakening it, letting it fall. "Lin- Lindsey..."

Gloom bit off at the joint, messily tearing up the fallen girl's arm. She bit through and chewed, consuming the tender flesh with no hassle. She had her attention to the arm, disregarding Lyle and the mission she had agreed to aid him in. She didn't notice his tearing up, his horrid expression and faint whimpering from here.

"Wait-" Lyle pleaded, "give it back to her..."

Gloom licked the stump for the blood, not hearing Lyle.

"Put her back... But my friend back," he said, going in a state of shock. "She needs to go back home, silly girl-"

Her fifth bite. And sirens, getting closer. Patrol car sirens this time, and Gloom had then a grasp of understanding the situation. And she finally made contact with the hurt in Lyle's eyes, his confusion she could see. His inability to comprehend why this was how it happened, why it had to be, and why her. Gloom set the arm at her side and couldn't help but feel remorse and pity for Lyle. "I'm sorry."

"What did you do?" He just had to know. "You- You dropped her. You let-"

The speeding armored van stopped before passing Lyle, and his unwillingness to flee the scene made him an easier grab for the anti-pheno unit to take him without incident. And by then, Gloom soared high with her quick snack, hurrying out of range from the deadly shooters below, not to intervene in his capture.

But he was right; she had dropped Lindsey in the end simply because she was enamored with the essence of flesh. Yet again did Gloom prove to herself she was more a carnivorous entity than a compassionate human being. She had lost her ability to be a civilized individual in the end. This was the end, now and forever. _Just the way it's supposed to go..._

And Gloom left, letting the unknown force take Lyle away, to do as they pleased. Somewhere, Ray Robertson would be watching, would know that the mark was missed. And Lily, the girl they had freed, was leaving, jogging away from the noisy streets without a clue on where to go. But at least, at the very least, she was out of Dylan Blood's grasp.

All the while, Lyle kept whispering her dear name, stuttering frequently, paralyzed to the core. The girl was dead, and he had greatly failed her. This was... All for nothing.

_"When we get out of here, the first thing I wanna do is head back home," she confided in him after months of silence. "And I'll get back to my family and we'll have everyone arrested."_

_Lyle merely sat in the corner, lopsided against both intersecting walls. "Hopefully so, I would love to return to mines, to see my sister again. I can't help but think... But wonder if they think us-" He zipped up, not trying to be bluntly morbid. _

_"What, dead?" She surprised him by being aware about such matters. "We're not dead, we won't be when we're back. I... I've figured that they might think so, but we're not... We are still alive..."_

_He nodded slowly. "We are. We are still alive."_

He blinked, head down, eyes connecting to the floor. But his mind was far from earth. _We aren't alive anymore... Are we? Are we, Lindsey?_


	80. Chapter 80

**March 26th, 2030 - 11:09 PM - Royal Woods, Michigan**

And Paige Tetherby had her birthday ruined in the most ugly way possible. It all went well, and then some shooter crashed the party from the roof, sprinkling away with the ammunition from their deadly weapon, and in the end-

They took the body away, and she sat there at the kitchen table, dazed, confused and rendered morbidly silent. And while her mother and father, along with other key witnesses gave their counts to the police, Paige Tetherby was accompanied in consolation by her two best friends Stella Narvaez, of Filipino descent, and Jordan McKay, American with a faint touch of German heritage that came from her mother. They occupied the spots on her side, their hands connected, rubbing on Paige's shoulder. She hadn't stopped crying, and the tissues hadn't stopped coming. She didn't need to speak her mind, for they understood.

What they didn't pick up on just yet was that Paige had a great sense of rage that manifested, but remained hidden among the tears and her dripping snot, so not ladylike as she'd be told. Still... Grandpappy had been stripped of his life by some nut. Some nut, but for what?

All those gifts stacked lime jenga bricks weren't even touched yet. Cake- What happened to the cake? Candles? Did- Did everyone have a jolly good time before Allison Taggart carried out her assignment? Could Paige Tetherby ever comprehend the reason behind this? Could she go down and give chase to-?

"Paige," Jordan, mainly recognized as Girl Jordan by most of her peers in school, had known and home-grown a perfect bond with Paige. "Do you wanna stay over at my place? I- I think police and medics will be here for a long time, and this- This is too..." She made sure to eye Paige, hoping she got the picture.

"That shouldn't even be a choice..." Stella voiced. "We should just go... Take your phone, stay the night at hers..." Stella saw her way out. "To heck with the officers, they're taking too long in notifying our parents. That means those others out there, too. I'm not staying any longer."

"I- I'm sure they'll-" Jordan would wait until her family arrived- which only meant after the emergency call. "Oh, my God..."

Stella heard the ringing gunshots when she closed her eyes. God help her sleep tonight, it's all she would want. Right this second, she didn't truly seem fazed, but the rhythm would change when she would be alone again, to process it. To not have anyone to tell to until she was forced to do so, and she'd tell her parents and cry to them about being that much in danger. Her. Her and Jordan alike if the ginger had a soul. Ha, Stella forced a crooked smile. Jordan looked so human, acted like She With A Soul, said humorous things and had natural boy crushes as well. No soul? No, Stella didn't buy that at all. And Jordan- Girl Jordan- was more of an autumn shade, not reddish ginger.

She With A Soul noticed Stella's odd smile. "What- Hey, are you laughing?"

"No, sorry-" Stella grew embarrassed. "I just had a thought."

"Okay, please keep to yourself..."

"I'm staying," Paige decided. "This is my place. Y-you guys go..."

"Paige, you're-" She With A Soul heaved out an exasperated sigh. "This place is too depressing."

"I'll be fine-"

"You're gonna be-" Jordan took it upon herself to carry Paige, storming out through the backdoor. "Stella, get my phone from my pocket and call my mom!"

"Sure-" Stella followed her instructions. "Ew, Ken Makuro screensaver. What's your password?"

"Uh... K-E-N-M..."

Stella rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."

"Oh hush, he's dreamy."

"Could you put me d-down?"

"Oh, I'm officially kidnapping you!" Jordan followed Stella outside, pulling near excess weight. "Oh, thank God you're a vegan."

"I'm not a vegan...?"

"Then why do you feel like a tree branch?"

"Why- Why do I-? Why do you have insane strength?"

"P.E. does me more wonders than you both notice."

"Hi, missus McKay?" Stella pressed a finger to her lips at them, holding Jordan's phone with the other hand. "It's Stella, Jordan's friend. I, um...-"

"Mom, come down here to the Tetherby mansion! There... There's been trouble!" Girl Jordan hoped she was heard through the non-speaker range. "It's awful."

**March 27th, 2030**

Paige's phone had died by the afternoon, leaving her with no contact or online access, but of course, with all that had happened, she put it all aside. Lord knows how many missed calls had come to her phone when she was away from it. Calls and texts, to say the least. All the while this particular trio came together after Stella rode her bike to Jordan's place. This day was a firm weekday, but they had taken it off. Them and however much kids there had been. Big party, big size.

They occupied She With A Soul's backyard, and up to now, no one had bothered to try and form a healthy conversation. It all consisted of moans and the occasional stares to one another. Swing set gone unused, shrubs and frass moving about. Wind bellowing in a hollow echo, letting them know nature and life kept going, but that was the thing. Life had been kept going, this was what had been on Paige's mind. If there was an off button, no one dared to utilize it to freeze time. Time, what she wished her grandfather had more of. She labeled it as an act of injustice. She didn't add to it, she didn't blame those up there, or fate. She just believed that it was senseless and the person responsible was just that; the person responsible, nothing more.

Had they a motive? Had there been a reason-? Paige had her stomach go churned out of her control. Were it so, it'd be inhumane. Indecent. Atrocious. "It scared me," Paige opened up, telling her friends of deeper feelings. "Who- Who does that on a birthday party? What kind of monster-?"

"Paige, please don't think about it," Jordan wholeheartedly suggested. "There might not even be logical reasoning. Those shooters are radical, you know? Last year it was the mall, how... How evil anyone can be-"

"Ahem."

Girl Jordan back-pedaled. "Mind today's paper, it made the front pa- Er, headlines."

"Doofus woman," Stella whispered to Jordan. "But yes, she's right. I can only imagine the whole town must be aware and talking about it for about a week. Ugh, not that I want that. There's... There is no respect anymore, not for the dead- victims and their families. God..."

"Stella?"

"S-sorry-" The Filipino girl's hands rotated about. It was her seeing and feeling yesterday's events. "I, um, I was talking to this guy when it happened and he panicked and-" She covered her right eye. "I have this headache-"

"Stella, do you need to go back home?" Jordan was assured she could handle Paige by herself. "You're free to leave if you're unwell."

"I know that, but what good is it being alone right now?" Stella forced out before she reviewed her words. "Oh, uh-"

"Y-you aren't...?" Jordan cocked an eyebrow. "Unless-"

Stella set her arms around her, expressing a degree of childlike guilt. "So maybe I didn't t-talk yet... I yelled. I yelled and I claimed I was fine."

"So, you lied to them..." Jordan seemed to understand, only giving Stella as far as a simple nod.

"Lied-?" Stella contemplated the course again. "No, I- I was fine, wasn't I? I was fine yesterday-"

"What do you mean you were fine yesterday?!" Jordan jumped up from the porch steps and slapped Stella without hesitation. "Excuse me but there was a shooting and people panicked and ran out the front and back with fear! I- I was afraid just like I know you were! This- This idiotic macho girl act makes me embarrassed to hang out with you!"

"M-macho?" Stella shook her head rapidly. "No, no, no! That's not even close to what I'm trying to get across!"

"Well then you had better start properly explaining it, Stella, cause-"

Paige never peeped a word.

"It- It's here, it's inside me- My mind-" Stella knocked upon her skull. "The voices, the gunshots, the- Everything. I can still see everything, hear and feel it! And I didn't g-get sleep-"

She With A Soul withdrew from another slap. "You too?"

"Too?"

Jordan sympathized with Stella; they could but only be in the same boat up to here. Jordan sent a hand to pat upon the traumatized Stella's head. "Five hours of sleep, but not consecutively... And knowing my parents, they care enough to find me professional help. You know, counseling or therapy- Whatever the terms are."

"I'm just too shaken up to-" Stella let out a grunting squeak. "Actually, I think I ought to go now... I don't feel well."

Paige's green eyes only followed Stella blankly as she took her exit with shame and mind full of trauma. Jordan had already assessed the mental damage applied to her friend to some degree, wishing she could be of more help than she was now. Now, Jordan McKay was only thirteen, a month away from hitting the great One-Four, proved to have a higher degree of intelligence derived from reading books. But there had been one genre that had interested her; the study of psychology. Which meant putting it to use now. "Hey, don't keep it inside, Stella. You... You really need to seek help," she advised with worry. "Please."

"I'll-" And then she found herself not to say anymore, and that was it.

Paige raised and dropped her hand on her lap, smacking upon it, giving up. "What am I doing? Why am I just sitting around like some fixed corpse?"

"It's still fresh, that's to be expected, Paige."

"I just want it gone-" Paige then had a better idea. "No, I wish it didn't happen. It just isn't fair, and all of it- Why can't there be a redo? Why can't it be to my- Our favor?"

"For starters, I'm sorry you lost your grandfather, and... We're lucky to be alive-"

"Y-you call this being lucky?"

"Sure, we're not dead, Paige," Jordan rationalized. "We're scarred but we're not dead, we're going to be okay. Not right now, I'm well aware, and Stella might have gotten this thing called PTSD-"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's a..." Jordan didn't know how to describe it with a sugarcoating. "No, you're right, I'm spewing nonsensical sentences. How are you feeling right now?"

"Jo, it hurts- It hurts like heck!" Paige blasted out. "And it's just like Stella described it, I feel the same way as her! And you, you just said you had a short sleep! I thought you were asleep longer than me-"

"I was wrapped in silence... Sorry."

"That part should he over, right? I'm not back there and that nut is long gone, so just why am I afraid of it? Why can I still hear those shots? You? Her? You- You meant to say that, right? You were-" She fumbled over her words. "You said counseling for yourself, so you are. You were hurt, too! Hurt in the mind..."

"I am, I can't deny that, but I'm calm and logical right now..." Jordan took deep breaths, however, that said otherwise. "It happened, it'll never happen again. Police are looking into it and we're far from where they have hurt us. You and me and everyone at the party, Paige. We're okay, we just need to-"

"And what about my grandfather? Is he okay?"

"Well... No, but-" Jordan clenched her chest. "Look, he's in a better place where he can't be hurt anymore-"

"So you're saying we're here and it's possible?! IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE JUST MIGHT BE SOMEONE WHO COULD BRING ABOUT HARM TO US?!"

Jordan felt her side of the argument slipping from her favor. The panic and the sense of compromised safety had settled within Paige's eyes- but nothing fiery had come to be shown. Not yet at least. "You're twisting my words. This is not an everyday tragedy, Paige. Wrong place, wrong time, this is all it was. I am sure of it."

"Not an everyday tragedy?" Paige laughed in denial. "Excuse me, but I've been doing some growing up. You're right, it's not... But do you know what an everyday occurrence is?"

"Do tell me."

"Death."

Jordan broke first, her mistake against Paige now. "Death... This is serious, Paige. Are you really-?"

"Oh, yes I am!" Paige bellowed. "You're smart so you get it, don't you? Every day, that happens. One way or another, regardless of... Well, some dang slaying! What do police call it, home-cide?"

"What's a girl like you shouting such concepts around for?" Jordan narrowed her eyes. "That happens, yes, but you're suggesting, in a manner of paranoid speaking, that someone out there will be out to get you, and that's wrong! That's paranoia! You're... You're messed up this much by yesterday! That's what I know but it's going to be fine because you're of wealth and they'll afford the best shrinks just for you!"

"It happened just yesterday!"

"It was just his time! Yes, what happened yesterday was a case of... M-murder but that doesn't mean-" She knew it was the PTSD working itself in Paige's mind, already manifesting just as fast, distorting and perverting the young girl. "It can't happen-"

"IT DID, AND IF IT DID-" She With A Soul had also gathered where Paige was going with this.

* * *

**The natural response of the average human being, when in an life-threatening event, consists of a state of shock, a rendering of immobilization. They can't move, they are simply unable to make an escape. This stems from the fear cast upon the current event, exposing the helpless person or persons to-**

* * *

_Paige... This really did you in, didn't it? _She With A Soul shook her head. "It can't happen again, I don't think that. And you shouldn't either, it is not healthy to assume that in life."

"H-how would I ever know?" Paige brought into question. "And what if- What if you're wrong?"

"We may never, Paige, but-"

* * *

**Psychologically, the mind opens up a new door of perceiving, understanding the true nature of the world. These people, the victims left in the wake of such violent, senseless acts, never remain the same after that. There is a switch that just disconnects them from their mental safe haven-**

* * *

Girl Jordan changed her viewpoint of Paige. _Is this all it takes for you to fall? Stella? Stella, what about you?_

* * *

**Post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, is a main, crucial factor that has proven to-**

* * *

Jordan slammed the book shut and took to her bed. When only after she had forced herself to relax. When only after Paige was picked up, leaving the McKay residence on a morbid note. When only after understanding that nature was to run its course with Paige, not for Girl Jordan to interfere. Tough for Jordan, the girl with a long braid waving around the back of her head had a good heart, but was not exactly a professional around the sentimental angle. She was about facts, logic and statistics. If it was so that she could relate from experience, she would share and let it be known that some soul would not be alone in that which troubled, rattled their soul.

This didn't qualify, it was beyond her reach, but not out of her understanding. _PTSD... Paranoia, why can't it be easier for them?_

Something she had said made her delve deep into thinking. Back there, with her friends, she said these things happened, and there was no true logic behind it. These madmen were just unhinged at most, crazy and- Well, they were just crazy, no doubt about it. There was no logic. Was that true for the deconstruction of the minds of the victims? Did it just warp everyone at random on that mental state of their very being?

Was logic a concept that never existed? And when she thought about it again, she realized that it happened. And it had no real reason to. So...

_Why? _

She dug into the covers and adjusted her head on the pillow, taking rest. And she closed her eyes with great anticipation that she'd see the same horrible nightmare again. Only...

She turned to the side. The creatures of the dark kept her comfortable when her mom and dad would no longer partake in doing so, for she had grown up. And the world grew bigger on her. Talk of college. Talk of career. Talk of other things synonymous with the average adult. She was fated to go down that path, just like the others. Her. Paige. Stella. Millions of people she had never met.

_Why can't it be easier for us all?_

She could not fall asleep as fast as any other night, so naturally, she went into her phone and poked around her social media accounts. She scrolled through the regular posts that occupied her feed. There were pictures from Mollie Reinhardt, some silly troll posts and memery from Grant Evans (you'd have never guessed the cashier at Burpin' Burger could have an endless sense of humor), and then came the dreadful sharing posts of the same articles concerning yesterday's incident. That and a spam of messages passed the seventies, and lesser notifications. At no doubt had she been tagged but Girl Jordan had no issue in ignoring everything.

She considered it enough and went back to the top of her feed to refresh the page- and it showed her a brand new fact relating to the murder. It demolished her drowsiness, earning her full attention that she leaned right up and clicked on the entire post, finalizing with the long staredown at the image featuring the compiled faces of Leia Amanda Prescott, Gwendolyn Harris and Marsha Gladwell. Only, the names of Gwen and Marsha were mentioned, but no name was attached to the blonde girl as Jordan could see;

**WANTED - These key individuals were seen on the premises prior to the Tetherby party, one of which had been manning a drone overhead before they took off. Sources affiliated with various police departments on the east coast have identified two of the three girls as girls from Greenwood, Pennsylvania. These three girls are believed to be a trio of thieves running across the nation. A reward of a thousand dollars is currently being offered to anyone who contains information that leads to the detainment of these three girls.**

_These girls were...-? _Jordan zoomed in on Gwen and Marsha. And she made a faint connection; these strangers were present at Paige's party, she had come across them just the one time while she was coming back from the punch area. Gwen and Marsha were arguing, that's what it was that she noticed. It didn't seem possible, but... _A drone being flown to survey the mansion? Thieves... From Pennsylvania? _

It didn't add up all the way, but this was indeed an update to note, and maybe it meant something. But-

Girl Jordan smiled and saw nothing but stupidity. _Okay so maybe they were involved but there is no way they're suspects in Lord Tetherby's murder. Has there ever been a case of a female shooter with such a mental capacity to do this? Ha, there is no way-_

Thieves, it said. Thieves, not killers. Gwendolyn Harris. Marsha Gladwell. It made her rather curious if anything. But what intrigued her was the identity of the third, unnamed girl. Was she also from Greenwood? Or had her identity been withheld for a reason she wasn't seeing just yet? Funny... The face on Mysterious Blondie seemed rather familiar, but not to Girl Jordan's recognition yet. If anyone could find the connection, it was definitely Connor Packer, the computer geek with a fancy hard-on for technology. Why, Jordan could count on him to put a name on Mysterious Blondie, and to make countless dots connect. Maybe... Just maybe, they could uncover the mystery, crack this case. Get justice for Paige.

And it did cross her mind.

_Who are you and how do you three fit into all this?_

**March 29th, 2030**

Connor Packer adjusted his glasses, getting to work on this "conspiracy theory" Girl Jordan had presented to him. He bought it and his fancy was majestically tickled. The young black boy seemed to be too much into aliens and the inexplicable events that left the populace with confusion and mystery. That was him, when he wasn't being some silly weeaboo. But he was talented when it came to matters of the virtual aspect. He knew things Jordan didn't, some of which had amazed her, but that was more often than not.

The recent trick Connor Packer had pulled was installing as many texting apps as he could, acquired a free number with the home area code and pulled a great prank on a school bully, scaring him down. It was easier than you'd think, but the tricky part was sending all targeted texts at once. No funds to buy multiple devices, but it was always possible.

Today, he was in his room, seated, eyes locked onto the computer monitor. Two names across multiple platforms. Google, Twitter, Tumblr. You could name them all, or try to, but he'd share of another you didn't know. Or he'd take it from social media (Girl Jordan hadn't thought to rummage news articles about these female thieves) to local area. Greenwood, Pennsylvania. "Greenwood Chronicle is their paper, it might be insightful. I'm gonna try to check the missing persons cases, they would have been marked as missing before they descended to this."

"Right," She With A Soul agreed. "I didn't consider that they'd have been reported as missing, how stupid of me."

"Playing detective is not for everyone," Connor replied back with ease. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I'm not..."

"So you say." He never looked at her to know otherwise. "Okay, I'm doing cross-references for every keyword I can think of."

"No need to tell me, just figure it out."

"How do you think they're involved?" Connor asked again. "I mean, if they were spotted flying a drone around the mansion, they might have been paid to do so, right? They might have been working for someone. That post calls them thieves but that's also a thing that intrigues me. Why would three girls just suddenly escape their hometown and go on this supposed spree?"

"Are you suggesting something happened?"

"In Greenwood, yes. It isn't far-fetched to make a guess that some crap went down, drove them out. But there has got to be a thousand incidents happening up there weekly. For me to find a piece of this puzzle would take some time, Jordan. I don't know what I'm looking for exactly when I get there."

Jordan collapsed onto his bed. "Anything?"

"For keywords on thieves..." Connor made multiple clicks on his keyboard, scrolling the mouse's small wheel to take him down. "Just reports of B and Es, some foiled bank job- Uh?"

"What? Hey, did you find something?"

"Okay, I have a match, I think. Ahem..." He read aloud, "Three unidentified girls- Hmmm... Stolen goods, yadda yadda yadda. Took off in a black Nissan Sentra belonging to one of these girls' parents, reportedly."

"They all just up and left?"

"It doesn't sound like a kidnapping case from what I can tell."

"Three girls..." Jordan nodded.

"Date takes us six months back, that narrows down the search, but it's still-" Connor stopped, catching the last few sentences of the article he currently read. "Wait... Interviews from the families of Harris and Gladwell made it into this article, but no mention about our mystery blonde. Hmm... You know, I do believe I have seen her before."

"Her? You sure?"

"Not personally, but it's the face on her that..." Connor opened up a new tab. "I've seen. I just can't put my finger on it."

"So, did this unnamed girl just become top priority?"

"There is nothing about her I can use. Hm, no fact about her... Could it be possible-?"

"Could what be possible?" Jordan turned her face to his direction.

"She might be an orphan..." Connor deduced. "Orphan, not a foster kid. Not adopted into a family. Orphaned since recent, or had been all her life. A runaway, displaced."

"She... Has no family? Based?"

"Based." Connor cracked his knuckles. "Orphan girl comes and becomes friends with these two locals and persuades them on a quest. Her identity, yet to be uncovered by the police unless they are keeping one or several key facts of this case from the media and public. But, how does this spiral from a chain of reported small crimes to this murder?"

"Yeah, that's what I've been thinking as well. They might have made friends, that's what I think."

"Okay, but friends that would throw them under the bus?"

"Uh-" Jordan pondered her logic. "Hm, you've got a point."

"Back to it... They came to Royal Woods for a job, they're thieves, right? That explains the drone surveillance."

"Oh..." Jordan was quick to nod but her mouth went another direction. "Yes, but what's this about you saying they were being paid? Working for someone?"

"It is a possibility, yes," Connor shared with a pleasant, calm tone he had never masked off. "I run this on the fact that they've had a drone."

Jordan noticed him opening up to the Tetherby mansion through Google's mapping system. "What are you-?"

"The drone had to be flying higher than the mansion's peak height, and not too close around it."

"Uh- I see-" Connor was always a wonder of a human being. Could it have been that he wasn't one? It surely continued to impress She With A Soul.

"A drone that needed connectivity, needed Wi-Fi. Long range signal... A place close to-"

"A public place?"

Connor closed the tab. "I can confirm it for what it is. A drone that can do all that does not come cheap. Fry's Electronics, well over five hundred."

"How did-?" She then stopped and hit herself upside the head lightly. "Never mind, I give you too little credit."

"Well, when you want to buy one, you tend to look in the right store." With his hands, Connor made an explosion. "Booooooom!"

"Ha, none of this is going to get you a girlfriend," she joked.

"What do I want? A girlfriend... Or a flux capacitor?"

Jordan let out a snort drawn from laughter. "Loser you are, Connor, old boy."

"I haven't forgotten about the witness counts. You showed me that post, someone or several people let the police know about what they were doing. It's vague but this had to have been shared after the incident, right? Cops would set up a perimeter and ask questions... But here is where it gets a little hazy for me. Who brings this fact up and why? There isn't any suspects before this witnesses, or them, tell the police about the girls flying that drone."

"Yeah...?"

"In this town, there's a lot of that," Connor continued. "I know tons of people who do here. Now... Why does someone submit this as evidence when the townsfolk know that its common? Someone... Just one person who maybe had plans-"

Jordan snapped her fingers. "Ah, the witness is linked to the girls!"

"And maybe they are the ones who framed the girls as well. They were the ones who told the officers, or detectives, about that when they went asking around."

"So, this witness...?"

"All reports are logged and pinned to the investigation in one way or another. If the witness party was the one who gave a statement, it made it into the case. Doesn't matter if it's verbal or written, it gets typed up in the end. So, somewhere in the list of eye reports is our person of interest."

"I feel like I should be writing this down, you're really proving your brain skills!" Jordan complimented. "Glad I came to you."

"Oh please, anymore modesty and I'd be growing an ego like a parasite."

"That's... An interesting comparison."

"I'm only as good as the next person," Connor casually said. "Please, no praise at all. You can thank me after this is over... But what do you propose we do if we figure out what really happened here? Take it to the cops?"

"W-well-" Jordan paused for a moment. "I- I didn't think this far ahead. I mean, what was the high chance we could actually find out the killer behind this? We are just kids when it comes down to it-"

"But you came to me with this, so clearly you were thinking beyond the mind of a simple child... And last I checked, you're in your early teens, same as me. Kids? Young adults is more like it."

"Young adults..." Jordan sat up. "So what we need is in the police reports attached to this... Heh, that's funny, considering they're unaware."

"That's where the limit is reached for me, I can't break into a precinct, nor am I too advanced to hack their database. Coding isn't easy, and I need to download specific software."

"Wait, but... Surely there is something we can do? We've just come this far, we need those reports!"

"What do you suggest we do?"

She wished she had an idea, but her thoughts were easier to form than when they could be carried out, come to life. Breaking into Royal Woods Police Department, no way it could be easy, especially for a pair of young adults as he labeled her and himself. Girl Jordan had come real close to the end, the solution of this puzzle. But then, suppose they would actually find the witness, what came after? What came when they uncovered the identities of the witness and the unnamed blonde girl? What would arrive when they cracked the case?

Neither had yet considered that they could be stopped dead in their tracks before they stumbled their way to find the existence of sinister forces in play. Down this path, the fog rolled in. It was a thick atmosphere going forward, but not the only direction that could be taken. Down there, Allison Taggart and company were armed and battle ready, doing all they could to keep their agendas tucked away like a Snickers bar hidden in a 7-11 Slurpee. Closer than the two could expect. "We..."

Connor took his fingers off the keyboard. He waited for an answer, any suggestion.

"It's the only way we can figure out who killed Lord Tetherby, I owe it to Paige. She needs to get the closure. So... I'm gonna need help. I gotta get help on breaking in."

"Be careful, it's not going to be easy..." He leaned his head back and gave a heaving sigh. "I'm satisfied at this point, now we know it's shady business. Those poor girls are innocent here, they've just been framed."

"Not me, this doesn't end here for me until justice is delivered for my friend."

"I like your style, Jordan. Those are such words I rarely hear from girls."

"I don't sound cheesy, do I?"

"You do, but it's not bad to say the least." He stood up from his desk after closing all tabs. "This isn't sunshine and rainbows, Jordan, I don't think I need to remind you. Please be careful from here on out. I would try to talk you out of it but it would be folly, I know you'll see this through to its end."

"Oh, you can bet on it."

**March 30th, 2030**

"You know, we're going to get caught!" Stella insisted on, having quite the bad feeling on their little mission. She shivered in the cold of the night, under the moon. The dark clothes on her, to conceal her from visibility, didn't keep her at full warmth just yet. A dark blue hoodie and bagged yoga pants barely made the cut, but for Jordan, the latter girl felt just right in her black, short sweater and gray jeans, but that was the limit for them. They weren't too prepared for this. Jordan still expressed her grievance with not being able to find them some masks. "Jo, this is too much- I don't want to do this."

"I don't either, but-" She With A Soul twisted her head back against the wall and leaned again, peeking her head back onto the street side. It was just across from them, the place they'd be breaking into. Breaking into... Right... "We have to know, Stella! We just have to... D-don't we? Doesn't she?"

"We can take this to them! They have to believe us! They have to!"

"Will they?!" Jordan disagreed, could not be sold on that idea. "There is nothing they can act on, it's just all speculation but at a high chance of it all being as I believe it is! The girls are framed, someone made it look like they're the only suspects! We just have to get in there and take the-" Jordan had not told Stella what form this big lead would take. As Connor said, it would be written or typed and logged in; a sizeable list of statements or computer files. She rode in on the bet that they were on paper, easier than to tap into a computer for it. "-files and that's it. That's all that we need. That's all that I need, and I'll take them to Connor."

"You know I love you both as my best friends but this is nuts! They'll take us to juvy! I don't wanna go to juvy!"

"Oh, aren't you being just a little paranoid?"

"Are you serious?!"

"They'll give us a pass from pity, I'm sure. We were present at the shootout, they'll give us a warning, or they're heartless."

"You... You really think that?"

"I do, this won't be so bad..." Jordan formed a confident smile. "This won't be so bad. Are you ready?"

"Hell no. I'm not!"

"Good." Jordan wandered into the street, moving across the road. No cars were visible around, nor were there any pedestrian walking around. Jordan was sure the precinct was full yet. Stella's role here was to get the attention of the officers away from here. To run left or right and break car windows, house windows, a mess. So much for a clean reputation. For Paige, how justifiable. No, Stella was not in agreement. Why she was here, she'd never know.

Jordan waited, digging herself in behind the precinct, right on the side of the green, smelly dumpster. She needed to wait, listen when the sirens filled the night and echoed out until it faded. Four times, paralleling the amount of cars she saw at the front. Tight, small precinct, no back parking lot. Budget cuts? Or maybe it was this town that didn't need a bigger force. No, it did, she thought so. Since recent times and latest of crimes, it had to have been considered. And thinking about it, this shooting at the Tetherby mansion only affirmed that opinion.

_Heh... You know what would be funny? _She covered up her nose, eyes wincing at the burning aroma the dumpster failed to contain. _I would become super cool if I get caught. I can see it now, I can see kids lining up to fanboy over me. Heck, I might just become some temporary idol for the delinquents. Yes, they'll love me for this-_

The thought it had made her smile briefly, but her feet returned to ground again.

_What if I...? A group I could form...?_

Sirens finally broke the silence, the conformity of her mind. The thoughts were blown away just like that. Jordan thanked Stella for being as quick as possible- and for perfectly getting all four patrol units dispatched. At least she believed and hoped it was the case, she heard over two of the cars' sirens go off almost simultaneously. The grab-and-go operation well underway by the hand of Lady Luck. Jordan emerged from her hiding spot, taking soft steps forward, looking through the side windows.

She stared into a world of darkness mostly, just dimly lit sources of light filling the entire floor, but just barely. Somewhere inside there...

Allie forced Jordan's hands behind her back by brute force, shoving her right into the window. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Oh, God-" Jordan became scared, basically whining with her high-pitched tone of voice that never came out often. "I didn't do anything wrong-"

"What's a girl like you doing around these parts? Huh?" Allie delivered extra pain for Jordan. "Your mouth is working just fine, ginger."

"I'm trying to go home!" Jordan lied quickly. She struggled to get out of Allie's grip when it was a bad position to be in. "C-come on, why are you-? Wait, who are you?"

"A curious kitty cat." Next, Allie redirected Girl Jordan right to the floor, letting her go at long last. "Again, what are you doing here? Let's see if there are no cops inside, yeah?"

"No need, this is just a night stroll-" The pain from the impact kicked in. "Ow, my arm!"

"You're lying, I know it!"

Jordan had her eyes to the street, thought about nothing but breaking into a run. This girl, whoever she was, had proved too wise for her own good. But somehow, Allie had a miracle gift of mind-reading, suggested by her next move, which was picking Jordan back up. "Let's have a little talk with the boys in blue..."

"Huh? Wh-wh-why?" Jordan stammered, air escaping her lungs.

Allie forced her to move front side, having her lead into the department. Jordan pushed right on through and gulped hard; she was in for it now. But then-

Neither girl had come across anyone. "Huh?"

Allie circled Jordan and raced around the desks, rummaging through them, searching for some object or objects that had Jordan dazed, baffled. _What- What is she doing?_

Allie groaned, failed to find the physical evidence of the reports. She extracted a small square device from her pants pocket, pressing the red button at the top. "Doing it the hard way, are we?"

Jordan scratched her head at Allie. "What- what's that?"

"You can be truthful to me now," Allie restated in a calmer tone, connecting the Sprocket-4 to the computer hard drive she hovered over. "You're trying to find something, same as me."

"What- Well, uh-" Even when she hadn't seen anyone in a uniform, Jordan shot her eyes in a clockwise manner. "Y-yes! Yes I am!"

"You wanna lay it on me?" Allie conveyed her seriousness over to Jordan, scaring her with the strict face on display. "You might as well, right?"

"You- you're here for-?"

"The same reason?" Allie nodded, no smile set in place. "Yeah, there are things of interest to me."

Jordan's bottom lip twitched when she tried to respond.

"You can trust me..." Allie tried to sell. "I'm here to find information on someone through the database. This device here, it's duplicating everything in the drives and storing the copies inside."

"Then what was that with the desks?"

"Well, using this is my last resort, I simply don't have the time to find-" The device in her hand vibrated on her, letting her know the process was done. "How about that?"

"All the cops-" Jordan huffed.

"Oh, yeah, they're all gone, this place is pig-free," Allie finally laughed to herself. "Hey, you gonna stand around there or go do whatever it is you came here for?"

"Oh, right!" Jordan started going around the desks- she had no idea where to even start with her search in all honesty. Those files could have been anywhere. "I'm trying to find a possible suspect in this case I'm... Kinda working on. I know I have no business-" She went over to the second desk, "-getting involved in such matters, but this is for my friend. You know what happened four days ago, right? The tragedy at the old Tetherby place?"

"I'm familiar, yeah. That happened and those three chicks are looking awfully guilty from where I stand."

"Well, I don't think it was them," Jordan dropped to counter Allie's opinion. "In fact... It had to be the person who brought them to be suspected in the first place! I believe so, I feel like that's what's going on. They've been framed and there's someone else bigger than them behind this, and I'm eager to find out!"

"That's not what I hoped to hear..." Allie tucked away the Sprocket-4 device, exchanging it for a snub revolver and pointed it at Jordan while the girl frantically searched for the statements at her third desk. It clicked back, finger going on the trigger. Right before she pulled, after aiming to Jordan, she found herself to suddenly pause. She took a steady breath, but it wasn't enough to balance herself out. It was here that she had a dark realization that this didn't need to happen. A sad case of someone getting close to the truth, digging past the surface Allie helped built to cover and conceal the terror beneath. It had to be Leia, Gwen and Marsha to fall into law trouble, not her or her superiors. "This is never..."

"Never what?" Jordan checked the third one and faced back up to see Allie standing there, gun loaded in hand. "Whoa, what- What are you doing?"

"I hope you know, there is nothing personal about this..." Allie shakily confessed. "Just know that I'm... I'm sorry."

"...It's you-" Jordan deduced right before Allie fired the kill shot, the bullet striking against Jordan's left eye. Whether her soul had left her body before or after she fell was beyond Allie; there was no way of knowing if Heaven or Hell truly existed, but her soul, she knew, was far from clean, pure and innocent. Had been, always would be.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'll do better next time!" Allie begged Lincoln Loud when it was her turn to meet her maker. And it was all very ironic and poetic in the end of it. Him, with a revolver, staring down at her in a silent environment. Just the one shot that she knew would end her and- _Oh, God, is this-? Is this how Jordan McKay felt in those final moments?! Oh, God, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... _"I'll reform!"

The Ungodly Stormbringer clicked on the gun and pulled the trigger.

"I'll-"

And in a twisted turn of events, he shot her in the same place she shot Jordan. And she would then know the question she wondered in her mind. Did Heaven and Hell exist in absolute? But then, as she understood dying, she just had to ask another simpler question. Right has he picked her up. Right as he tossed her over the edge. Right as she soared down with the waterfall. _Do you feel the same way as I did back then? Are you guilty? Are you guilty now?! I need to know! I NEED TO-!_

And the water below would prove to wash away her sins, her troubled soul off the face of the earth. It was the end of Allison Valeria Taggart. _You'll feel what I feel, now and forever. Now and forever... _

* * *

_What if I...? A group I could form...? _Jordan laid down there, sprawled on the floor. Surrounded by a lake of her own blood. _We'd- We'd call ourselves... The Black Belles... I like that. I like that. _

Allie looked to the body with pity, tragedy, pain. Who knows just how she felt? Damned be Allie for-

Troy Lindemann entered through the front and saw Allie standing over the body. "Alliecat? Did you get it?"

"Uh- Oh, y-yeah-"

"Why are you-?" And then, the older man had noticed Jordan McKay's body. "Oh."

Allie shook her head in disbelief, speeding over to him. "It's so different when it's someone who didn't-"

He consoled her, leading her away to not see the ugliness of their duties. "I know... It's not ideal but they'll tell us it's all for them, to protect them until the end." He hugged her, removing the revolver out of her hands. "It's over, I'm going to see about a transfer. I know you've not been ready for this."

Allie kept herself from crying, trying to be as strong as him. As strong as- "I can do anything, but not this... Not this, Troy- Please, don't let them put me on this again."

"I won't," he promised, soothing her with his calm, methodical voice. "You'll do differently next time."

* * *

**Act VII: Revolution, Chapter III: The Black Belles**

* * *

**August 7th, 2030**

"She wasn't cut out for that, so I asked the Supervisor to give her missions that don't mess with her moral compass that way. She could not harm innocents, I applaud her for that. Most of us, we know what might be when it comes down to it, but Allie..." Troy stopped and ran his hands down his face.

Leven, on the other hand, was calm and understanding of it. He nodded and gave, "Sounds like you truly care for this girl, even when she just so happens to be affiliated with the Prime Federation."

"I'd be checking in on her but in her current operation, she's to be radio silent. Only contact she checks in with is to our comms unit Allan Crudensky and only him."

"Did you want her to be spared or something?" Leven asked, getting to the point. "You told me their Justice Teens roster are the only ones not onboard with the genocide agenda. Four and you, but no one else."

"Allie has unquestionable loyalty to her uncle," Troy sighed. "She'll follow him without a second thought, but I can't guarantee she'll be spared for the changing."

"Don't bring her into this just yet," Leven instructed. "The less in this circle of Primers, the better."

"I'll finally get to see Allie later today, we're rounding back our assets to the Federation. Her and whoever she was working on or with, they'll come too."

"Busy day, huh?"

Troy nodded and smiled. "Today is beneficial and thrilling. I can't wait for my star pupil to return to me."

"Hm, pupil?"

"And they say you're the genius clone... Don't you know?" Troy shared a hearty laugh. "I taught Allie everything she knows, turned her from a crybaby into a fighter."

"She means this much to you, doesn't she?"

"Friend..." Troy slapped his flat hand over his heart. "She is like a little sister to me."

Leven flinched at the words. "I understand," he let out softly, thinking of Linka. "I understand what you mean."

"Of course you do, we're in the same boat, keeping the closest around us in the dark until the cards are placed on the table. I just pray I won't be discovered prematurely."

"You've covered your tracks well up to here, Troy, you're doing well and so are they. Just a few moves left and we finish this." Leven closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Wake me up when we're there."

"Sure thing, friend," Troy agreed. "Sure thing."


End file.
